Chapter 2

The next morning, my mom called.

She didn't even say hello, she just started scolding me.

"Did you bully Soph last night? She came home crying and even took two more pills than usual," she snapped.

I was washing veggies, and the sound of the water masked my snicker.

"Seriously, she went into the wrong theater herself and got kicked out by the staff. How is that my problem?" I said.

My mom said, "She's not in good health. Can't you just give in to her?"

My mom had been saying that for over twenty years.

I turned off the faucet. "She takes my seat, I let her. She takes my clothes, I let her. If she goes after my boyfriend, am I supposed to just hand him over too?"

There was a brief silence on the other end.

My aunt chimed in, "Lily, don't be so mean. Sophie just likes being around people, she wasn't trying to cause trouble."

Grandma let out a sigh. "Emily was always so stingy, always making things difficult for the family. Don't turn out like her."

I gripped my phone, water dripping from my hands onto the floor.

Ethan walked over from the kitchen doorway and gently wiped my hands with a towel.

He didn't ask what was going on. Instead, he just spoke into the phone, "Mrs. Grant, this is Ethan. I'll bring Lily home for dinner tonight, and we can talk things through."

My mom's tone changed instantly.

"Oh, Ethan's there too? Alright, come by early tonight," she said.

After hanging up, I looked at Ethan.

"Are you sure you want to go?" I asked.

He hung the towel back up. "If I don't, they'll just show up at my place and turn it into a soap opera."

I said, "My family's favoritism is just ridiculous."

Ethan chuckled. "When I'm cooking, I know just how to handle the heat, and people are the same. Your cousin? She's got way too much drama bubbling up."

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

But after the laughter faded, my heart sank again.

I knew that dinner was going to be about a lot more than just eating.

When Ethan and I got home that evening, the living room was full of people.

Grandma, my aunt, my parents, and Sophie were all there.

Sophie was wearing a pale blue dress.

I recognized it instantly, it was the one I'd bought last month, but hadn't even gotten to wear yet.

When she noticed me staring, she jumped to her feet.

"Lily, don't get upset. I just wanted to wear it for tonight, Aunt said you wouldn't care," she said, all innocent.

My mom frowned. "It's just a dress, for heaven's sake."

My dad chimed in, "You've got plenty of other clothes, don't you?"

Ethan just shot me a look and stayed silent.

At dinner, Sophie sat right across from him, and every time she picked up a dish, her fork somehow ended up in his bowl.

"Mr. Miller, try this. I made it myself," she said, with her usual sugary-sweet act.

Ethan slid his plate aside. "Thanks, but I don't eat food served by others."

Sophie bit her lip. "Others? You think I'm just someone else?"

My aunt quickly jumped in, "Ethan, Sophie's always been naive. She thinks of you as family."

Ethan shot back, "When did I ever become family with her?"

My aunt's face fell.

Grandma knocked on the table. "Hey, don't be so blunt. Sophie's got a weak constitution, and she can't take that kind of tone."

Sophie put down her fork, and the tears started flowing right on cue.

"Grandma, don't blame Mr. Miller. Maybe he just can't stand the sight of me," she said, her voice trembling.

My mom shot me a sharp look. "Lily, are you really just going to sit there and do nothing?"

Before I could say anything, Ethan took my plate too.

He got up, went to the kitchen, and came back with two clean plates.

"My girlfriend doesn't eat food that anyone else has touched with their fork either. So let's make that a rule from now on," Ethan said, making it clear to everyone.

The living room went dead silent for a few seconds.

Sophie just sat there with tears on her cheeks, stuck between crying and not.

I kept my head down and focused on my food.

Honestly, that was the first meal in years that actually went down easy at home.

After dinner, Grandma said, "We've got plenty of rooms here, Ethan, why don't you just stay over tonight?"

I immediately said no.

Grandma's face turned sour. "Why are you so nervous? Ethan's practically family."

Sophie kept her head down, her voice barely above a whisper.

"If you're worried, Lily, I can let you have the guest room upstairs. It's a bit farther from mine," she offered sweetly, acting like she was being super thoughtful.

But the whole time, her eyes kept darting over to Ethan.

Ethan jumped in, "No need. I'll just crash on the couch in the living room. With the door open, everyone can see who's coming and going."

Grandma frowned. "How can we let a guest sleep on the couch?"

Ethan said, "I might get thirsty at night, so it's just easier for me to be in the living room."

I got what he was really up to.

He wasn't planning to stay the night.

He just wanted to see what tricks Sophie had up her sleeve.

My mom pulled me into the kitchen and lowered her voice.

"Your boyfriend's pretty average, Sophie wouldn't even be interested in him. Why are you guarding him like he's some kind of prize? Aren't you embarrassed?" she said.

I looked at her. "That's what Emily thought too, back then."

My mom's face darkened. "Don't bring up your sister. She was always so difficult, she's the one who stopped talking to us. How is that Sophie's fault?"

"Do you really not know why she left?" I shot back.

"Lily," my dad called out from the doorway, his voice low and serious.

"Ethan's here, so I'm not going to argue with you. If you still care about this family, then stop dragging up the past just to hurt your mom," he said.

I didn't say anything else.

As I turned around, I saw Sophie standing at the end of the hallway.

She was holding my coat, with a sly little smile on her face.

Right then, I knew tonight was going to be anything but peaceful.

*****

At eleven o'clock, Ethan said he had a headache.

Sophie immediately went off to pour him some Bloody Mary.

I said, "He didn't even drink."

Sophie put on her most innocent face. "Maybe the food was too greasy. A little Bloody Mary might help him feel better."

She walked over to Ethan, holding the bowl.

Ethan took it, sniffed it, and didn't even try a sip.

"Lily, go get some rest upstairs. I'll stay down here for a while," Ethan said.

I went along with his plan and headed back to my room.

I left the door slightly ajar.