The Lawyer

15-The birthday girl

Sophie POV

Both of the girls stop to look at me.

"He ditched you?" Maddie asks,

"We were never really together," I remind her

"What are you talking about?" Lili asks her little drunken frown deepening, looking between Maddie and me for answers.

"Well you know... Matt and I.... We fooled around a little" I admit awkwardly, noting her lack of surprise.

"Well yeah obviously, but why would that mean he doesn't want to see you again though?" She asks.

"It's not important Lili, I just know that Matt doesn't want to speak to me anymore, let's not talk about it. It's your birthday and it's only" I check my phone, "five o'clock lets focus on you!" I say tapping her glass with my own and flashing a forced smile. I really don't want to continue with this subject. My eyes are already like a leaky faucet with all the hormones.

"No. It's my birthday, I want to talk about this. He misses you. Ever since you left he has been impossible to live with! And I know the reason is you. Everyone could see he liked you." She argues waving her arms around, losing half of her wine to the hot tub.

"He doesn't Lili, I promise. He was using me to get something..." I start to argue

"Yeah using you to get married." She scoffs elbowing Maddie who has remained silent. "That makes no sense Lili, as I was saying, he was using me for something and he was mad when he got caught that's all. He definitely wouldn't be jealous, now let's leave it, and I will get more wine" I say, giving her a cheeky smile and swinging my legs out of the tub.

I am only a few steps away when I am frozen to the spot as the sound of Matt's voice fills the air.

"Lili it's four am here, this had better be important" he says, his voice groggy with sleep, through the speaker of Lili's phone.

"It's My birthday" she drunkenly shouts into the phone. My eyes are wide with horror at Lili's Cheshire cat smile.

"It is, but that is why I rang you yesterday, at a more reasonable hour... Happy birthday again Lili," He chuckles, his deep laugh doing things to my body that I don't want to admit.

"Matt, I miss Sophie" she completely changes the subject. To be met with silence. My heart is beating so loud I'm sure he can hear it.

"I know. I miss her too"

"Ha see!" Lili shouts at me forgetting the phone and almost dropping it in the water. She quickly covers herself with "Maddie lost something, ok buy me a present byyyeeee" she ends the call. "I told you he misses you." she says smuggly, tossing her phone on the side.

"Lili, just drop this please, he doesn't want to see me."
"We all just heard him Soph" Maddie reasons.
"That was for Lili's benefit, look I'll prove it" I sigh, pulling out my own phone. I get up the number for Matt's office and dial putting the phone on speaker.

"Pronto, Signor Canossa Ufficio" Mia answers.

"Hello this is Sophie Morley. Can I speak to Mr Canossa?" We all listen, I press my finger to my lips, gesturing the girls to stay quiet as we hear Mia let out a sigh at the other end of the call.

"He isn't here Miss Morley and even if he was, you know he wouldn't take your call. He hasn't changed his mind about seeing you, he thought you got the message. So you should probably just stop calling him. I'm sorry"

"Thank you anyway, Sorry to bother you. Goodbye" I apologise ending the call.

Maddie and Lili's jaws both drop. I try my best to hold back my tears, I hate being so emotional all the time.

"It's ok," I choke out "We don't need him do we?" I say affectionately rubbing my small bump..

"WHAT!" Lili and Maddie shout In unison making me jump.

"What?" I ask

"Is that his baby?!" Lili says pointing at my stomach, her hand trembling.

My heart is thumping in my ears. My chest tightening painfully.

"But you already knew!" I say more to myself than Lili, "You called yourself 'Aunty Lili'! I thought that meant he told you!!" I start to panic remembering Mia's warning last time, Oh god I messed up.

"HE KNOWS AND HE STILL WONT SEE YOU! AND HE'S BEEN LYING TO ME THIS WHOLE TIME!" Lili starts screaming, climbing out the tub and spilling water everywhere.

"Lili Please calm down. Please don't tell him I told you." I beg, "He hasn't even known the whole time he's known since around nine weeks I'm only sixteen weeks now...."

"THAT'S LIKE FIVE WEEKS SOPHIE" She cuts me off, her arms waving erratically. Her face is flushed red from getting worked up under the influence of the wine and the heat.

"Seven" Maddie corrects her.

"SEVEN"

"you're not helping Maddie," I hiss at her, "Lili, listen, I didn't want to talk to him back then, I know that was wrong but I was still so angry. I only tried to call him at twelve weeks when I calmed down. I thought maybe he'd like to come to the next scan and that's when... Well when I got his message and found out he didn't want us in his life." I finish not wanting to remember.

"What did he say?" Lili forced out between gritted teeth...

"Lili, it's not important"

"What. Did. He. Say!" she pushed, forcing each word. I sighed this is not what I wanted.

"The message I was given was basically, that he didn't want a gold digger or the thing she's trying to trap him with, and a reminder that it's not too late to 'get rid' and a threat of what could happen if I try to get in touch again" I finish.

Maddie and Lili sit mouths agape.

"I'm gonna fucking slap the shit outta him" Maddie seethes.

"I'm gonna fucking Kill!" him Lili says reaching for her phone again.

"Lili NO!" I shout rushing forward for the phone but Lili holds it out of my reach. Damn I hate being the short one at times like this. "Maddie a little help?"

"Sorry Ma Cherie, I'm with Lili on this one" she says holding me back, her arm across my body careful to avoid my small bump.

The call connects and we hear a groggy

"Lili" before Lili explodes with the widest variety of expletives I've ever heard and in multiple languages.