Sophia stood in front of the full-length mirror, staring at her reflection as the weight of Liam's words from earlier echoed in her mind. "We can figure this out together." It sounded so simple, so promising, but it wasn't. The truth wasn't something she could just lay bare and expect everything to remain the same. There were too many layers—too many risks.
She ran a hand through her hair, the soft strands falling around her face, but it did little to calm her racing thoughts. The pressure of keeping her secrets, of balancing everything on the edge of a knife, was becoming unbearable. And yet, telling him would risk everything. Her heart, her past, her carefully constructed walls... they would all come crashing down in an instant.
The sound of the door opening behind her made her stiffen. Liam's voice, low and smooth, reached her ears. "Sophia?"
She turned to face him, forcing a smile even though her insides were twisting. His eyes were filled with concern, but there was something else in them now—something darker. His presence was commanding, magnetic, and she could feel his attention sharpen on her, sensing the shift in the air between them.
"Still thinking about last night?" he asked, his gaze scanning her face, trying to read her.
Sophia felt a surge of frustration. Why couldn't he just let it go? She didn't want to keep having the same conversation over and over. She didn't want to talk about her fears, her insecurities. She just wanted... something to feel certain about.
"It's nothing," she said again, her voice strained, betraying the calm she tried to project. "I'm fine."
But Liam wasn't buying it. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, his energy shifting from patient to intense. "I don't believe you," he said, his voice a low growl. "You think I don't notice when something's wrong? When you pull away, when you shut down?"
Sophia's heart hammered in her chest. The words hung between them, thick with the unspoken tension that had been building for weeks. She wanted to push him away, to tell him to stop prying, but something in her chest tightened, a part of her desperate for him to understand, to see her.
"Liam, please..." Her voice was softer this time, almost pleading, but before she could finish, he reached for her. His fingers grazed the curve of her jaw, tilting her face toward him, his thumb brushing gently against her skin.
"I don't want to push you," he said, his tone gentler now, but there was a quiet intensity beneath it. "But I can't keep pretending that everything's okay when I can see that it's not."
Sophia swallowed, feeling the walls she'd built around herself start to crack. She knew he was right. He saw through her in a way no one else did—he saw the parts of her she didn't even fully understand herself. And it terrified her.
"I'm not like you," she said suddenly, her voice raw with emotion. "I can't just... let go, Liam. I don't know how to be vulnerable. I've spent my whole life building walls to keep people out, to protect myself."
Liam stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "You don't have to protect yourself from me," he said softly. "You don't have to be perfect, or always in control. I just want you, Sophia. All of you."
The sincerity in his voice was undeniable. And yet, the fear still held her in its grip. Could she really trust him with everything? Could she let go of the past and risk everything they had?
As Liam gently cupped her face in his hands, she closed her eyes, feeling the pressure of the moment. She had a choice to make—whether to continue down this path, to risk it all, or to retreat, to hold onto the remnants of the life she knew. The crossroads loomed before her, and she knew there was no going back.