I Need Something More.

I felt the morning sun on my face as I stirred awake. I didn’t even remember going home last night. Its not that I was drunk or anything, I just passed out from being so tired. I felt the bed shift and my eyes shot open. I looked up at the ceiling realizing this wasn’t my room, I sat up and looked around, when I turned to my right I saw what was causing the bed to shift.

“Sophie!” Hannah smiled.

“Morning Hannah.” I said groggily.

“Sophie, did you come here to play with me?” she asked innocently.

“Of course sweetheart.” I smiled as I lied. I didn’t lie because I didn’t want to hurt her feeling, I loved taking care of Hannah, I just wasn’t able to remember what caused me to end up here last night. “Where’s your dad?” I continued.

“Daddy’s on the couch downstairs being a sleepy head.” she giggled.

“How about we go make everyone some breakfast?” I asked causing Hannah so nod her head profusely. I turned my back towards her telling her to get on. I gave her a piggyback into the kitchen and carefully let her down on the countertop where she now sat. I looked through all the cabinets and we decided to make pancakes for everyone.

I grabbed the ingredients from the fridge and cabinets and starting mixing them together Hannah sat on the counter beside the bowl adding in the chocolate chips, blue berries and raspberries in their respective bowls and mix them into the batter. Hannah sat cross-legged and had the bowl in her lap when she added the final touches. She sat quietly obviously concentrating on what she was doing. When she was finished she aligned each of the bowls beside her.

While I cooked the pancakes I told Hannah to sit where she was and not to get closer because it was dangerous. She sat patiently and said,

“Sophie”

“Yes?”

“Can you take me to the park?” She asked carefully perhaps afraid I might say no.

“Sure sweetheart, I know there’s one by my place.”

“Yay! I asked daddy to take me but he couldn’t find any for kids.” She told me. I laughed a bit at her comment, and smiled.

“Mmmmm I smell food.” Alex said groggily as he walked into the kitchen.

“Daddy! you’re awake.” Hannah chimed stretching her arms out for him to pick her up off the counter. Alex gripped his head a bit from probably a hangover but picked her up anyways.

“Good Morning Alex.” I turned towards him and smiled.

“Morning.” He breathed.

“Hangover?” I mouthed so that Hannah wouldn’t hear. Alex simply nodded.
I turned off the stove finishing the pancakes I was working on and grabbed water and some advil that was on top of the microwave, popping two pills out and turned to Alex.

“Open.” I told him. He looked confused for a second until he saw the advil, I fed them to him and held the glass of water to his lips since he was carrying Hannah. He groaned since they don’t kick in automatically and said thank you.

“Daddy are you sick?” Hannah frowned.

“No baby, my head just hurts.” He said then kissed her forehead.

“Why?”

“... because daddy stayed up too late.” He covered.

“Silly daddy.” She smiled then started playing with his cheeks, squishing them with her tiny hands.

“Pancakes are ready.” I told the two.
The second I said pancakes, it seems everyone in the house “just so happened” to wake up. Luckily Hannah and I made more than enough pancakes. We ate with minimal conversation since everyone was eating.

“Soapie, not that we don’t love having you around but how did you end up here last night?” Jack asked then gave a weird look to Alex.

“Hmm, honestly, I don’t remember.” I laughed nervously.
This caught everyones attention, they looked at me then to Alex. It wasn’t until I realized how bad that actually sounded, and my eyes widened and I stared at Alex hoping he’d answer.

“We bumped into each other at some club, last night on the way home.” He took a bite then continued,

“So we shared a cab and she left her keys with her friends back at the club so I brought her here.Thats it.” He shrugged continuing to eat. Everyone dropped the subject and kept eating. But that didn’t stop them from exchanging questioning glances.
Since I couldn’t remember anything I should be relieved nothing 'happened'. Right?

----------

After breakfast the guys offered to clean up and I went back upstairs to change. I had called Evan and he said he felt bad for forgetting to give me back my purse and he shouldn’t have left me. He agreed to meet me at my condo whenever I was ready so he could drop it off. I slipped my dress back on when I realized, how did I even get it off? I was out cold, there was no way Alex could have set aside some clothes for me to borrow and I actually get into them on my own- Oh God! Please don’t tell me... My face turned red as I pulled up the zipper. Oh.My.God! kept running in my head as I folded the clothes Alex let me borrow. I tried to calm myself down as I grabbed my heels and made my way down the stairs. Its no big deal right, it was probably dark... maybe he didn’t see anything. I tried to reassure myself. I walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table where we just finished eating breakfast and tried to get my heels back on. The boys were quiet and that made me a bit nervous. I looked up from tightening the straps on my heels and saw Matt, Rian and Alex staring at me. Okay, now I definitely felt awkward. Just then Jack ran in chasing Hannah, he too stopped and Hannah ran right to me.

“Sophie you look pretty!” Hannah gushed.

“Thank you Hannah, you’re always pretty.” I told her lifting her onto my lap.

