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Sophie chuckles the moment she answers the phone.
“It’s nearly six. Started to think you forgot about me.” Her second laugh is a bit less genuine. A bit more nervous as her words catch up with her. That’s probably too honest for the first line of a phone call.
Ryan groans on her end. There’s a shuffle of papers. A heavy thud of a door that wipes away the music from the background. She must be getting home.
“Yeah, I just got home,” Ryan says. Two quick zippers — her boots most likely — then the thuds that go with setting them onto the shoe rack. “You’d think these meetings would get shorter but….” A quick sigh, then a very loud flop down onto the couch that makes Sophie laugh. “Wait, one second.”
The call freezes before the FaceTime lights up the screen. Sophie takes a quick second to glance behind her and check her reflection. Hair’s still good since she spent the majority of the day researching on her laptop. Make up’s fine. All good. Thank goodness Alice isn’t here to see her preening.
Sophie accepts the FaceTime, and Ryan immediately smiles at her. Sophie’s heart rate picks up. Her cheeks burn, but she smiles around the way this ridiculous crush keeps sabotaging her.
Ryan sighs in a good way this time. “Much better view now.”
Sophie clears her throat to make sure her voice isn’t choked up. “I take it your mom wasn’t much help.”
Ryan’s smile freezes in the corners. “Not really. There’s something going on, but… I’m still figuring it out. Give me a few days?”
“A few days?” Sophie repeats. The BGS could’ve killed Jordan. They don’t have a few days to waste on soft leads. She opens her mouth to say as much, but Ryan’s face looks so hopeful, so vulnerable. A few days might not be the worst thing. They’ve still got to get all of this paralytic out of their systems anyway.
Sophie doesn’t even say anything. Her face must give her away.
Ryan cheers and bounces happily on her couch. “Thank you. I’ve got this. Trust me.”
Sophie trusts Ryan more than she wants to admit. She cuts her eyes away from the pretty girl on her phone screen. “But I’m going to keep digging, alright? Without the bug, I’m not sure what my next step will be.”
Ryan leans back into the cushions. Her eyebrows knit together in the cutest way. Sophie smiles at Ryan’s thinking face.
“Maybe you should talk to her. Jada, I mean.” Ryan glances back at Sophie. “You did save her life. She might be a little more open to talking to you now.”
Very true. Unfortunately, Sophie did spend most of last night softly threatening the woman. Not the greatest start to a relationship. Lies and threats. Bugging her office. Fake-dating her daughter. Oh shit, she still thinks they’re dating.
Sophie goes for a joke. “Wow, brunch with the in-law. Careful what you wish for, right?” At Ryan’s confused look, Sophie shrinks a little. “You know, ‘cause I mentioned… Moms… before.” She cringes at herself. Way to kill the mood.
Ryan gives another soft smile into the camera though. “Twice in one week. It’s more than you’ve seen yours in a while, huh?”
Sophie’s face falls before she can catch it. “That’s putting it lightly.” Nearly two years.
“Still nothing?”
“She texted Jordan congrats on getting into the expo, but the moment Jordan mentioned that I’d be there too….” Sophie shakes her head. “Crickets.”
“I’m sorry.”
Sophie shrugs. Ryan doesn’t have to be sorry. It’s something people say, but Ryan doesn’t… get it. Not really. Before coming out, Sophie didn’t go more than a week without calling her mom. How does that just stop? “Can I say something that sounds… awful?”
Ryan doesn’t even hesitate. “Go for it.”
Sophie closes her eyes. “Jada gave you up as a baby. She didn’t know you. She didn’t raise you. She didn’t…. She didn’t…”
“Love me?” Ryan finishes for her. Sophie winces, and Ryan gives another short smile into the video call. “You can say it.”
She won’t, but she’s glad Ryan said it for her. It lets her say, “But my mom spent twenty-nine years with me. And she still just… walked away. And I’ve had a lot of time to try and figure out how I feel about it. But I can’t really? Even when I think I’m doing okay, I….” Sophie sits up straight since it makes holding the phone easier. Makes the words easier. “I could’ve died last night, Ryan, and if I did… would my mom even care? Would she come to my service? Or just sit at home and pray I don’t end up in hell?”
Ryan exhales slow. Sophie circles her jaw. Thanks the God she still somewhat believes in that Alice is out of the apartment today. Maybe a call was a bad idea. This talk would’ve been better in person. Ryan would’ve held her hand. Maybe even hugged her. Told her everything would be okay.
“It, uh—“ Ryan clears her throat, “— probably would’ve been a wild report to read. ‘Sophie Moore, ex-Crows second in command, dies at the hands of a homicidal chef in a pig’s head.’” She says it with a straight face. Even tone. It shouldn’t make Sophie smile, but it does quirk up her lips just a bit. Ryan keeps going. “‘The Jet’s family butler remembers Ms. Moore as sophisticated, snarky, and ‘so fine that she really should’ve lived a little longer.’”
