True Blue - A Second Chance Romance (Complete)

Chapter 12

"You've been crying."

Sophie was always so observant. Emily cursed her sentimental heart.

"The music was just so beautiful." It wasn't a lie. The band had played the song to perfection. Sophie didn't know it had Emily reliving the memory of the first time Finn heard it. The first time they had sex. The first time Emily knew she was falling in love with him. "It took me over."

"As long as that's all it is." Sophie didn't sound convinced but seemed willing to let it go.

Emily ushered her two friends out of the concert room. It was girl's night out - a tradition Sophie had instituted back in university. Fifteen minutes later, the trio was seated at a trendy restaurant enjoying the full swing of happy hour.

"Jessica and her husband just opened." Kerri was explaining her choice of location. The strawberry blonde was a recent addition to their weekly outings. Sophie had just hired the younger woman in a bid to expand her burgeoning catering business. The two had become fast friends, bonding under the pressure of cocktail parties, cranky customers and crappy working hours. "She's all about locally sourced ingredients and keeping a low carbon footprint."

"I like the space and the way they've married the old and new." Sophie indicated the silver steel beams butting up against exposed brick on the wall behind Emily. Each column held shiny pots of leafy herbs. Original hardwood floors supported planter boxes separating the tables filled with different types of vegetables and flowers. It gave the place a greenhouse atmosphere.

Kerri beamed at the compliment for her friend. "They even have a rooftop garden. You should see it at night. It's really romantic."

"Speaking of romance," Sophie turned to Emily. "How are things with Operation Get Together?"

Emily grimaced and Kerri looked confused. Sophie caught their new friend up on the backstory of the separated lovers.

"Let me get this straight. You haven't seen this man in eight years?" Kerri's face matched the awe in her voice.

Emily nodded.

"And you've loved him all this time?"

Emily nodded again, raising her hand to touch the silver charm hanging around her neck.

Kerri's eyes widened further, "But you've..." Kerri looked Emily up and down.

"She's not a nun, Kerri," Sophie interpreted her friend's expression. "There have been other men. I had high hopes for Adrian."

Adrian had been an acquaintance of Thomas, a fourth to fill out their dinner dates with Sophie and Emily. Otherwise known as a setup. According to Sophie by the second year of university, Emily was supposed to move on. In typical Sophie style, she called Emily on her life choices, pointing out that Finn was not coming back and she had to try to move forward, find love somehow. Even if it could never be the same.

For Sophie, Emily tried. Adrian was kind and patient. He opened doors for her, insisted she walk on the inside of the street, took her side in an argument. Their first kiss was a romantic moment in the midst of a midnight ski, airy lights swirling around them reflecting off the freshly packed snow. He'd leaned in and she let it happen. It wasn't bad, nor was it good. It was just different.

It took weeks to move from tender kisses to sex. The boy did everything right, from setting the mood to constantly asking if Emily liked this or that, making sure she was okay. Adrian held her afterwards and stayed the night. In the morning after he'd made breakfast and left, Emily stripped the sheets from her bed, pulled her comforter around her and sobbed for hours.