In the moment

Nice to see you again

Soph made her way back to the table holding her head high and shoulders back as she strutted past multiple tables of wealthy people. Jack watching her as she approached with a smile on his face, she was an absolute vision.

She sits down next to him and he instinctively puts his hand on hers. She pulls it away, the gesture not being missed by everyone else at the table.

'We were just saying love, me and Kevin are going to come help you move. Well stay for the week, make sure everything is sorted for you while jacks at games and training!' Karen says lovingly towards her.

Soph looks at Jack and then back to his mum 'sounds good' she didn't want to commit to it, not now. But she wasn't ready for this discussion in the middle of a restaurant full of people.

The table next to them slowly starts filling, a group of influencers that Jack recognises from Instagram and smiles politely as the go past. A small gesture that got sophs blood boiling, he was just naturally flirty, it didn't normal bother her but now, now she felt like she could rip his face off for just saying thank you to the waitress.

It didn't take long for her to join the rest of them, he saw her approaching for what felt like miles away. He felt his heart sink into his gut. She stopped at their table. What the fuck was she doing? She places her hand on Karen shoulder 'fancying seeing you lot here!'

'SARA!' Hollie shouts a little to loudly with excitement, they'd always been really close when she was dating Jack and it had been almost a year since she'd seen her.

Kevan looks at Jack, his face white as ever while Kiera keeps her head down fiddling with her napkin. 'Ey up love' Kevin says as he turns around 'what are you doing up this way?'

'Just catching up with some old friends' she nodded towards the table next to them. 'I saw you all at the match earlier but by the time I came over to say hello you'd all gone!'

Karen laughs 'yes our Jack got a little impulsive with dinner plans!' Jack still unable to look in her direction. 'This is Soph, Jack fiancé' she gestures over to Soph who's still trying to work out how the whole family knows her.

'Yeah we just met in the ladies didn't we Soph' the unsettling smirk she gives causing everyone to look sophs way. Including Jack, his head darts round fast to see her expression. He felt it, her mix of emotions, she'd told her hadn't she, she'd been cold ever since coming back from there.

'Nice to meet you again sara' she nodded in her direction but her eyes piercing through her with anger.

'Well I better leave you all too it! Nice to see you all' she winks at Jack as she walks off.

'You too love!' Karen echos as she walks away.

Kevans sat with his head in his hands. Ada stands up next to him grabbing mae from her highchair putting her into her pram, 'I'm going to take her for a walk see if she'll fall asleep' she sensed the drama that was about to unfold.

'Now what's going on?!' Karen says as she looks at everyone individually around the table

Soph turns to Jack 'that's what I'd like to know'
_______________________________

After everything that happened with Adam, the cheating, the threats and violence. She knew it made her a stronger person. The old Soph would have flipped that table then and there in the middle of the restaurant but she played it off until she got home.

The rest of the meal was uncomfortable, there was no hanging around after they ate. Karen hugged Soph goodbye in a motherly way that she knew something was wrong. Soph had to hold her tears back so hard, all her emotions were building inside of her.

Ada took mae straight to bed she was flat out while Jack stood sheepishly in the hallway taking a little longer than normal to take his shoes off. 'So ..' she says getting his attention 'are you going to tell me what's going on?'

He stands up moving towards her 'it's not what you think yknow'

She pushes her hand out to stop him getting close to her 'and what exactly do I think Jack?'

'I dunno' he runs his hands through his hair with nerves

She walks off into the front room but he follows her 'she's your ex right?' She looks him dead in the eye as she sits down. She's trying to read him but she's sees something different, a look she'd never got from him before.

'Kinda'

'What do you mean kinda? She either is or she isn't'

'Yeah then' he looks down at his hands.

'She was at the engagement party wasn't she? The one your mum and dad threw for us?' It took a while for Soph to place her face, she remembers seeing her as she left with mae. She couldn't help but notice her long toned legs poking out the bottom of her mini skirt.

Jack nods 'it's her mum and dads pub' he says quietly

That was it, that was enough for her to blow her top. She remember the older woman behind the bar smiling and making mae giggle 'SO YOUR MUM AND DAD THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY TO THROW OUR ENGAGEMENT PARTY AT YOUR EX GIRLFRIENDS PARENTS PUB?' She could feel her heart rate quicken and was struggling to catch her breath after shouting. She grabs her chest.

'Soph calm down please, sit on the sofa and catch your breath'

'Don't fucking tell me what to do!' She pushes him back again 'her mum was the one behind the bar wasn't she, the one you were showing mae off to?' She needed answers, she needed to piece this together.

'Yeah' he looks up at her his eyes wide 'I was telling her about the adoption and tha, she was happy to see me settled' he eyes wander back down to his hands knowing what came later that night.

'So after I left Jack, what happened?' She was blunt, but she was ready for jacks side of the story.

He looks back up at her, tears forming in his eyes. 'I'm sorry soph'

'What are you sorry for? I don't understand'