Page 13 of The Do Over
Sophie stood there, waiting for Jack to say something. To say something other than for Bethany tocut it out.She wanted him to stand up for her—they were the duo in charge of everything errands, right? But he didn’t. He didn’t even meet her eyes, choosing to turn his face away.
As the seconds passed but he didn’t speak, her expectation fizzled out and her anger turned on him. Sophie took a deep breath.
“You know what? You two can finish the selection. I was going to pick what Emily would love, but it seems like you two have something else in mind. I’ll be taking the car so you can find your way home.”
“Sophie,” Jack called out to her as she was leaving but she didn’t turn until she was out of the place, hastening her pace until she was in the car. She took another deep breath, because she wasn’t about to get into an accident because of some silly man and his tag along, started the engine and then drove off.
CHAPTER6
I NEED SPACE.
Jack knewshe was avoiding him. It was the only reason she hadn’t been in the house for the past two days and each time he went over to see her Andrew, he’d tell him that Sophie wasn’t home.
At first, he believed it. Because she might have decided to go stay with her parents, after being away from home for five years. But the second day, when he went to find out what he could to help, he heard her voice from inside the house. Out of curiosity, he asked Andrew if his sister was home and his best friend said she wasn’t.
Wasn’t it her voice that he heard?
Jack knew why she was avoiding him and he was trying to make amends, but if she was going to such lengths to not see him, how could he tell her that he was sorry for not taking her side when they went on errands and Bethany decided to tag along?
The anger in her eyes before she stormed out of the store that day had told him how much his silence hurt her, but by the time he could shake Bethany off and run out of the store, she had driven off. It didn’t matter that it was the only car they had…he would have given up the opportunity of easy transportation if he could have apologized to her.
No matter how much they argued or that they were like the different sides of the coin, it had to be her over Bethany any other day.
Oh well.
Sighing, he pulled the drapes and was about to settle on the couch when someone knocked on the door. Sophie? His heartbeat sped up.
He had to be calm and think of a plan. Maybe give her some space, read signs to be sure she wouldn’t flip out and walk out if he opened his mouth, and then, with as much sincerity as he could muster apologize. But when he went to open the door, his nervousness turned to irritation.
“What do you want?”
As entitled as she was, she pushed past him and sauntered in, wearing the most terrible shade of purple sparkly pants he had seen with a white crop hoodie.
“I’m here to help you out,” Bethany said, settling on the couch. She turned to face him.
“Why? You don’t want me here?”
“I don’t need your help with anything,” he said. “Please leave.”
Bethany shook her head and a finger.
“Oh, no. You do need my help with everything. Or, what you intend to do today. I heard Andrew gave you a list already. But the thing is, I’m going to be your plus one, since Sophie—and thank god—will not be joining you today.”
“She won’t?” Jack frowned. “How do you know?”
“Easy,” Bethany said, getting up. “I went to their house and she told me. She said that she knows I want to be around you and that no matter what she does, she’ll never get you, so she is willing to accept defeat and give you up to me.”
There might have been a small chance of him believing her claim but it fell through as soon as she said that Sophie was willing to accept defeat. The Sophie he knew then and the one he met now, neither of them would ever accept defeat.
“She didn’t say so, Bethany. And as you heard, I have a lot to do. I’d like to get ready to go out in privacy.”
“You caught me,” she shrugged. “She didn’t say so. But she said I could come with you in her stead. And I’ll say that it’s the same as accepting defeat.”
Jack was a little hurt that Sophie wouldn’t tell him but sent Bethany to pass along the message that she hated his presence so much she would rather remain out of sight and that has a punishment, she was giving him Bethany. Although, based on his behavior the last time, there was a chance she didn’t see it that way.
Which was why he had been trying for a chance to apologize and clear the air.
“Thank you for your offer,” he told Bethany, “but I believe I can handle this myself.”
