But Sophia didn’t seem to be taking any pleasure from her pain. Empathy filled her eyes, then she put her arms around Gail and gave her a long hug.
“I’m really, really sorry,” she murmured and Gail could tell she meant it.
“Sometimes life just sucks, doesn’t it?” Sophia added.
Gail got the impression she knew what she was talking about. “You’re not happy with Skip, are you?”
Sophia hesitated as if it was difficult for her to reveal the truth. She’d been selling the “perfect family” illusion for so long. But eventually, she stepped back and admitted the truth. “No.”
“Sometimes life sucks, all right,” Gail said with a sad laugh. “Want to come in for coffee?”
Sophia returned her smile. “I’d love to.”
They spent the next two hours discussing whether or not Gail should return immediately to L.A., what her father and brother would think of Simon’s defection and how she should tell them, and whether or not Sophia should keep fighting to save her own marriage. She claimed that the bruise on her cheek wasn’t from Skip, but Gail suspected the reality of that was too personal to share even within the confines of their new friendship.
Gail supposed she’d find out someday. She definitely planned on maintaining the relationship. Sophia as an adult was nothing like Sophia as an adolescent. She’d held back, too, hadn’t told Sophia about the original reasons for the marriage. That was too risky to tell anyone.
“Look at the time,” Sophia said, pulling out her cell phone. “I’d better go home.”
“You could stay here,” Gail said. “I have an extra bed.”
“No. Skip might call.” She grimaced. “He does that every once in a while just to check up. He’s so afraid I’ll cheat on him while he’s gone.”
“Do you think he’s been cheating on you?”
It was another hard question, but they’d built up enough trust that this time she didn’t hesitate. “I’m pretty sure he has.”
“Why don’t you divorce him?”
“Because he’d do everything he can to take Lex and leave me with nothing. Maybe when she gets older I’ll be willing to brave that, but…not now. She means too much to me.”
She’d be in Simon’s situation, fighting over her child. “I see.”
“I’ve got to go, but first I need to use the bathroom.”
As she walked away, Gail was thinking how much it helped to have a friend who understood and didn’t judge her for her decisions, and how easy it would’ve been to miss that friend in Sophia.
“Gail?” Sophia had reached the bathroom but was calling her.
“Yes?”
“Have you seen this?”
“What is it?”
“Come here.”
More than a little curious, Gail headed down the hall. Sophia was standing outside the bathroom and gestured for her to peer in. There, on the vanity, was a plush velvet box sitting on a scrap of paper with Simon’s handwriting.
Sending Sophia a look that said she had no idea what was going on, she read the note first. “I’ve been trying to figure out a good way to give you this. Now that I’m leaving, I realize there is no good way, but I still want you to have it.”
She handed the note to Sophia while she opened the box. Inside was one of the giant-size diamonds Mr. Nunes had brought to show her before she and Simon were married.
“Holy cow,” Sophia breathed when Gail turned to show her. “I’m tempted to believe that’s a cubic zirconia but I know it’s not.”
So did Gail. After Mr. Nunes’s visit, she also knew how much it was worth.
“Try it on!” Sophia said, and held the box while Gail slid the ring on her finger. The setting was a simple one done in yellow gold, but it offset the diamond beautifully. The combination was stunning.
“See that?” Sophia said, admiring it. “He does care about you. I bet he comes back.”
Gail smiled, but shook her head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“He has too much going on in his life right now,” she said. But that wasn’t what she was thinking. She was remembering the moment when she’d bared her soul to him. He couldn’t come back to “I love you,” not to continue a fake relationship. After that, it would have to be for real.
And she’d always known he wasn’t ready for real.
* * *
Ian climbed out of his car as soon as he saw Simon pass through the doors of the baggage claim area and into the pickup zone. “How was your flight?”
It hadn’t been pleasant. As eager as Simon was to see Ty, he felt bad about leaving Gail. He kept picturing her sleeping in their new bed in their new century-old house—and wished he was there with her. She kept him sane, introduced an element of calm and rightness to his life that seemed to be missing without her. Just flying into Los Angeles brought back the past couple of years, which made him tense and irritable. The way Ian kept smiling bothered Simon, too. Ian acted as if he’d somehow outmaneuvered Gail in his quest for attention and control. But he hadn’t. Only Ty could beat Gail.
“Fortunately, it was short,” he said. “What’s going on here at home?”
Ian had brought his Mercedes and not the Porsche, so he had somewhere to stow Simon’s luggage. Simon shoved it in the trunk as Ian answered.
“Bella’s been calling me, freaking out. She wants you to come over right away.”
Simon checked the time—11:40—and walked to the passenger door. “Have you seen Ty?”
“No, I’ve just heard from Bella on the phone.”
His cell rang as he slid into the seat. Hoping it was Gail checking to see if he’d gotten in safely, he pulled the phone out of his pocket, then frowned. It wasn’t Gail. Of course it wouldn’t be. She’d told him she loved him, but then she’d sent him off as if she never planned on seeing him again. He knew in his heart that unless he contacted her, he’d never hear from her again.
Instead, it was Bella. Already. “This is her,” he said to Ian, and pressed the talk button. “Hello?”
“Oh, good!” Bella gushed. “You’re in?”
“Just arrived.”
“So…are you coming over?”
“On my way.”
“Thank God.” The sexy, breathless quality of her voice wasn’t quite the turn-on it used to be. Actually, it wasn’t a turn-on at all. She just sounded like she was trying too hard.