Sophia’s eyes softened as she watched her friend’s internal struggle play out across her face. “Don’t do anything rash, Em. You can’t make a decision until you know exactly what the facts are, and how you feel about it. Neither of which you can know right now.”
Emily nodded, sighing heavily. A chuckle escaped her lips, tinged with irony. “You know what? This sounds like the plot of a cheesy romance novel.”
Sophia laughed, the sound breaking some of the tension in the room. “And what would happen in that book?” she asked, eyebrows raised.
Emily shrugged, her mind too clouded to play out the scenario. She reached for her abandoned cocktail, taking a long sip.
“If it’s meant to be, it’ll find a way,” Sophia said softly, her voice carrying a hint of hope.
Emily snorted. “Yeah, right. Because the universe just loves to make things easy for me.” She set her glass down with a thunk. “Christ, Soph. What if it is true? What if Lucas is Ryan’s dad? I can’t… I can’t even wrap my head around that.”
Her hands trembled slightly as she ran them through her hair. “I was falling for him. Hard. And now… now I don’t know what to think.”
Emily’s green eyes flashed with a mix of frustration and vulnerability. She let out a long, shaky breath. “Fuck, Sophia. I know logically neither Lucas or Ryan are in any way at fault here. They didn’t know who each other was, for fuck’s sake.”
She stood up abruptly, pacing the small living room. Her chestnut hair swung wildly as she moved. “So I know I shouldn’t feel bad about sleeping with Ryan, nearly marrying the bastard, breaking up with him and ending up in his dad’s bed. Because no one was any the wiser.”
Emily stopped, turning to face Sophia with a pained expression. “But that doesn’t make it any more comfortable that the man I fell in love with is my cheating ex’s dad. It’s like some sick cosmic joke.”
Sophia leaned forward, concern etched on her face. “Em, I get it. It’s messed up. But maybe-”
“Maybe what?” Emily cut her off, her voice sharp. “Maybe I should just laugh it off? Kind of be my asshole ex’s stepmum?”
She sank back onto the couch, the fight draining out of her. “Christ, I don’t know what to do. Part of me wants to run far away from this whole fucked up situation. But another part…”
Emily trailed off, her eyes distant. “Another part of me can’t stop thinking about Lucas. About how he makes me feel. How safe and cherished I am when I’m with him.”
She looked at Sophia, her voice barely above a whisper. “Is it crazy that I still want him, even with all this shit?”
Sophia shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “It’s not crazy, no. It’s clear to see you two are disgustingly in love, even if you don’t want to admit it out loud.”
Emily snorted, reaching for her drink. “Love? More like a cosmic clusterfuck.”
“Hey, sometimes love is messy,” Sophia shrugged. “But I’ve seen the way you light up when you talk about him. The way you smile at your phone when he texts. That’s not nothing, Em.”
Emily downed her drink, wincing at the burn. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions – desire, fear, love, uncertainty. She closed her eyes, trying to sort through the chaos.
“So what would you do?” she finally asked, her voice small.
Sophia topped up their glasses, a mischievous glint in her eye. “First, reply to him and try to be normal. No need to blow things up before you’ve had a chance to process.”
She handed Emily her refilled glass with a wink. “Then, we get very drunk tonight. We can brainstorm once your inhibitions are down and your mind is being more honest with itself about what it wants.”
Emily laughed, a genuine sound that cut through the tension. “Getting shitfaced to solve my love life? Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”
She raised her glass in a mock toast. “Here’s to drunk epiphanies and soap opera-worthy drama. Cheers, Soph.”
Emily’s fingers hovered over her phone screen, the cursor blinking mockingly in the empty text field. Her heart raced as she tried to compose a message that didn’t scream ‘I just saw you with my ex, I think he’s your son and I’m freaking the fuck out.’
“Fuck it,” she muttered, tapping out a reply with trembling hands:
Baby Girl: Hey daddy, soph and I are making cocktails so we’re all good. I miss you.
She hit send before she could overthink it, then tossed her phone aside like it was on fire.
“There. Normal enough?” Emily asked, reaching for the bottle of tequila.
Sophia nodded approvingly. “Perfectly casual. Now, let’s focus on getting you drunk enough to forget your own name, let alone your boy troubles.”