“Daymmmmmm!” Jack yelled. “Sophia, you go out in public like that?” He teased.

“umm.... yes?” I answered a bit uncomfortably, then frowned a bit. “Why, do I look bad?”

“NEVER!” The guys basically yelled at me causing Hannah to laugh.

“I was just saying, you look really good Soapie,” Jack wiggled his eyebrows. “Really, really good.”
I continued to laugh a bit nervously at Jack’s subliminal innuendo since Hannah was right here.

“I think Sophie is pretty like my dollies.” Hannah smiled. “Right daddy.”
Alex kept his stare from earlier his eyes never leaving me and said,

“She’s even prettier.”

ALEX P.O.V:

Hannah threw a fit when Sophia was about to leave. Sophia looked so distressed, she didn’t want to leave Hannah after she promised to take her to the park, but she really needed to go home. Sophia offered to drive back when she was done at home, but Hannah wanted to go with her. So instead of breaking Hannah’s heart, Sophia invited us over which was probably the smartest solution. I felt bad since Hannah and I always bothering Sophia but she reassured us that she didn’t mind at all, she said she enjoyed our company. We were now waiting outside Sophia’s condo sitting on the steps. Hannah was sitting beside Sophia teaching her how to play some game with their hands. Even though Hannah knew she was going to be running around and playing today she insisted on wearing one of her little dresses, she said Sophia wears them so she wants to too. I had my head in my hands glad that the advil finally kicked in when I heard a car zoom by and come to a sharp stop. The engine of the car turned off and Sophia excused herself from Hannah and stood up.

“Hey babe, I’m really sorry!” Evan said handing her her purse.
Sophia dug through it quickly and grabbed condo keys.

“Well thanks for bringing it over.” Sophia said quickly. From what I could tell she did not want to talk to him right now, especially with the way the fake kindness in her voice when she spoke to Evan. “I’ll see you.” She ended curtly and began heading back towards us. I think thats when Evan noticed Sophia wasn’t waiting alone.

“Who are you?” Evan directed towards me.

“Oh, umm... Alex, Hannah this is Evan. Evan, this is my friend Alex and his daughter Hannah. You should remember them from Tuesday...” Sophia answered and he grunted in response. “He’s the one who took care of me last night after you left me outside.”

“Babe why didn’t you just call me?”
Evan looked down in confusion as Hannah tugged on his pants and motioned to be picked up. Hannah was used to being picked up by everyone. All of the guys were like family, it was a normal greeting for her so when she motioned like that no one ever thought twice about it, they just did it. Hannah pouted when he didn’t pick her up but instead she was swooped up by Sophia who gave Evan a disapproving look then said,

“I didn’t call because you had my phone, plus I had Alex.” She smiled at me. “Any who, you should probably leave now, I have company waiting.” The last part she smiled making a little face at Hannah.

“Babe, I think we need to talk.” He said sounding annoyed with how she kept brushing him off.

“Evan, please. I have guests.”

“Yeah, some strange guy who picked you up last night.”

“Evan, Alex and I are friends, and he didn’t ‘pick me up.’ He was being a good friend and looking out for me which he wouldn’t have had to if you didn’t leave me.”

“Babe, you left the club, I didn’t force you.”

“You didn’t give me any other choice.” Sophia sighed put down Hannah. “Sorry Hannah, I need to talk to him for just one minute.” Hannah ran beside me and climbed onto my lap as we waited for Sophia and watched as the two started arguing. Although they were arguing Sophia always managed to keep her voice hushed to avoid causing a scene as she scolded him, but Evan didn’t give her that courtesy.

“Babe, you can’t just go off with random guys. How do you think that makes me feel?”

“Evan we’re not together anymore, we’re barely even friends to be honest. So I don’t see how its your business who I am, and am not friends with.”

“Just because you broke up with me doesn’t mean I stopped caring about you and that I don’t like seeing you with another guy.”

“Evan, if I remember correctly, you cheated on me. So technically, you chose to see other people first.”

“God Sophia! How many times do I have to say it? I AM SORRY! I was drunk, you weren’t there, it was a mistake! People make fucking mistake Sophia.”

“I know you’re sorry, but that doesn’t change what happened. I’m just...” She frowned biting her lip causing Evan’s face to soften a bit. “...still hurt. I can't, I can't... trust you anymore.”

“Soph...” He took a step closer and she flinched.

“Evan, I think you should leave now.”

“Soph...” He tried again.

“Please. Just go.” She ended walking back to Hannah and I ushering us to her door leaving him outside. Sophia closed the door and leaned against if for a second before locking it.

“I’m sorry.” Sophia directed towards me.

“Why? you having nothing to be sorry about.”

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” She said sadly as she kissed Hannah’s forehead, then stood up again tears threatening to fall. I stared at her for a moment, looking in her eyes for permission, then pulled her into a hug.

“Daddy, why is Sophie sad?” Hannah worried, hugging Sophia’s leg since thats all she could reach.

“That man out there hurt her feelings.” I whispered as I held Sophia closer and kissed her head.