Eve’s spidey-senses must’ve tingled, because she said, “You’re not thinking of giving him another chance, are you? You deserve much better than that creep.”
I grabbed a handful of grass, pulling it out of the ground, roots and all.
“Darius and I have a history. But there’s a spark between me and Max too, I think.”
“We’ve heard all about your sparks before,” Tawna said with a bawdy wink. “All those stories about you and Darius. You don’t find sexual compatibility like that every day you know, Soph. I really think you should consider giving him a second chance. There’s a lot to be said for having a connection with someone.”
“She just said she had a connection with Max too,” Eve pointed out.
“She hardly knows the guy,” Tawna said with a dismissive scoff.
The way they were talking about me as though I wasn’t there irritated me.
“I really like Max,” I admitted. “He’s easy to be with, easy to talk to… But you know how it is with Darius. He’s hard to get over.”
Eve looked up at the sky, studying the clouds. I had the distinct impression I was disappointing her.
“I loved him for so long. We shared so much. And I can’t even begin to put into words how much I miss Summer.”
Just mentioning Darius’s daughter caused my heart to swell. Summer might not have been mine, but I couldn’t have loved her any more, even if she had been.
Eve nodded sadly. “I get that. She’s a gorgeous kid.”
“She really is. I wish I could see her.”
“If you got in touch with Darius, I’m sure he’d love for you to see Summer when she’s next up here,” Tawna said. “We went bowling with them the other Sunday. You’d hardly recognise her now, Soph. She’s really growing up.”
“Stop putting ideas in her head,” Eve snapped. “You’re only interfering because you want her and Darius back together.”
She looked like she’d been sucking on an especially sour lemon, but then Eve had never been a fan of Darius. Tawna thought she’d been envious of the two of us being in pairs as she tagged along solo, but I didn’t think that was the case. Eve had always insisted she’d got a bad vibe from Darius, right from the off. She’d actually whooped with joy when I’d finally deleted his number from my phone.
Tawna ignored Eve’s retort, reaching out and patting my arm affectionately. “I knew you weren’t over him. I could tell. You should talk to him. I know he’d get back with you if you asked him to.”
“She’s over him! She misses Summer, not him.”
“You never liked him,” Tawna folded her arms defensively across her chest, “but he was good for Sophie. Look at how she’s been lately. She’s practically a recluse! That’s not a healthy way to live.”
“Changing yourself to keep a man isn’t a healthy way to live either,” Eve fired back, “nor is competing with his power-tripper of an ex.”
Her words dug into me like a knife sliding between my ribs. Eve was right – I’d been desperate to get one over on Summer’s mum, Nadia. But however hard I’d tried, however much I spent on top-of-the-range cosmetics and cutting-edge beauty treatments, I’d never been able to shrug off the thought that I was a poor substitute for the woman who’d given Darius the beautiful daughter who was the light of his world.
“I wasn’t competing,” I said faintly, “but it’s hard when your partner has to spend time with their ex.”
Inwardly, I could admit that I’d been jealous. I’d only met Nadia a handful of times, avoiding her as much as possible in an act of self-preservation, but she’d made it clear she wasn’t happy with me spending time with her daughter, making snide comments and telling me to “take care”. She’d insinuated mine and Darius’s relationship wouldn’t last, and that it would be confusing for Summer to form a bond with me when I’d “probably not be on the scene for long”.
Actually, Summer and I had got on really well. With her large chocolate-brown eyes and mahogany hair she’d been a miniature Darius, and that had made her entirely lovable in my eyes. She had her father’s genes, and I was so besotted with him that it would have been impossible not to love Summer too.
“You’d have to get used to Nadia if you got back with Darius,” Eve said. “She’ll still be clicking her fingers for him to come running at her beck and call.”
“He runs because he’s a brilliant dad who cares about his daughter,” Tawna argued back.
My hackles were rising. I’d known he was a father right from the start. Summer was part of the package and I’d willingly accepted that, building a solid, loving relationship with her over time. But I’d not given much thought to the fact Nadia would always be lurking in the background, bitter and twisted, and waiting for things between me and Darius to go tits up.
“I don’t like the man,” Eve confirmed. “Never have, never will.”
“We know,” Tawna retorted, seeming even more put out than I was by Eve’s tirade against Darius. “But there’s an explosive chemistry between them, even you can see that. Animal attraction like that should be acted on.”
“Explosive chemistry? More like nuclear warfare,” Eve said with a sarcastic eye-roll. “I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. They gave it a go, it didn’t work out. Why should Sophie go back? Especially when there’s a hot new man waiting in the wings.”
“Why take a risk on someone who’s been around for five minutes when a man who knows her inside out still loves her?”
My heart panged at that. Since Darius and I had split up I’d had many a lonely night. The comfort that came with being in a steady relationship was appealing, and although things with Darius hadn’t always been easy, I knew him inside out too.
“Well, you know what I think.” Eve looked directly at me as she pinched the stem
