A Storm Is Brewing

31st December | Part 1

Leah [3.14am]
Soph, I'm getting worried. Please reply

Leah [3.56am]
If you aren't going home or whatever, can you just let me know you're safe x

Leah [4.11am]
Soph? Please

Leah [4.25am]
Sophie??

Leah [4.26am]
Wait, have you turned your phone off?

Leah [4.33am]
Soph, babe, please let me know you're safe

Leah [5.12am]
I don't know what to do. I'm scared to text Rhys in case you get annoyed at me for being so overprotective

Leah [5.55am]
Sophie please. Please answer me

Leah [6.05am]
Soph?

My heart dropped at the thought of Leah going out of her mind for hours on end while I lay sleeping, but how could I tell her that? I pressed the call button, still unsure about what was going to spill out of my mouth.

"Soph! Oh, thank god. Are you safe? Did something happen?"
"Le, I'm so sorry. My phone died, and I - I - well - I went to - Niamh's. I couldn't get a bus—I mean taxi—home. Took ages; I had to keep checking the app—well, her app—because my phone was dead obviously."
"I'm just glad you're okay, Soph. Are you in bed? It's freezing out; did you get warmed up okay, I don't want you getting the cold before I visit." She chuckled gently.
"Yeah - I'm cool - great. Go back to sleep; I'll talk to you tomorrow. Night, Le."
"Night, Soph."

I knew I had rushed her off the phone, but I couldn't stand lying to her; that's rich coming from me right now, I know. I let my tears flow as I thought of the gravity of this tiny white lie I had told, vowing to never lie to her again after this, but my tears were interrupted by Leah's name flashing on my phone again. I cleared my throat before answering, knowing she would ask why I was crying if not.

"You okay, Le?" I asked softly.
"Who's Niamh?" She sniffed.
"Huh?"
"You didn't say she was one of the people going out. Liam, Ciara, Will, Charlotte, and Dermot—but never Niamh."
"I didn't? I must've missed her out."

I sound so unconvincing right now.

"Who is she, Soph?"
"Work—she works with me."
"You've never said?"

That's because Niamh is my second cousin, and I was not out with her tonight.

"I haven't? That's weird."
"Yeah - isn't it?"
"Get some -"
"Did you cheat on me tonight? Is that why you're being weird? Is that why your phone got turned off? Just tell me, Sophie."
"No."
"Then what? Because you're being so shady."
"I'm not, Leah."
"Is it me? Am I being paranoid?"

This is going too far.

"No."
"Fuck." She whimpered.
"I didn't cheat, though, I swear. I - I - I wasn't out."
"You weren't out? Seriously, Sophie. That's the best you can do?" She scoffed.
"I don't expect you to understand."

Call ended.

— — — —

That argument shaped us for the better, once the initial drama was over. Knowing I needed to save my relationship, I confided in Leah about feeling pathetic, her eyes glossing over as we sat in her living room after a spontaneous trip to London that I made to talk to her. She didn't speak for a few minutes after my outburst of I'm pathetic, I've put so much emphasis on my job that I've forgotten about any best friends I had, and any other friends I had have ended up taking Hannah's side. That's why I lied about going out, because you have all these friends and I have—well, I have no one. Ciara, whom I see a few times a year. That's my best friend. Pathetic, I know. When she did speak, Leah's response was heartfelt and truthful, her words setting off a swarm of butterflies in my stomach.