Perfect Enough

Chapter Nine – Josh

Chapter Nine

JOSH

The evening so far had been kind of crazy. Everything about Sophia was amazing, but her cousin rubbed me the wrong way and pissed me off with how she tried to make Sophia look bad in front of me, her date. And it was clear Sophia’s mother was deeply into her daughter’s life…and I had to wonder if she had a dang tracker on her phone. Otherwise, I wasn’t sure how she knew we’d arrived at the club when we did. Of course, it was probably because she had been waiting since everyone else had been.

Drawing her closer, purely because I loved the feeling of her in my arms, I said, “Some first date this has been, huh?”

Sophia tripped over what I thought was her foot, and nearly fell. I grabbed her firmly, about to ask if she was okay, when her eyes met mine…and something inside of me tightened, and I realized I wanted to kiss her.

As if reading my mind, Sophia softly whispered, “Oh, shit.”

I tried not to laugh as I said, “Oh, shit good…or oh, shit bad?”

She righted herself, looked around, then back at me. “Why is everyone staring at us?”

I looked into the ballroom, and it did seem like a number of people were watching us.

“Why do I get the feeling people in your family are way more invested in your life than they should be?”

Groaning, she dropped her head to my chest. “My mother told everyone about Drake. No, that’s not true. She told Aunt Lynn , who told everyone what happened. And now I’m here with you, and you’re leagues above Drake, and I feel like everyone thinks you’re too handsome to be with me. Like, if I couldn’t hang on to Drake, I’m totally kidding myself with you.”

“ What ?” I said, as I focused back on her. “Sophia, don’t think like that.”

She glanced up at me, and my breath caught in my throat. “You are so sweet to do this for me.”

She chewed on her lower lip, and I reached up, pulling it free of her teeth. “What’s wrong?”

Closing her eyes, she said, “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

I knew she was lying, and a part of me thought she was thinking about the fallout she’d face when she told everyone we’d broken up…essentially proving them right. It was so strange for me to see such a different family dynamic than my own. I couldn’t at all imagine one of my cousins trying to embarrass me, or my family ever thinking a woman was too good for me.

Suddenly, I spotted Karen—and she looked to be heading our way.

“Josh! There you are. I would love to introduce you to some of the family. I’m not sure why Sophia is hiding you out here.”

Sophia turned around and pointed at her cousin. “Go away.”

Karen’s eyes went wide. “I’m sorry?”

“Just leave us alone, will you, Karen? Josh is my date, not yours. I’ll introduce him when I’m ready.”

“I was only trying to help.”

Sophia and I both stared at her. Was this girl for real?

“I’m suddenly not feeling well,” Sophia whispered.

“We should probably leave then,” I said, as I took her hand in mine. “If you’ll excuse us, Karen.” Sophia and I walked into the ballroom. We hadn’t even had a chance to find the table we’d be sitting at. “Should we let your mother know you’re feeling ill?” I asked.

Sophia looked conflicted. It seemed like part of her wanted to bolt, and the other half wanted to find her mother and sic her on Karen. “Um,” she whispered, looking around the ballroom.

It was then I overheard someone say, “She hasn’t been the same since her father killed himself.”

Turning, I shot the older couple a dirty look.

“Just ignore them, Josh,” Sophia said softly as she continued to search the room. “There she is.”

I followed her over to where her mother stood with a man who appeared to be about her same age.

“I wondered where you two went,” Gloria said as she smiled at us. When she looked at Sophia, her smile faded. “Is everything okay?”

Nodding, Sophia forced herself to smile. “Josh, this is David Walker. David, this is Josh Shaw.”

David’s brows shot up. “Are you related to the Shaw family here in Hamilton?”

“Yes, I am.”

He grinned. “Which one is your father?”

“Ty Junior.”

David laughed. “I went to school with him and your uncle Brock. Great guys.”

“Yes, sir, they are.”

“Mom, I’m not feeling well, so we’re going to go ahead and leave.”

Gloria instantly looked concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m getting a migraine and feel sick to my stomach.”

Looking at David, then back to her daughter, she said, “We can drive you home.”

“No!” Sophia quickly said.

“Sophia, you can’t drive if you’re getting a migraine. You know how bad they can get, and it’s been since…well…it’s been a while since you’ve had one.”

“She’s staying with me tonight,” I interjected. With my arm firmly around her waist, I felt Sophia stiffen.

“Oh. I see,” Gloria said, a wide smile replacing the look of concern. “Cold compression on her eyes and the back of her neck often help.”

Nodding, I said, “I’ve got it covered, please don’t worry.”

“If you need anything, you let us know,” David said.

Sophia nodded. “I will. Be careful driving back home.” She kissed her mother on the cheek, then gave David a smile. “Good night, David.”

“Feel better, Sophia,” he said. For a moment, I thought he was going to hug her or maybe give her a kiss on the cheek, but he seemed to change his mind at the last second.

Sophia turned to me. “Shall we?”

“Yes, of course.”

I took her hand in mine, and we made our way through the ballroom and out into the hall. Once there, Sophia picked up speed, and I thought she was going to break into a full-on run.

“Sophia?”

