ophie had just finished rinsing the last of her dishes when her phone started vibrating on the counter. The smell of stir-fry pasta still lingered in her kitchen. Jace and Amy had insisted she take the leftovers home, saying comfort food works better than heartbreak.
She smiled faintly at the memory of Jace making her laugh until she snorted, and Amy teasing that she'd better not cry again.
Her phone buzzed again.
She glanced down. It was Darren.
Her lips curved instantly. "Well, speak of the devil," she murmured, answering with one hand still holding a dish towel. "Hey, Boston boy."
"Hey, Manhattan girl," Darren said, his voice warm and slightly muffled, airport sounds buzzing faintly behind him. "I'm officially on Boston soil."
Sophie leaned back against the counter, smiling. "You landed already?. That was quick."
"Just did," Darren's voice came through, soft but warm, the kind of tone that made her chest tighten a little. "I swear, the second we touched down, I missed your voice."
Sophie laughed quietly, resting her head against the counter. "You're such a liar. You probably fell asleep on the plane before takeoff."
"Guilty," he admitted with a chuckle. "But I woke up mid-flight, and guess who I was dreaming about?"
"Let me guess," she teased. "A tall brunette who cries at airports?"
Darren laughed,that deep laugh that always made her grin. "You did cry," he said smugly.
"Did not!" Sophie shot back instantly, sitting up straight. "I told Amy that was the air-conditioning in the terminal."
"Oh sure," he said. "All that 'terminal air conditioning' made your mascara run."
"Darren!" she squealed, covering her face even though he couldn't see her. "You're such a dork."
"And yet," he said, voice dropping a little lower, "you kissed me like you'd never let go."
Her stomach did that familiar flip. She swallowed, her voice softening. "Well… maybe I didn't want to."
He went quiet for a moment."You have no idea how much I wanted to get right back off that plane," he said finally. "But I'll be back before you can blink. Christmas, remember?"
Sophie smiled, her voice a whisper. "You'd better keep that promise."
"I will,it's just two months away" he said, and she could hear the sincerity in his tone. "And until then, video calls. Every night. Even if you're in your pajamas eating cereal."
"I'd like that," she said. "But for the record, I don't eat cereal at night. I eat....."
"Chocolate," he interrupted. "I know. You left an open wrapper on the bed frame,I had to remove it myself."
"Oh my God," she groaned. "You're never letting me live that down."
"Not a chance," he teased. Then softer, "Hey…."
"What?" She asked feigning annoyance.
"Thank you. For showing me what love's supposed to feel like."
She blushes.
"So," he asked almost immediately. "how's my favorite duo? Did they feed you properly?"
"Oh, they did," she said, walking into the living room. "Amy made me eat like two bowls of pasta, and Jace wouldn't stop telling bad jokes to make me laugh. I think he was trying to distract me from missing you."
He laughed. "Ah, emotional manipulation through food. Classic Amy."
"It worked," Sophie said softly. "It actually felt good… just being there with them."
"I'm glad," he said. His tone softened, that familiar warmth creeping in. "You've got good people around you. That makes me worry a little less."
"Good," she teased. "Now you can focus on your civil engineer life instead of babysitting me from another state."
He chuckled. "I'll try. No promises though."
She smiled, curling up on the couch. "So what's next for you, Mister Workaholic?"
"Meetings, site visits, the usual," he said, then paused. "My Uber's pulling up now, actually."
"Oh, already?" she asked, sounding a little disappointed.
"Yeah. The guy looks half asleep though, so if I don't make it to my house, tell the world I died in a sleepy car"
Sophie laughed so hard she nearly dropped her phone. "You're impossible. Just text me when you get there, okay?"
"Will do," he said, and she could hear the shuffle of him getting into the car. "Sophie?"
"Yeah?"
There was a pause, soft and steady. "I miss you already."
She went quiet for a moment, her throat tightening in that familiar way. "I miss you too."
The Uber door shut with a faint thud. Darren exhaled, the city hum muffled in the background. "Alright," he said lightly, breaking the silence. "Go to bed before you start crying again."
"I didn't cry!" she said instantly.
He laughed, low and teasing. "Sure. And Jace doesn't take pictures of Amy."
"Darren!"
"Goodnight, Sophie."
"Goodnight, Boston boy."
The call ended with a soft click, leaving the room quiet again. Sophie sighed, smiling despite herself. She walked to the window and looked out at the city lights blinking against the night sky.
Even miles apart, it still felt like he was right there in her arms, teasing her, making fun of her but still all hers.