The days after their night out passed in a blur. Things between Sophia and Liam weren't dramatically different, but there was a subtle shift in the way they interacted. The tension that once felt suffocating had loosened, replaced with a quiet understanding that neither of them had expected. They no longer argued at every turn, and the silences between them weren't as charged as before. But as much as Sophia wanted to believe things were changing, she couldn't ignore the nagging voice in her head telling her that this wasn't the way it was supposed to be.
One afternoon, as they both worked in the study, the silence between them became increasingly uncomfortable. Sophia was at her desk, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she typed out an email. Liam, as usual, sat across the room, his eyes focused on a set of financial reports. But there was something different about the way he looked at her—something that made her uneasy.
Finally, unable to focus, she dropped her pen and looked up. "What is it?" she asked, her voice laced with impatience.
Liam didn't respond right away. He just stared at her, his gaze intense. "You're still pushing me away," he said quietly, as though the words had been waiting on the tip of his tongue for days.
Sophia's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected him to confront her like this, but she couldn't deny that he was right. She had been pulling away, emotionally at least. No matter how much she tried to ignore it, she knew there was something between them now—something real. But admitting that to him, to herself, was another matter entirely.
"I'm not pushing you away," she replied, her voice betraying her. She stood, pacing across the room, trying to gather her thoughts. "I just don't know what this is, Liam. This—this change in us. It's too much."
"Too much?" he repeated, rising from his chair and moving closer to her. "I thought we agreed to stop pretending. Stop pretending we don't feel something for each other."
Sophia froze. His words hit her like a physical blow. She wanted to deny it, to tell him that he was wrong, but the truth was clear in her chest.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to feel," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't plan for any of this."
Liam's eyes softened, and he reached out, taking her hand in his. "Neither did I," he said, his voice low and steady. "But maybe we don't have to have all the answers right now."
Sophia didn't pull away. For the first time in weeks, she let herself feel the warmth of his touch, and for the first time, she wasn't sure if that was a mistake.