Sophie's Life

Chapter 16: Spilled Secrets

The next morning, the tension between us is almost unbearable. We're all sitting in the lobby, waiting for the day's plan to start. I'm half-listening to Sasha talk about the hike we're supposed to go on, but my mind keeps wandering. James and Abby are sitting close, laughing quietly about something, and Ayla's watching them with this quiet curiosity, like she's sizing up the situation.

I need air.

I excuse myself and step outside for a moment, letting the cool breeze clear my head. But before I can relax, the door swings open, and James walks out. He looks at me like he's been waiting for this chance to talk. "Sophie, can we—can we talk for a second?" he asks, his voice lower than usual, like he's nervous.

I nod, my stomach tightening. We walk over to a quieter part of the patio, away from everyone else. The moment feels heavy, like whatever he's about to say is going to change things. James runs a hand through his hair, not meeting my eyes. "I've been trying to figure out how to say this... I didn't want things to get weird, but I need to be honest." He finally looks at me, and there's this rawness in his eyes I wasn't expecting. "I think I have feelings for Abby," he says, the words spilling out like they've been trapped for too long.

It feels like the ground has dropped out from under me. I try to keep my expression steady, but I know he can see the shock on my face. "You and Abby?" I manage to ask, my voice quieter than I want it to be. James nods, looking guilty. "I didn't plan for it to happen, and I don't even know what it means yet, but I had to tell you. I didn't want to keep it from you, Sophie."

I'm about to say something—anything—but before I can, the door behind us swings open again, and Nathan steps out. He freezes for a second when he sees us talking, but instead of going back inside, he walks over. "You guys good?" Nathan asks, raising an eyebrow. James opens his mouth to say something, but I quickly nod. "Yeah, we're fine."Nathan looks between the two of us and then shakes his head, laughing softly. "No, you're not. I can tell."

James shoots him a look, clearly frustrated. "Nathan, not now, man."But Nathan ignores him and turns to me. "Sophie, I know this is probably not the best timing, but I don't care anymore. I need you to know—I like you."James lets out a frustrated sigh as I walk away, but something in me snaps. I stop in my tracks and whirl around to face him.

"Are you serious right now, James?" My voice comes out sharper than I intended, but I can't help it. "You tell me you have feelings for Abby, and then expect me to be cool with it? And now Nathan drops that bomb, and you're acting like you're the one who's got it rough?" He clenches his jaw, clearly annoyed. "I'm not saying it's easy for me, Sophie. But I didn't want to lie to you anymore. I thought you'd appreciate that, at least." I scoff, crossing my arms. "Oh, I should appreciate you telling me you like someone else while all this is going on? Great timing, James. Really."

His eyes narrow, and I can see the tension building between us. "It's not like you've been open with your feelings either! We've been dancing around this for months, Sophie, and neither of us said anything. You can't just blame this on me." My face flushes with anger. "This isn't just about us anymore. It's Abby, it's Nathan—everyone's involved now, and you can't just act like nothing's changed." James steps forward, his voice lowering. "Yeah, things have changed. But that doesn't mean we have to hate each other over it."

I flinch, not expecting the shift in his tone. I've been so used to this back-and-forth with James, where every conversation feels like a battle. But now, he's standing there, looking at me with a mix of frustration and something else—something almost like regret. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I don't want this to get worse. I don't want to hate you, Sophie." I blink, the anger in me simmering down just a little. I don't want to admit it, but part of me doesn't want to keep fighting either. It's exhausting, this constant tension between us.

"I don't want to hate you either," I finally say, my voice quieter now. "But I don't know how we're supposed to go back to being... normal." James shrugs, and for the first time in a while, he looks just as tired as I feel. "Maybe we can't go back to how things were. But we can try to figure out where we go from here." I look at him for a long moment, trying to see if he really means it. His expression is softer now, less defensive, and for the first time in days, I feel like maybe there's a way out of this mess.

"We've been through a lot," I say, my voice hesitant. "But maybe... maybe we can at least stop fighting. Start with being friends again." James gives a small, almost cautious smile. "Yeah, I think we can do that." The tension between us seems to ease, just a little. It's not a perfect fix, and there's still so much we haven't talked about. But for now, it feels like a step forward.

"Friends?" I ask, holding out my hand, half-joking but also hoping he'll take it seriously. James smirks, but he shakes my hand. "Friends." We stand there for a moment, and the awkwardness of the past few days feels lighter now. I can't promise we'll go back to the way things were, but maybe this is a start.

As I pull my hand away, I catch his eye. "But seriously, if you make this weird again, I'm out." James laughs, and for the first time in days, it feels genuine. "Noted." We both head back inside, and while there's still a lot to figure out with Nathan, Abby, and everything else, at least James and I aren't at war anymore. And that feels like progress.