Chapter 2
Before I could even respond, Sophie turned back around, taking in the car's interior as she kept chatting away. "Wait, is this car scent Amber & Sage—the one I bought you?
"And that lucky charm hanging there, I gave you that before I moved abroad!
"Alex, you've got a girlfriend now, so why is your car still packed with stuff I bought you? You should have Emily swap them out for new ones."
Hearing her teasing, Alex's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "You're meddling too much."
Sophie knitted her brows, her face instantly turning sour. "Did you seriously just snap at me? Fine, I'm telling Emily all your embarrassing childhood stories."
With that, she pulled out her phone, turned around, and sent me a WhatsApp request. "Emily, I have pictures of Alex in split-bottom training pants on my phone. I'm sending them over!"
The car jerked slightly as Alex held the wheel with one hand and lunged with his right to snatch her phone away. "I told you to delete those ages ago! How do you still have them?"
"Give it back!" Sophie scrambled to grab her phone, but Alex switched it to his left hand and dangled it out the open driver's window.
Desperate to reach it, she unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned right over him, pressing herself completely against his chest.
Watching their unreserved intimacy from the back seat, I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles.
Ever since stepping into the car, I had been sitting there, listening to them reminisce and watching them play-fight.
I was an invisible third wheel—a complete outsider.
Amid their playful bickering, the car rolled into Willow Creek Estates.
Alex pulled over and handed the phone back. "Make sure you delete those photos."
Sophie pulled back from his chest, taking a moment to land a hard punch right on his sternum. "Jerks like you get what's coming to them!"
She stepped out, waved goodbye to me, and walked straight through the estate doors.
Alex seemed to be in a fantastic mood, humming softly to himself as he drove on.
I watched him in the mirror and asked quietly, "Alex, have you and Sophie always been like this?"
His long fingers tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel. "Yeah. I've always loved messing with her—it's hilarious watching her get all worked up."
As if suddenly remembering something, he added, "She snapped those childhood photos off an old family album in my hometown. Don't think anything of it; I'll make sure she wipes them completely next time I see her."
I didn't know what to say—mostly because I didn't keep photos of any guys in their baby pants on my phone.
Right then, the car phone rang.
"The Boss" flashed across the dashboard screen.
Alex tapped the answer button, his tone teasing. "Miss me already? We just parted ways."
Sophie's voice drifted through the Bluetooth speakers. "Don't flatter yourself. My mom wants you over for dinner tomorrow, and bring your girlfriend along."
Alex turned her down without hesitation. "Pass. Emily comes from an ordinary family and isn't used to those kinds of scenes. I don't want to overwhelm her."
In the tight confines of the car, his words hit me like a sharp needle.
A light chuckle came through the line. "Look at you, guarding her like she's a precious gem. Fine, just come by yourself then. And make sure to bring a nice bottle to share with my dad."
"I've got a bottle of limited-edition Imperial Reserve Whiskey—landed it at auction for three million," Alex replied. "How's that for generous?"
"Not bad," Sophie said. "You're learning."
The car coasted to a stop along the curb outside Sunnyvale Apartments.
Alex unlocked the doors, signaling it was time for me to get out.
I opened the door, phone in hand, and looked at him. "How much is the fare?"
He didn't even raise his head; he was still busy texting Sophie. "Tomorrow at your place, then the day after at mine. My mom's been asking about you nonstop."
I bit my lip, transferred twenty dollars straight to his account, and stepped out of the car, walking into the complex without looking back.
The moment I stepped inside my apartment, a text came through from Alex: [What's this money for?]
I typed back: [For the ride.]
Alex: [Babe, you actually think I'm your chauffeur?]
He added a laugh-cry emoji, followed by a transaction decline to return the cash.
Alex: [I was dropping off Sophie today anyway, and you were on the way. No charge.]
Looking at those stinging words on the screen, my heart went completely cold.
Just then, an overseas call came through.
"Emily, the villa we bought you in Bellmont is fully renovated," my mother, Susan Carter, said from the other end. "When are you moving over to settle down?"
She and my dad had been running their business in Westoria for years and hadn't moved back home.
"Whenever," I answered.
Susan couldn't help but ask, "What about that boyfriend of yours? Are you bringing him over so we can finally meet him?"
The words left my mouth before I could stop them. "No need."