Part 3.
She suddenly stopped and Rosie almost walked bang into her. Rosie stopped just short of her sis in a kind of jolt. Sophie half turned to her. They were only feet away from the table. "You sit next to her", Sophie whispered. Rosie looked from Sophie to the table just as everyone looked at them. Rosie didn't have time to ask nor did she want to, really. She moved around Soph and plonked herself down next to Sian. Sophie edged to the side of the table, and stood there for a few seconds before taking a seat next to her mother. She was diagonally opposite Sian, and it wasn't lost on the blond.
And then they looked at each other. Sian's expression brightened no end, her face immediately lit up but then dropped again, as if the sudden onset of the circumstances in which they parted rudely interrupted the sheer beauty of being in the brunette's presence. Sian wished she could sweep it all away. Travel back in time somehow, change it. Or make Sophie forget...Yeah that would work. Didn't she see that in an episode of Buffy like, a million years ago? Maybe she should take up witchcraft…Sian got distracted when Sophie smiled at her. She smiled back.
"What are we talking about?" Rosie piped up, eager to get these two at least imitating friendship. Or whatever it was the two wanted..
"Sian was telling us about being a journalist in London", Sally caught them up. "Sounds dead exciting".
Sian had pulled her eyes away from Sophie and looked at the table. "Not really-"
"You're joking right", Rosie nudged her, "I would love to live and work in London!"
"Tell them about that article you wrote and that award" Kevin interjected, "Soph you've got to hear this! This girl has done everything.."
Sian clumsily brought her eyes back to Sophie and darted them about, not wanting to hold her gaze but trying to gauge her reaction, at the same time. "It's nothing that special, just something I had to do in my final year but kind of got picked up so", she smiled, wishing to God she knew what Sophie was thinking. She got swept up in conversation as Kevin asked her question after question.
Sophie just looked at her. Sian couldn't see her doing it as she focused her attention on Kev and Bill to her left. Soph occasionally laughed and sipped her drink, and even less often did she get involved in the conversation; she just watched as this girl who had been out of her life for four years, had suddenly materialized in front of her and chatted away happily, just like she was part of the family, again. Sophie really didn't know how to feel about it, and in all honesty she tried not to think about it; she tried not to let everything from before engulf her and she just sat there, watching her ex be all animated in her stories with her sparkling blue eyes and amazing smile.. she seemed so comfortable, and happy. So very different from that atmosphere in her living room, earlier. Sophie tilted her head to the side and slowly played with her glass on the table. Her chest rose and fell evenly and she let her mind drift, way back when to when they were together and when things were all relaxed, like this. Sophie was happy in the moment, Sian kind of.. glowed.
Sophie was also proud, Sian had made so much of herself in London, or so it sounded. Her parents were raving over it, and also bringing the conversation back to Sophie and what she had been doing, in all this time. Sophie hadn't really gone into it though, she much preferred to watch Sian talk and so she would ask a question, or rather kick Rosie under the table so she would ask a question. It was a method that was working. The first time Soph had kicked her Rosie had almost spat her drink out and she had to fake a coughing fit and blame it on some cold she had recently had. The story hadn't washed with the girls' parents however but luckily Sian had picked up the conversation and everyone had got lost in her charm, once more. Sophie was glad her parents were so mesmerized by Sian, there was a time they had really disliked her, or at least her mother had. Thank God that was all in the past.
The conversation must've been going for over an hour, and Sian thought it was going pretty well. She had totally lost herself with the Webster's and loved how at home she felt. She didn't know how long it would last however, Sophie wasn't really joining in and she was the only one she really wanted to talk to. But she would take what she had. She could sense Sophie's eyes on her, watching her, and whenever she glanced in the brunette's direction Sophie would immediately look down, and then bring her eyes back up to meet Sian's. The first time she did it, it had caused Sian's breath to hitch in her throat, Soph had that look. From before. Just like from before, she had thought, when they were together. Like she was looking into her, and she was doing it with a subtle grin. Sian had been in mid-sentence and she had abruptly stopped and forgot what she was talking about. Her heart had physically lurched.. had Sophie thrown her a line? Rosie had started up the conversation again and it took Sian a few minutes to get back on track. Everyone must've noticed, but no one said anything. Thank God!
The more Sophie looked at her that way, however briefly the more comfortable Sian became. It really was like before. She was so glad she had come. She was on cloud nine and was absolutely loving it. It got to the point where Sophie and Sian weren't really saying anything and everyone else decided it was time to go. They all exchanged glances as the youngest two at the table smiled at each other and played with either the edge of the table or their beer mats.
Kevin raised his eyebrows, "right, bed time ay Sal?"
Sally looked at her watch, "yes it is late".
"I'm going to get some more drinks" Rosie immediately offered. "Same again girls? Let the oldies go home ay?"
"Less of the old!" Kev shot back.
"Uhmm, okay yeh", Sian pondered, "if you want to stay?" ..it was directed at Sophie.
"Yeh", the brunette answered, pulling herself from her indulgent thoughts of how things used to be. "I'll have one more".
Everyone got up to let Kevin, Sally and Bill out from the table. They exchanged hugs and kisses, fawning over Sian as if she might up and disappear again.
"Don't be a stranger Sian I expect you over for dinner before the week is out" Sally warned.
Sian just giggled, "of course I will that would be lovely". She ran a hand through her hair.
"Don't be out too late" Sally finished at Sophie as they headed out the door.
Sian looked back at the table and Sophie was already sat down, so she joined her, opposite. Sian cleared her throat, she didn't want the upbeat atmosphere to be over, so she smiled her best smile at Sophie, who grinned at her back and then let out a big sigh. They sat like that for a moment.
"Alone at last", Sian offered, feeling brave. She slowly brought her eyes to Sophie's.