The sound of Karen’s voice behind us nearly had me crawling out of my own skin. I quickly turned a corner and pulled Sophia into a room and shut the door.

“Where are we?” Sophia asked, looking around.

“It’s an old coat closet. It’s been here for years. My cousins and I used to play in here the few times we came to the club for a wedding or what have you, when we were kids. They turned it into a cleaning closet for a little while, but after that, it just sat empty.”

The muffled sound of a female’s voice drifted into the small room. It was dark, but there was light coming in from around the door.

“Sophia? Josh?”

Dropping her head to my chest, I felt Sophia’s muscles tighten yet again. She was holding her breath.

I rubbed my hand over her back, and she relaxed little by little.

We waited a few minutes, then she whispered, “Do you think she’s gone?”

“I sure hope she is. That woman is annoying as hell!”

Sophia giggled.

Turning her slightly so I could open the door, I peeked out. “Coast is clear.”

Sophia rushed out of the closet and started toward the exit, with me right behind her.

Once we stepped outside, I handed the valet my ticket. It was someone I didn’t know this time, and I gave him some cash as I said, “Move us up to the front, will you?”

He smiled and took off at a run.

I watched as Sophia kept glancing over her shoulder.

“Soph, is everything okay?”

She shook her head. “Those people who made that comment about my father? Those people…those are my family . My own family, whispering about me like I wasn’t even standing there. And Karen! Oh my God. If given the chance, I think she would have tried to have sex with you on the damn dance floor!”

Her words halted as the valet pulled up with my truck. I opened the door and held her hand as she climbed into the cab.

As I pulled away, she leaned back and sighed.

“I’m sorry you had a stressful evening. Maybe it was actually made worse by me being there.”

“I should haven’t lied to my mother, and I know that. It’s just…I thought it would be easier for both of us if she assumed I was seeing someone. She wouldn’t be so worried about me, and she’d get off my back for a while. Stop trying to set me up with every young guy she meets. You probably think I’m a coward for not standing up to her.”

“I don’t think that at all.”

Sophia turned her head and stared out the window. I remained silent as we drove down the long drive and out of the country club.

The drive to my house was also a quiet one. I didn’t mind the silence. It was comfortable, if I was being honest with myself.

Once we pulled up to the entrance gate to my house, and I typed in the code, Sophia cleared her throat. “I’m so sorry about all of this, Josh. I don’t know what to say.”

“There isn’t anything to apologize for, Sophia. I had a nice evening.”

She let out a bark of laughter. “That’s very kind of you. I guess it was okay until Karen showed up.”

I glanced over at her. “Is she always so…vocal like that?”

She shook her head. “She’s always been pushy. Always gave unsolicited advice, especially regarding the guys I dated. We grew up together and were more like sisters, so I guess she feels like she can say whatever she wants.”

I pulled up to the front of my house and parked. Turning off the truck, I looked at her. “Sophia, I have a sister, and I can tell you one thing—she has never spoken to me that way, and she never would. And you’re not to blame for your ex’s actions. If he was unhappy, for whatever reason, he should have told you. Called things off before sleeping with someone else. Your cousin had no right to say what she did, especially in front of another man who was your date.”

She blinked several times, and I wanted to hurt the people in her life who’d made her feel like she was less than. “You’re not my real date.”

“That doesn’t matter. Karen didn’t know that. She intentionally said all of that in front of me, and for that, I don’t care to ever speak to her again.”

She smiled tiredly.

“Would you like to come in and have a coffee…or something stronger?”

Her head moved slightly to the side. “You did tell my mother I was staying with you this evening.”

My eyes went wide. “Shit. Will she check to see if you’re home?”

“I don’t think so,” she said with a soft laugh. “Unless she has a tracker on my phone.”

When I simply stared at her, she said, “I’m kidding, Josh. She doesn’t track me.”

“That you know of.” That caused her to let out a real laugh. “Come inside, and if you want to stay, you’re more than welcome. You know I have the room. And it might actually help with your mother thinking we’re together.”

She narrowed her eyes. “How?”

I shrugged. “She really could be tracking you.”

Rolling her eyes, she said, “I’ll come in for a drink.”

“Let me get the door for you.”

By the time I got around to the passenger side, Sophia was waiting for me to help her out.

“Where’s your shawl?” I asked.

Sophia looked back into the truck and then at me. “I must have left it behind. At least I got my clutch.” She took my hand, and I helped her out of the truck. “I’m so sorry to put you in this position, Josh. You must think I’m crazy.”

I laughed softly as I guided her down the sidewalk and to my front door. Pulling out my phone, I turned the alarm off and typed in the code to unlock the door. “I don’t think you’re crazy at all. Now your cousin , on the other hand…”

Sophia laughed—a genuine, heartfelt laugh, for the first time since we’d left the wedding reception.

We stepped into the house, and I motioned for her to follow me. “Let’s head to the family room, and I’ll pour us a drink.”

Sophia let me lead the way. Once in the family room, she removed her shoes and sat on the large sectional sofa.

“What would you like?”

She shrugged. “I’m not a big drinker, so whatever you’re having is fine with me.”

I raised my brows before grabbing a bottle of whiskey. I poured us each a glass and walked over to the sofa.

