In a Book Club Far Away(92)

“I’m sorry,” Adelaide said, voice croaking. “I’m so, so sorry. But I didn’t want to upset you more. You were alone. You needed someone.”

Regina was shaking her head. “All this time.” She fixed her eyes on Sophie. “I’m sorry, Soph. I’m sorry I let it all fall on your shoulders. I was a bitch. A bitch over a marriage that wasn’t going to last, not really.” She half laughed. “What’s funny about all this is that I was thankful for the transfer in the end. It really made me who I was meant to be. I left the Army when my obligation was finished. I realized, truly, that my marriage was over. I went back to school. I started my own business. And I raised Miko.”

Adelaide’s tears began to flow. Now that the truth was out, she realized that by admitting it, she could lose her best friends. “I… don’t have any excuses. It was a choice I made, which I regret.”

“And knowing that I took the blame? That she blamed me?” Sophie stood. “Adelaide. All these years, I beat myself up over this. Sometimes I doubted myself as to whether I did the right thing. When I’d see Regina post on your Facebook feed, I’d feel so sad and so left out. I often wondered what I could have done better. I… I can’t be here right now. We’ve got a houseful whether we like it or not. I’m going downstairs, where we’ve got a little girl to celebrate.”

Adelaide stood and reached out to Sophie, but her friend sidestepped her. “No, Adelaide.”

Regina followed. “I’m going downstairs, too. If anything, my goddaughter deserves a great day.”

Adelaide watched as both women went down the stairs. After several minutes, she did what she did best. She put a smile on her face and walked out the door.

Instead of a being full of a loud crowd, the foyer was silent. A dark-haired man stood at the open front door. He was dressed in jeans and a polo, with a duffel slung on his back. His head was partly shaved, skin sun-kissed, and he had a distinct dimple on his chin. The same Genevieve had on hers.

“Oh my God, Matt.” Adelaide held on to the banister, sheer determination keeping her upright.

Then she allowed herself to cry, in front of the entire crowd.





CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

Sophie




The party went off without a hitch, in large part because of all the tiny details Regina planned, from the food to the outdoor games set up in the backyard. Not one bit of love was spared. But the party was also saved by their significant others.

Sophie had been in a daze when she’d descended the stairs, even when she’d witnessed Matt walk in the door. Her smile had been fake, her brain solidly still in Adelaide’s bedroom, processing what her friend had admitted. Luckily, Jasper stepped into conversations with his charm. Henry chased after used paper plates and napkins. And Matt headed up the games—he was a child whisperer. The three men filled the room with their booming laughter and nonstop chatter.

Sophie was cleaning up as the last of the guests trickled out, when she felt hands on her shoulders. They were solid and heavy and comforting, squeezing gently. Jasper stood flush against her side. She turned to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her forehead on his chest as she’d done more times than she could have counted. “You survived it,” he said.

“We survived the party. But the rest of it? It’s not over yet.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t have to do anything. In this case, it’s me who has the upper hand. I’m wildly hurt that the truth didn’t come out years ago. What do you think I should do?” She leaned back and looked up at him.

He rested a hand on the back of her neck. “I don’t know. But I understand the thin line we used to walk between professional and personal. We lived in the shades of gray.”

From her periphery, Sophie noted movement and turned. Regina, standing next to Henry, slung a scarf over her neck. At her feet was her green rolling suitcase.

“Hold on a sec, Jasper.” She let go of him. “Reggie.” When she approached, Henry stepped aside, into the living room. Regina continued knotting her scarf.

“Where are you going?” Sophie asked.

“I’m staying at a hotel.”

“I know that this is a hard ask, but please don’t go.”

Her gaze shot up. “That is a hard ask.”

“You said so yourself. Didn’t everything turn out the way it was supposed to?”

“She lied to me. I love that woman, and she… I hate when people lie.” There were tears in her eyes. “She also knew about the bad blood between you and me. Years of me stewing. I’m surprised you’re not packing up your things. She lied to you, too.”

“I know.” Sophie touched her forehead. “I can’t seem to wrap my mind around the whole thing. But what I know for sure is that I can’t leave. Because then I would lose her, and if you leave, you’ll lose each other, too. You and I have already lost years together, and that has been painful enough.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying don’t be rash about it. One bad thing shouldn’t negate all the good between us. What if you hadn’t come back a week ago? What if I had headed home mad? We wouldn’t be here today. We wouldn’t have tried to keep it together. And as much as we had our moments this week, we had some okay ones, too, didn’t we?” Sophie sighed. “I don’t know. But Jasper’s here, after months of me pulling away, and Henry’s here by your side, helping you as an equal. I have to think that means something.”