Sophie kept her eyes on Sian's, she wanted to be able to look into her and know, just know what she wanted and what she intended. Sophie thought if there were any God, he would surely take away this awkwardness she felt and heel her, replacing it with what she had before. What they had before. That perfection. Was it really perfect though? Sophie frowned a little, not really knowing where that had come from. Because if it was, would everything of happened, how it did? Sophie suddenly shifted in her seat and pushed her bangs back from her face. She looked at Sian again and saw that face, the blond was so expectant, it was like she was hanging on Sophie's every movement, every word. Sophie's court really did own the ball. It was a conversation they had to have. But as they looked even more into each other's eyes and the smiles tugged even harder on their faces, Sophie just couldn't do it, not right then. She wanted this moment framed, sealed, locked away. For when that conversation came, Soph didn't know if the hurt would ever stop coming. "Yeah" was all the brunette could manage, "at last".
"Have you been okay?" Sian leaned across the seats in the booth and brought her legs up under her, she was getting comfortable in this familiarity and she wanted to get closer.
"Yeah" Sophie said again, she was conscious she was repeating herself. "I mean I suppose", it wasn't a dig and her tone signaled that. She was just suddenly shy. "As if you've been in London".
It was as if the past few hours' worth of conversation hadn't happened and they were starting afresh. Sian beamed, this was more than what she could have hoped for. "Well it wasn't perfect", she pulled her eyes up from the table and breathed out as she caught her bottom lip with her teeth and then let it go. She looked directly at Soph, "something was missing".
Sophie met Sian's gaze and man, was it intense. The alcohol she had consumed dulled her response, perhaps. She should maybe have been dumbfounded, it was Sian who had run away, after all. But Sophie was lost in a trance, she wanted it all to be done, right there. She wanted her back. Sophie's breaths got heavier and she reached further across the table, not to touch her, not yet, just to get further into her space. Sian licked her lips and Sophie thought it was the sexiest thing she had seen in four years. Easily.
"Sian", Sophie breathed, "I think I know what you're doing".
That caught her, and it knocked Sian, a little. It had gone to plan so far, Soph was getting lost in her again, but it wasn't time for the heavy conversation, yet. Sian kept her front up, unwavering in the allure she was exuding. Sophie had no idea what it was taking. Really Sian would kill for a pizza on the sofa, snuggled up with her Soph in their PJs. Or without them. She wasn't fussed. This was pure torture. Sian put her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands, she had a glint in her eye. "What am I doing?" she grinned, softly, and raised her eyebrows.
Sophie was taken aback by the flirtatiousness, but at the same time she found it charming. She had soooo missed this, and she was quite surprised how easily she was slipping back into it. Sophie smiled broadly and relaxed back into her seat. She was helpless. "You're trying to be…" Sophie sighed, not quite being able to find the right word.
Sian chuckled, "trying to be…?" she shook her head slightly and her eyes widened, her grin however, remained as bold as ever as her eyes connected with something through Sophie's. Oh yeh, Sian contemplated, it's still there. She was inwardly doing cartwheels.
Sophie chuckled as well and when she spoke, it was from the heart. "Like before". Her eyes were heavy with emotion.
Sian moved her head to the side of both of her hands and rested them there. Her fingers were clasped and she pushed her forehead a little to the side. Her hair framed her face beautifully. Her voice was just above a whisper. "Feels good though, doesn't it?" It was a daring line and her breath was almost ragged.
Sophie agreed but didn't admit it. Instead she sucked her top lip in and chewed on it briefly, as she thought about what to say. Sophie was a sucker for a moment, and this one had arrived on a steam train. However she was in danger of standing there on the platform and watching it pass her by.
Although Sophie wasn't answering, her eyes gave her away. Sian could see the conflicting emotions in there, and she could see Sophie still loved her, or wanted to love her, but something was holding her back. Sian could understand that and she wasn't about to push. It was however, an incredible start.
"Okay you two get a room", Rosie grinned as she sat back down next to Sian and placed three drinks on the table. The two of them snapped out of their trance and remembered to breath and looked anywhere but at each other. "Honestly we've been watching you look gooey eyed at each other for the last 20 minutes-"
"We?" Sophie shot back, and darted her head to the bar where quite a crowd of familiar faces had gathered. Sophie suddenly went red and Sian followed suit, losing a hand in her hair at the back of her neck.
"..and we've been passing the sick bucket around".
"Rosie!" Sophie exclaimed. Alright so she may have shared a moment with her ex but she didn't need it pointed out, it didn't mean they were back together, or anything.
Just then Jason joined them taking the seat next to Sophie and that pretty much ended that conversation. "Alright", he said, looking at Sophie first and then at Sian. He was never the biggest of talkers and had only joined them to help in distracting the intensity of the moment. Or that was how Rosie had put it at the bar.
"Yeah.." Sophie answered, followed by a chuckle.
Sian's hand was still lost in her hair as she had started twirling it in her fingers as, well.. she couldn't think of anything else to do. She smiled at the nonchalance Jason was radiating, anyone else would be quick to want to know the gossip, but she had a feeling he was feeling as awkward at being involved as he was making it look. Clearly it was Rosie's idea. "Hey Jase" she said softly.
"Y'alright?" he replied.
Sophie had been eyeing him. "You already said that" she reprimanded, with a grin.
The girls started laughing but Jason took it in his stride. "Yeh and?" he said as he took a sip from his pint. He supposed he could try a bit harder. "How have you been Sian?"
Sian took her eyes back to Sophie and continued playing with her hair. "Yeh alright, thanks".
"Congratulations on your Masters, must be dead proud".
"I am", she said as she straightened against the back of the booth and rested both hands on the edge of the table in front of her. "It was hard work but, paid off in the end".
"What you guna do now?"
To be continued.