“I hope you don’t mind that I took my shoes off. They were killing me. I’m used to ballet shoes and tap shoes. Not stiletto heels.”

Pulling my tie loose, I replied, “As long as you don’t mind me taking off this tie.”

She smiled up at me. “You can go change if you’d like.”

“I’m okay.”

She took the whiskey from me and stared at it briefly. “I don’t think I’ve ever had whiskey.”

I held up my glass. “To trying something new!”

She gently tapped her glass to mine, took a small drink…and started coughing. “Holy shit!”

Laughing, I took the glass she was shoving back at me.

“That is vile! Please take it!”

“We discovered you’re not a fan of whiskey.”

She looked at me. “And you are?”

I shrugged. “I had my first drink of it when I was fifteen. My cousin let me have some, and I admit I didn’t care for it either. I hardly ever drink it, but sometimes the occasion calls for the hard stuff.”

“Then why on God’s green Earth do you have it?”

“My cousins like it. And my father. And to be honest, I have used it a time or two to get shit-faced.”

Her head tilted slightly. “Why did you want to get shit-faced?”

I thought about it for a moment. “I don’t remember.”

She chuckled.

“Are you feeling better?”

Sophia let out a long breath. “I think so.”

At that very moment, her cell phone started to ring.

“It’s my mother.”

She declined the call and put the phone beside her on the sofa. We both waited for the notification that she’d left a voicemail, and when it finally came, Sophia groaned.

She pulled up her messages, sighed, and then hit play. The message was on speaker, and I wasn’t sure if she meant for me to hear it.

“Sophia Grace Montgomery!”

“Not the full name!” I said, as she rolled her eyes.

“You didn’t text me that you made it to Josh’s house. Are you okay? Can we trust this boy? I know, I know. David knows his father and you’ve been dating him, but you didn’t look like you felt good at all. Will he know what to do for your headache?”

“Boy?” I asked, jerking my head back.

Sophia giggled.

“Please text me, or better yet, call, sweetheart. I want to make sure your head is feeling better. I do hope you stayed and didn’t attempt to drive home. We need to talk about Life360. That way I can tell when you’ve arrived somewhere safe.”

“No,” Sophia whispered, as I attempted to keep the smile off my face.

“Maybe I should just call you. I’m going to call you if I don’t hear back from you in five minutes. I love you! By the way, this is your mother.”

Sophia’s eyes jerked up to mine, and I couldn’t help it—I laughed.

“Wow. Does your mother remember how old you are?”

Letting out a sigh, Sophia said, “She’s been drinking, I could tell when we got to the wedding she had already had a few drinks. She isn’t normally this…clingy. I should probably call her before she sends out a search party for me.”

“I’ll give you some privacy.”

“You don’t need to. It’s okay.”

She tapped on her phone a few times and then closed her eyes. “Hi, Mom. I’m fine. Yes, we made it back to Josh’s house. I think I’m going to head on home here in a bit.”

Rolling her eyes, she said, “No, we didn’t have a fight. I…well, I…no, you don’t need to meet me at my house. Mom, I’m an adult woman.”

Her gaze met mine. “No, Mom, it’s okay. I’m going to just stay the night with Josh after all.”

She mouthed the words “I’m sorry” as she listened to her mother. “Yes, I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know when I’m heading home. I love you, too. Bye, Mom.”

Sophia let out a long sigh as she tossed her phone next to her. “I’m so sorry. I’m going to call my friend Chloe and see if I can stay the night there.”

“I’ll go grab us some water while you call her.”

“Thank you, Josh.”

I headed into the kitchen and took out two bottles of water. As I walked back into the family room, I heard clear disappointment in Sophia’s voice as she spoke on the phone.

“Honestly, it’s okay, Chloe. Don’t even worry about it, all right? Enjoy your night. Love you, too. Bye.”

She hit End and dropped her head back.

“Bad news?”

Waving her hand around, as if searching for the right word, she said, “Chloe has a… friend …over.”

“Sophia, you’re more than welcome to stay here. I have three extra bedrooms, and I was the one who told your mother you’d be staying the night. I’m sure we can find something for you to wear to sleep in.”

Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking to make her blush like that.

“I really hate to impose, Josh.”

“I wouldn’t have offered it if I didn’t mean it.”

She screwed up her face in the most adorable way. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Besides, wouldn’t it be expected for you to stay with me if we really were dating?”

Sophia chewed on her lower lip. “Yeah, I guess it would. You probably think I’m so stupid for lying to my mother.”

“I think you’ve both been through a lot the last few months.”

Sophia nodded. “I just never thought she’d put all her focus on me like this. With my father dying, I think she’s just…lost, maybe? I don’t know.”

I hated that her voice sounded so defeated.

Smiling, I said, “Then it’s settled; you’re staying. Let me go see what I can find for you to wear.”

As I started to walk away, Sophia called out, “Josh?”

“Yeah?” I asked, turning back to her.

“Thank you for being such a great friend and going along with this idiotic plan of mine.”

I smiled, then pushed away my disappointment from that one word.

Friend.

“If I remember correctly, Soph, it was my idea.”