18| Confiding in Friends

Sophie needed a break. Between the fight with Ethan and the stress of running the flower shop, she felt completely drained. Everything weighed on her, making it harder to breathe, harder to think.

Mia had invited her to spend the afternoon at the bakery, and though Sophie wasn't quite ready to talk about everything, she knew being around her best friend and her sister would help. If nothing else, Mia's baked goods could temporarily cure heartbreak—or at least distract her from it.

The street festival had most of the shops closed, leaving the perfect excuse to shut down early and have a rare, relaxing afternoon. Just the thought of spending time with Mia and Lily brought a small smile to her face.

When she pushed open the door to Mia's bakery, the warm scent of cinnamon, sugar, and fresh bread wrapped around her like a comforting hug.

Mia looked up from behind the counter, her face lighting up as she waved. "Sophie! Over here—we've been waiting for you!"

Sophie smiled as Mia hurried over to pull her into a hug. "Lily's here already, right?" Sophie asked as Mia grabbed her hand, pulling her toward their usual booth.

"Of course. Where else would she be on her day off?" Mia teased.

Sophie slid into the booth while Mia retrieved a tray of steaming coffee and pastries. Lily was already sprawled across the seat, her head tilted back in mock despair.

"I don't want to be that person, but we're gonna need something stronger than coffee after the day I've had," Lily groaned dramatically.

Sophie laughed, her smile finally breaking through. "The only time you're like this is when you're having boy problems."

Mia placed a cup of coffee in front of Sophie and a plate of her favorite pastries. "Nothing a little caffeine and sugar won't fix—for you, anyway. Lily? No day drinking allowed in the bakery."

"But," she continued with mock seriousness, "we can go for drinks later."

Lily's groan was muffled by her hands covering her face. "Ugh, fine."

Sophie took a sip of her coffee, the warmth spreading through her chest. "This is perfect. Thanks, Mia."

Mia turned to Lily, raising an eyebrow. "Alright, spill it. What's got you all riled up?"

Lily let out another exaggerated sigh. "It's the guy I'm seeing. He's been acting so distant lately. Totally obsessed with me at first—like, texting me every five minutes—and now? Crickets."

"Sounds like a classic case of love bombing," Mia said, sipping her coffee knowingly.

"Love bombing? Seriously? I thought it made sense for him to be obsessed with me—I'm Lily, after all. Gorgeous, talented, amazing." Lily paused, then sighed in realization. "Oh no, I totally got love bombed, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Mia and Sophie said in unison, nodding sagely.

But Sophie wasn't listening anymore. Her mind drifted—straight back to Ethan.

She wished she was still pissed. She wanted to stay mad. But now that the anger had started to fade, all that was left was this... heaviness.

Heck yeah, she was mad at him but...

She always hated the buts.

Mia, ever perceptive, caught the shift in Sophie's expression immediately.

"Alright, Soph," Mia said, nudging her arm. "Your turn. What's going on?"

Sophie sighed, setting her coffee cup down. She had been looking for an excuse to rant.

"It's Ethan." The frustration slipped into her voice before she could stop it. "We had a fight. And now? I don't even know. I don't even know if it was a real fight or just me picking one. I swore at him, girls. I never swear at people." She exhaled sharply.

"And I wish I hated him, but..."

Lily reached across the table, squeezing her hand. "You don't," she finished for her.

"Not really," Sophie admitted. "If that was my only problem, maybe it would've been easier. But there's also... Claire."

"Claire?" Mia's brows furrowed.

"Who's Claire?" Lily sat up straighter, already on high alert.

Sophie exhaled sharply, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "She's Ethan's friend. They grew up together, and apparently, their families wanted them to end up together. Also, Ethan sees her as a sister."

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Did she say something to you?"

Sophie clenched her jaw. "She basically told me she and Ethan have this 'special bond' and implied I'm only with him for his money. Oh, and she called my shop an 'expensive hobby.'"

Mia gasped. "She did not."

"Oh, she did." Sophie let out a humorless laugh, but the pain behind it was real. "And now Ethan's acting so distant. I don't know what to think anymore."

Lily's grip tightened. "Sophie, no. You know that's not true. You've always loved Ethan—even if he's too blind to see it."

Mia nodded firmly. "That Claire girl is a complete B-word. You cannot let her get to you. I know her type—she just wanted to plant seeds of doubt in your head. It's nasty, but it works."

Sophie hesitated before voicing the thought that had been clawing at her chest all night.

"But... what if she's right?" Her voice cracked. "What if they actually do make more sense together? Maybe they make more sense than Ethan and me."

Lily practically leaped out of her seat. "No. No. You are not doing this. Don't let her words settle in your head like some self-fulfilling prophecy."

"Talk to Ethan," Mia urged. "Tell him what she said. He needs to know."

