Page 37 of The Proposal Pact
“Fucking hell,” I cry out, throwing my arms up. “This torture will never end.”
“Sure it will, Cake pop.” She pats my arm, smiling that innocent but devious smile. “As soon as you are happily married. So, look through the pictures and holler if you like anyone. I’ll leave you to it.” She gets up with a pep in her step. “Eat your cake pop.” She points to the bag she left for me. “Same time, same place tomorrow morning.” Fanny salutes me.
“I’m expecting coffee with the cake pops tomorrow!”
Since I’m in this hell for the foreseeable future, might as well get something out of it.
8
Sophie
“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” – L.M. Montgomery
“How’s Loverly Cave treating you? Ready to come back yet?” Vassar asks through the phone.
“Nope. I love it here.”
“Sophie, come on! It’s been over a week now, isn’t that enough?”
“Do you like my new haircut?” I ask, changing the subject.
“It looks good on you, although you looked great with long hair as well. Now, don’t try to change the subject.”
Well, there goes that.
I stop searching through my closet for a dress to wear to the bar with the girls and purse my lips. “Sooo, here’s the thing…” I trail off, biting my lip as Vas stays silent for a moment.
“I feel like I’ve heard that line from you before and nothing good came after it.”
I have no idea how to break this to my brother, so I shift on my feet and decide to just go for it. “I’m not sure I’m coming back.”
Another beat of deadly silence and then a loud “Theè mou!” comes through. Okay, so we are bringing out the Greek again, I wince. “What does that supposed to mean? Are you planning to travel the world or moving to that hippy town?”
“The latter option, please.”
“Tell me you’re joking.”
“Nope?” It comes out as a question because as much as I love my older brother, he can get pretty scary at times. Next, I hear shuffling and a lot of distant curses in Greek.
“Okayyy.” Kira picks up his phone. “So, there’s a lot of foreign shouting happening right now. Can you please tell me what you said to your brother to get him that worked up? I need to write it down for later use.” I hear that evil, sultry smile in my sister-in-law’s voice.
“Ew, Kira.” I make a disgusting face, and even though she can’t see me she knows it and laughs.
“Seriously, what did you tell him?”
“That I’m moving to Loverly Cave permanently.”
“No, you are fucking not!” comes from Vassar, still sounding distant. “This is just some weird premature midlife crisis with cutting your hair and all that happening! What are you in crisis for even?” He keeps shouting, and I no longer find it funny because he’s being an ass right now.
“I can be in whatever crisis I want! Thank you very much!” I shout back.
“No, you can’t! You’re an adult now, in case you forgot, and adults don’t run away from their problems. They face them head on! What you’re doing are the actions of an unstable child. Who throws away their whole entire life over some problem? You’re twenty-seven, Sophie, not eighteen anymore.”
“You did not just say that right now,” I grit through my teeth. “I am not an unstable child!”
“Then prove it to me! Be the responsible adult I’ve always thought you were.”
“Okay, break time,” Kira interrupts us before we can take it up a notch. “How about you both take a few days off, cool down, and come back to this conversation?”
