Secondhand - Sophia Smith

Chapter 16

I headed home, still upset even though I knew it wasn't meant to be. 

I walked in and dropped my keys and purse on the counter, taking a deep breath. 

"Taylor!" Sophia said, running into the living room. "I really need to-" 

"I'm sorry, Soph. Not right now." 

"I just-" 

"Soph." I walked to my room, but she followed me. 

"Tay." 

"What Soph?" I asked, a little bit annoyed. 

"I'm sorry. I'll-" 

"No, I'm sorry. I'm being a bitch. What's up?" 

"Can we just talk?" She asked. "I feel like we haven't done a lot of that the past few days." 

"Sure." I laid down on my bed, and patted the spot next to me. 

"I've decided something very important." She said after she got comfortable. 

"What's important?" 

She paused for a second, and then she chewed on her lip, the cute little thing she does when she gets nervous. 

"Never mind." She said after a minute, and she got up. She closed the door on the way out, and I was left confused. 

But I just stared at my ceiling, because now that it was over with Morgan, it didn't feel like it should be. 

It was only a short little thing, just a quick rebound and we were never really meant to be. 

But it hurt a little still. 

I just stared at my ceiling for a while, before I decided I had to get out of the house. 

I got changed into athletic clothes, put on a Phillies hoodie, grabbed a soccer ball and left. 

I ended up calling Sam Coffey (my honorary therapist) and we just played around for a while. Nothing serious, just had fun at the rec fields as I told her about breaking up with Morgan. 

"I mean, after cheating twice and her cheating, I think it was time." She laughed. "Obviously it wasn't a very strong relationship." 

"Me neither. We're better as friends." I said. "It felt too much like a friendship anyway." 

"So are you going to...." 

"I have no idea what to do about Sophia." I replied honestly. "I didn't even tell her we broke up yet." 

"You didn't tell Sophia???" 

"Nope." 

"Well it's probably something you should do." 

"Probably. But I'm not about to text her that." I laughed. "I'll tel her when I get home." 

"How do you think she'll react?" 

"I don't really know." I sighed, and sat down, taking a sip of my water. 

"Also go Yankees." 

"What?" It took me a minute to process, but then I realized she was talking about my sweatshirt. "Oh. Yankees are winning the world series. Calling it now." 

"You think?"

"Well, think about the Dodgers. Even the Mets." 

"Well also the Braves." 

"They can't all be in it." I laughed. "But go Phils." 

----------

I opened the door to my apartment, and it was quiet. No TV, no music, no sign of Soph even being there. 

I put all my stuff down, and I put my water bottle in the sink to wash. 

But I was scared by Sophia walking up behind me, grabbing  my face and kissing me. 

There it is. The spark. It's absolutely electric when she kisses me. 

"Taylor, I can't do it anymore. I just can't. I need you. I can't live without you. I want you, I want your love, even if it's secondhand." She took a deep breath. "I'll take the parts Morgan doesn't want." 

"Wh-" 

"I love you, Taylor. I mean I'm deeply and desperately in love with you." 

I completely forgot about telling her about Morgan, and how I thought maybe I needed time. 

I didn't need time. Who and I kidding? 

I knew I had been in love with Sophia since we moved in together, but because I was dating Dylan I threw it all aside. I thought it was something I could just ignore, but it had kept resurfacing, and finally, I can let it show. 

"I love you too." I breathed. Desperately." 

"So you're saying...." 

"Yes." 

"Life can be perfect?" 

"Yes." 

Life was going to be perfect now.