Sophie snorts. “That’s what the white butler said?”
Ryan nods. “I’m reading the report right now. ‘Ms. Moore was a decorated upholder of white supremacy—‘“
“Ryan!”
The fake voice cracks into a heartfelt one. “‘—and one of the best people that Ms. Wilder — also deceased — had ever known. She’s the only person that Wilder has ever been wrong about. Moore’s survived by her amazing little sister, Jordan, who’s single-handedly changing Gotham for the better, and a mother who absolutely fumbled the bag.’”
Sophie should not be emotional at this. She shouldn’t. She isn’t. Her eyes are only red because of the angle.
Ryan pulls her phone closer. “Real talk for a sec?” She lowers her voice. “Thank you, for coming to the dinner and for everything these last few weeks. I couldn’t have done any of this without you. You’re the best back up, best fake girlfriend, best partner that I could’ve asked for.”
Okay, Sophie has to deep breathe through that. Her throat feels tight. Like, really tight. “Ryan—“
“And I know I’ve leaned on you a lot, but you can lean on me too. You don’t have to act tough, Soph. Not with me. So if you need to cry about your mom, or Jordan, or—“
“Ryan, stop!” Shit. Sophie takes a shuddering breath. By the time she opens her eyes, Ryan still looks wounded. Looks apologetic and frantic like she’s said something wrong. “I am…. God, I am so bad at this.”
“Emotions?”
“Yes! I am much better with the walls up. With, you know, running at a problem, or shooting at it, but….” Sophie takes another deep breath. “You don’t have to thank me for helping you. I like helping you. I like… you.”
Ryan’s eyes widen.
Sophie barrels forward. “I’m sorry. You’re saying all these nice things, and I would really rather be known as more than ‘Ryan Wilder’s friend’ in my fake obituary. I want to go to taco night, and to go on a date that isn’t a back-up plan. I want to go on a date with you. Soon. If possible.”
Ryan stares into the phone. Sophie feels each of those walls rebuilding around her. “Ryan, I swear to God—“
“Whoa, whoa, just —“ Ryan chuckles. Breathless, stunned, brows finally furrowing. “Give a girl a second after you announce your undying love for her.”
“I did not say love—“
“But you were thinking it,” Ryan teases. Great to know her sense of humor is in tact. Sophie nearly had a heart attack, but Ryan’s immediately back to making jokes. “That’s why you said you were my girlfriend last night? You were testing the waters!”
Sophie groans. “Alright, I am not talking to you anymore.”
“Wait, no, Sophie, don’t hang up.” Sophie glares into the phone. Ryan waits until she clearly has Sophie’s full attention to flash the brightest, most blinding smile that Sophie has ever seen. Ryan laughs, and she sits up on her own couch. “You could’ve me told this last night, you know. The night could’ve ended differently.”
“Really?” Sophie’s cynicism and her hopefulness wrap up in a single word.
Ryan rolls her eyes. “Well, not really, I did need to talk to Jada, but — but! I definitely would’ve called you sooner today.”
Sophie narrows her eyes. “And say what?”
“First, I’d thank you for the weirdest first date I’ve ever been on, and then I’d ask you to come over….” Ryan’s voice trails. Sophie’s eyebrows lift suggestively. Ryan finishes her thought. “I’d cook us something without paralytics. No wine, obviously. Ciders maybe?” Sophie nods. “Ciders it is. But it’s getting late now. You know, no time to cook.”
Sophie bristles. “If you don’t want to go out, just say it. I’m a big girl.”
Ryan’s quick to interject. “I want to go out. But I really don’t have time to cook you a nice dinner and get this awful day washed off of me. So, if you’re done panicking, how about you pick up something on your way to the loft?”
Sophie’s stomach grumbles. “Crispy Joe’s?”
Ryan smiles. “Sounds perfect. Okay, I’m gonna hang up and get ready. See you soon?”
Sophie nods. Ryan reaches to end the call, so Sophie jumps up. “Wait!” Ryan startles on her side. Sophie smiles around the flush to her cheeks. “Thanks for calling.”
Ryan’s cheesy ass grin could power the Batmobile. “I said I would, right? You can always trust me.”
“I know. Alright, go. I’ve got wontons to order. Is Mary—”
Ryan shakes her head. “She’s out.”
That sends a shot of heat straight through Sophie. She drops her voice. “So it’s just you and me and Crispy Joe’s wontons?”
The phone’s close enough that Sophie can see Ryan’s eyes shift. Ryan pouts right after. “This is a trap. I’m not falling for it. Get off this phone, and get in the car. I will see you soon. Buh-bye, Sophie!”
“Have a nice shower, Ryan.”
“GOOD BYE!”
They should do calls more often, especially if tonight goes well. Then again, if it goes really well, neither of them will be waiting by the phone tomorrow.
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