Dash was about to open his mouth to say something, but Poppy continued, “What, you thought I just wouldn’t find out?”
“We didn’t do this to hurt you,” Dash added. “It’s not Sophie’s fault. I started—”
But Poppy wheeled toward him with a raised and accusatory finger. “Do you realize how fucked up this is that you were both keeping the fact that you’re…” Poppy seemed to dry heave but then course-corrected.
“I know this looks bad,” Dash began to say, but Poppy stopped him with her hand.
“Just so you know, I stole ginger from your garden the last time I was here and didn’t tell you. I added it to the bone broth because I felt guilty. So I hope you enjoy that super-healing, yummy broth, because it’s the last time I’ll be making it for you!”
She turned to Sophie and shook her head. “And you. I’ve always given you free samples from the spa when your skin is looking sad. You don’t deserve them!”
Then she stormed toward the front door and brushed past Dash’s shoulder with such force that he stumbled backward. She slammed the door shut behind her.
“I should go after her.” Sophie made for the door.
“She needs time, Soph.”
“Poppy’s my best friend!” Sophie gestured toward the door. “First I destroy my relationship with Nina, and now Poppy. I can’t believe I did this to her. I’m a bad person.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Dash wrapped her in a hug. She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around him, and he squeezed her tight. He couldn’t say the words that immediately came to mind—that he’d never felt as close to someone as he did to her. And that, even though he wasn’t ready, he saw a future for them.
“I have to go.” Sophie loosened herself from his grip and quickly collected her clothes from the floor.
“You don’t have to.” He followed her, like she was the sun, and he was the earth helplessly pulled to her. “We can talk about this.”
“I can’t talk right now, Dash. I—” she shook her head “—I have been spiraling, like, trying to figure out what’s wrong with me, and attempting to make things work with Carla. And now I just totally messed up with Poppy. I need to clear my head. I’m sorry.” She finally looked up, all her clothes bundled in her hands, still wearing his shirt and barefoot. She was upset, he knew that, but what he didn’t know was how to fix it. All he could do was listen to what she needed, and she’d said that was space.
“Okay.” His fingers nervously tapped at his sides, as she walked past him and toward the door. Before she left, he grabbed her elbow and placed a kiss on her forehead. Something to let her know he was there and ready for her, whenever she was. But she didn’t reciprocate the gesture. Instead, she turned and walked out without so much as looking back.
29
SOPHIE
Sophie: can we talk?
Sophie: I’m so sorry, I never wanted to hurt you
Sophie: please just talk to me
Sophie: I totally GET why you’re mad, and I will give you space, but please let me explain
Poppy: You’ve been secretly seeing my brother and didn’t plan to tell me. There’s nothing to explain
Sophie had read and reread Poppy’s text and, well, she was right. Sophie had intentionally kept her relationship with Dash a secret from her best friend. There were multiple moments where she could’ve come clean and worked this out, but she’d actively chosen not to.
And the only conclusion Sophie could come to was that she was deeply selfish, like, probably one-of-the-worst-humans-on-the-planet-level selfish.
“So you don’t think I should respond?” Sophie asked.
Nina, who was shoving a tortilla chip loaded with guacamole into her mouth, turned to look at her. “I know I asked you to stop being a flake, but no—I think you should wait, like I told you the last few times you asked.”
Sophie grabbed a chip and bit it more aggressively than necessary. They sat at the counter of Pink Metal, a restaurant that was impossible to get a table at but was owned by Nina’s best friend, Jasmine. The restaurant was, as the name described, decked out in splashes of pink and chrome, giving the interior an edge while the food served was a warm and cozy contrast. Jasmine stood behind the counter and fixed all three of them margaritas.
“I agree with Nina. There’s nothing more annoying than when you need space but someone won’t give it to you.” Jasmine slid a pink margarita across the counter, the rim dusted with bright pink sugar. “Don’t be that person.”
“But I can’t stand that she’s mad at me. I mean, we usually text every day. This isn’t normal for us.” Sophie sipped from her drink and was surprised by the kick of jalape?o. She wrapped her hair up into a bun and secured it with the hair tie from her wrist. “Okay, I’m already sweating.”
“Do you really want to do this now? In the middle of this restaurant with other people around?” Nina crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.
“There are no other people here.” Sophie looked around at the empty restaurant, which Jas had opened early for them specifically so they could have a vent sesh.
“I know that, but I didn’t want to have to yell at you.” Nina sipped from her drink.
“Just tell me what I need to do.” She held her hands out, as if Nina would place the answer into them.
Nina exhaled and swiveled in her seat to face Sophie. She placed her hands on Sophie’s knees and leaned forward. “You are sleeping with your best friend’s brother. Yes, Poppy is your best friend, but you also need to understand where she’s coming from. Two of the most important people in her world have a relationship outside of her. If you want to make things better, then you need to stop fixating on how uncomfortable you feel and start thinking about how Poppy is doing.”
“So I’m selfish is what you’re saying.” Sophie sat back and pursed her lips, secure in the knowledge that she’d been right about herself.
“I didn’t say that.” Nina leaned back.
“Why didn’t you just tell Poppy sooner?” Jasmine waved a tortilla chip in front of her, like the obvious thing would’ve been to confess.
Sophie absentmindedly brushed sugar off the front of her dress. “Dash and I hadn’t figured out what we were doing, or what we even meant to each other. I mean, not until yesterday.”
“Mmm, the sex day.” Jasmine sipped her drink, but Nina whacked her arm. “Ow!”
“And you didn’t think she’d find out at some point?” Nina asked.
“I didn’t want her to find out, because then we’d have to stop seeing each other.”
“Maybe she would’ve been cool with it.” Jasmine shrugged. “You never know.”
“Sounds like you didn’t trust her,” Nina said.
“No, I—” Sophie stopped herself, though, because she realized that Nina was right: she hadn’t trusted Poppy. She’d convinced herself that if she told her, then Poppy would react negatively. But would her best friend have reacted as badly if she’d told her sooner? There was no way to know.