Sophie sighed. "I know. I can't just keep letting this fester. But it's so hard when he keeps pushing me away. We were so close, and then he just—pulled back. And instead of talking to him, I got mad."

Mia reached over, pulling Sophie into a hug, stroking her hair gently. "If you got mad, he probably deserved it."

"Mia!" Lily scolded, but Sophie just laughed.

"Adjusting to this Sinclair world is so hard," she admitted softly. "I always feel like I don't belong."

Mia pulled back, gripping Sophie's shoulders. "Being rich doesn't make anyone more worthy than you, Sophie. You're you. Kind, beautiful, funny, talented you. And you belong wherever the hell you want to belong."

Sophie blinked, wiping away the tear that had slipped down her cheek. "Mia..."

Lily sniffed dramatically. "That was beautiful. We should hug."

And just like that, they did.

Sophie let herself sink into the warmth of her two favorite people, feeling some of the tension in her chest ease.

"You know what sucks the most?" Sophie said after they pulled away. "A few weeks ago, Ethan and I were racing down 4th Avenue park, laughing like kids. Now, he won't even talk to me."

"Wait—you made him race you?" Lily asked cautiously.

"Of course. Why?" Sophie replied innocently.

"God, you always do this! Get people into competitions, lose, and then cry about it when you lose," Mia teased.

"I love you, big sister, but you're such a sore loser," Lily said.

"Hey! I even won, thank you very much." Sophie retorted.

"He let you win," Mia and Lily said in unison.

"No, he didn't!" Sophie protested. "I won fair and square!"

"Sure," Mia teased, rolling her eyes.

"You'll be fine, Soph," Lily said with a grin. "That man likes you—he's just as confused as you are."

"If he likes me, why is he being so distant?" Sophie muttered, her voice soft but conflicted.

"Because men are dense," Mia said matter-of-factly.

"Seriously dense," Lily agreed. "Don't give yourself sleepless nights over it. Just be yourself. He'll come around."

Sophie blushed, her heart feeling a little lighter. "Thanks, guys. I didn't come here for a confidence boost, but you sure know how to make me laugh."

Mia and Lily exchanged amused glances before Mia broke the silence with a knowing smirk. "You know, you're pretty obvious when you talk about him. Your face lights up, and you get this dreamy look in your eyes."

Sophie's cheeks flushed as her eyes widened in disbelief. "Do I?"

Lily nodded enthusiastically, a playful grin spreading across her face. "Oh, absolutely. It's adorable. Like, painfully cute."

Groaning, Sophie buried her face in her hands, laughter spilling out despite her embarrassment. "You two are the worst."

Mia laughed too, leaning across the table to nudge Sophie's arm. "We're just being honest. And it's not a bad thing. If anything, it shows how much you care about him—even if things are, well, messy right now."

Sophie let out a long sigh, lowering her hands. "I do care about him. Probably more than I should. I just wish we understood each other better. I'm tired of feeling like we're on opposite sides of a wall."

Lily reached for Sophie's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "You will, Soph. Relationships aren't easy, especially when they're as complicated as yours. But if you both care about each other—and I think Ethan does—it's worth fighting for."

Sophie gave her sister a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Lil. I really needed to hear that."

"Speaking of complicated relationships," Lily said, pulling her phone out dramatically, "I need help crafting a breakup message for my soon-to-be ex. It's about time I made it official."

"At this point, I'm basically a certified expert," Mia chimed in, scooting closer to Lily to peer at the phone. "Alright, what've we got here?"

Sophie watched as Mia and Lily dove into drafting the "perfect" breakup text, their heads bent together as they debated wording like it was a life-or-death situation. Lily groaned when Mia suggested something brutally honest, and Mia rolled her eyes when Lily wanted to "soften the blow."

Sophie couldn't stop laughing, the warmth of their antics chasing away the shadows that had clung to her all day. Being with Mia and Lily always made her feel lighter, like the weight of her problems wasn't quite so heavy when shared with them.

As the afternoon drifted into evening, Sophie realized it was time to head back home. The thought brought a twinge of nervousness, but her heart felt steadier after spending time with her two pillars of support.

"Thank you for today," Sophie said as she slipped her coat on, her voice soft with gratitude. "I really needed this."

"Anytime, Soph," Mia said, giving her a quick, tight hug. "And remember—don't let anyone make you feel less than. Not Claire, not Ethan, no one. You're amazing."

"We'll always be here for you," Lily added, her own hug a little longer and full of sisterly reassurance. "Even if you need help with another race—though next time, maybe don't cry when you lose?"

Sophie laughed, swatting playfully at Lily. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lil. But for the record, I won fair and square."

"Sure you did," Mia said, grinning.

Sophie rolled her eyes but couldn't stop smiling as she headed for the door. "I'll see you both on Monday. Love you guys."

"Love you too, Soph!" they called out in unison.

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