The things we never had

Chapter 21

Around 1 or 2 in the morning, when Charlotte and I were still cozied up watching movies, the boys came back. It was almost cute how they attempted to be quiet, tiptoeing through the house, believing we were asleep. But as soon as they realized we were wide awake, all hell broke loose. Gone were the hushed whispers and creeping around. Instead, there was shouting, chanting, stomping, and playful wrestling. Most of them were drunk, except for Alex and Christian, who were too responsible—or too boring—to join in the chaos.

In a desperate attempt to settle them down, I shouted the most important question, "Which is better, American football or soccer?"

"American football!" Atlas bellowed loudly, and then the whole room erupted into cheering and screaming. It was so loud I could barely hear myself laugh, but it was amazing—just pure, chaotic fun.

Then Charlotte, always the voice of reason, questioned the room and waited for the noise to die down. Once it did, she said with a raised eyebrow, "Everyone is doing something tomorrow. Get to bed and go to sleep!" She put extra emphasis on the word "sleep," and it was hilarious to watch mostly grown adults groan like children who didn't want to be told to go to bed.

With that, a massive herd of 11 people trudged up the stairs. The moment felt surreal. Never in my life, especially not in England, did I think I'd be walking up the stairs to my bedroom, let alone with 11 of my family members. It was oddly heartwarming, and I smiled to myself—it was really nice.

I walked into my room, grabbed a towel and my pajamas, then took a long, warm shower. After swimming in the lake earlier, a hair wash was definitely overdue. The water felt soothing, and for the first time in a while, I felt genuinely happy. The day had started horribly with the whole mess of being accused of being high, but it ended on such a high note that I couldn't help but smile. It was one of those rare, perfect days, where everything just seemed to fall into place.

Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my hair and another around my body, heading over to the closet to get dressed for bed. Fifteen minutes later, I was done—my hair still slightly damp, but I didn't mind. It was already 2:30 a.m., and I was way too tired to worry about blow-drying it. Climbing into bed, I felt the cool sheets against my skin, and within minutes, I drifted off to sleep. It had been an exhausting, but amazing day, and sleep came quickly, wrapping me in peaceful rest.

My phone was ringing. Who had the audacity to call me this early? I groaned, rolled over, and grabbed my phone, cursing under my breath. It was 7:30 in the morning—I'd only gotten five hours of sleep, and my eyes barely opened. I accepted the call and grumbled a half-hearted, "Yeah?"

It was Atlas.
"Hey, Soph, we need you down here. Also, get dressed, wanker."
"Fuck you," I muttered into the phone, hanging up.

Dramatically, I rolled out of bed, letting myself fall to the floor. Was I being overly dramatic? Yes. Did I care? Not at all. I trudged to the closet and cracked open the window. It was already hot outside, so I wasn't about to dress up for anyone. I threw on some sweat shorts and a Skims bodysuit. Honestly, I liked them—they were comfy. I slapped on some mascara, brow gel, sprayed perfume, and put on new socks before heading downstairs, still half-asleep and ready to collapse.

I stumbled into the dining room, plopped into a chair, and felt like a zombie. Grey leaned over and said, "You look like shit."
Without missing a beat, I replied, "You look like a failed abortion." He burst out laughing, and I cracked a smile despite myself.

Alex spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Alright, today's game plan. For those of you still in school, you've got tests today. Lucky you. And don't think I didn't notice, Atlas—you're filling out your college application today, and we'll check your A-level results when they come in. Enzo's got a case to go over, so he won't be here most of the day. Ace has baseball practice. Christian and Charlotte have work. So, Sophia, we can't leave you alone. You'll have to go to work with Christian. Is that okay?"