As Emily poured another shot, her mind wandered. Lucas’ piercing blue eyes, the way his strong hands felt on her body, his deep laugh that made her insides melt. Then Ryan’s face, superimposed over it all, a jarring reminder of the fucked-up situation.
“Christ,” Emily groaned, knocking back the shot. “How is this my life? I feel like I’m trapped in some trashy romance novel.”
Sophia cackled, already pouring them both another round. “Honey, if this was a romance novel, you’d end up married to both of them somehow.”
Emily’s phone buzzed, making her jump. She snatched it up, heart pounding.
Daddy: I miss you too, baby girl. Are you sure you’re okay? You looked upset in Starbucks and Soph looked ready to rip someone apart.
“Fuck,” Emily hissed, showing Sophia the screen. “He noticed. What do I say?”
Sophia squinted at the message, swaying slightly. “Tell him… tell him you stubbed your toe or some shit. Keep it light.”
Emily’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, her mind racing. She wanted to spill everything, to ask if the boy with him was Ryan, to beg for answers. Instead, she typed:
Baby Girl: I’m okay, we were just being clumsy bitches. How’s your day going?
She hit send, then immediately grabbed another shot. “This is fucked up,” she muttered.
Sophia nodded sagely. “Totally fucked. But hey, at least the sex is good, right?”
Emily snorted, choking on her drink. “Jesus, Soph. Yeah, the sex is fan-fucking-tastic.”
Emily’s phone buzzed again, causing her stomach to lurch. She glanced at the screen, her vision slightly blurry from the tequila.
Daddy: Baby girl, I know you’re lying. What’s really wrong?
“Shit,” Emily muttered, shoving the phone at Sophia. “He knows. What the fuck do I do now?”
Sophia squinted at the message, then shrugged. “Ghost him?”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Real helpful, Soph.”
She stared at the message, her thumbs hovering over the keyboard. Part of her wanted to spill everything, to ask if the kid with him was Ryan, to demand answers. But the logical part of her brain, swimming in tequila, knew that was a terrible idea.
“Fuck it,” she muttered, tossing the phone aside. “I can’t deal with this right now.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow. “You’re just gonna ignore him?”
Emily flopped back on the couch, covering her face with her hands. “What am I supposed to say? ‘Hey Daddy, are you by any chance my asshole ex’s father?’ Yeah, that’ll go over great.”
“Fair point,” Sophia conceded, pouring them both another shot. “Here’s to poor life choices and complicated relationships.”
They clinked glasses, the burn of tequila momentarily drowning out Emily’s swirling thoughts. But even as she tried to push it away, Lucas’ message burned in the back of her mind, a ticking time bomb she knew she couldn’t ignore forever.
Emily’s phone buzzed again, the vibration seeming to echo through her skull. She groaned, reaching for it with unsteady fingers.
“Fuck me,” she muttered, squinting at the screen.
Daddy: Emily, you’re worrying me. Please talk to me.
“He’s not letting up,” Sophia observed, peering over Emily’s shoulder. “Maybe you should just tell him you’re drunk and call him tomorrow?”
Emily snorted. “Yeah, because that won’t raise any red flags.” She tossed back another shot, wincing at the burn. “God, why is this so fucked up?”
Her fingers hovered over the keys, mind racing. What could she say that wouldn’t give everything away? That wouldn’t make her sound like a complete lunatic?
“Screw it,” she muttered, finally typing out a response.
Baby Girl: Sorry, Daddy. Just having a rough day. Nothing to worry about. Talk tomorrow?
She hit send before she could overthink it, then immediately regretted it. “Shit, was that too casual? Too dismissive?”
Sophia patted her arm. “It’s fine, Em. You bought yourself some time. Now can we please focus on getting absolutely shitfaced and forgetting about this mess for a few hours?”
Emily nodded, reaching for the bottle. “God, yes. Let’s drink until I can’t remember my own name, let alone Lucas’.”
As she poured another round, her phone remained silent. She couldn’t decide if that was a relief or just another thing to worry about.
Emily’s phone buzzed again, startling her. She fumbled with it, nearly dropping it into her drink.
“Shit,” she hissed, swiping to read the messages.
Daddy: Emily, talk to me, please, what’s wrong?
Daddy: Whatever it is, baby girl, let me in, let me help you.
Daddy: I love you, baby girl.