Sophia sat across from Liam in the quiet of his apartment, the weight of her confession still hanging between them. She had shared more than she ever thought possible, her fears, her past, the reasons she had kept herself distant. She had expected him to pull away, to distance himself, but instead, he had held her tighter, kissed her with more intensity, as though accepting every part of her.
It was a comfort, yet also a torment. She wanted to believe that they could move forward, that what they had was real, but the nagging doubt in her chest wouldn't go away. There was something she hadn't told him—something darker, something she didn't fully understand.
Liam broke the silence, his voice low and thoughtful. "You know, I never thought I'd see the day when you'd let someone in."
Sophia stiffened, the unease creeping back. "I didn't let you in," she replied quickly, her voice sharper than she intended. "You just... broke through."
Liam's lips quirked up in that familiar, dangerous smile. "So it's my fault?"
She wanted to argue, to keep the distance between them, but something about the way he looked at her made her falter. "Why am I still afraid?" She had laid herself bare, and still, something inside her hesitated.
Then, the doorbell rang. A sharp, insistent chime that shattered the moment. Sophia's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected anyone.
Liam's expression shifted, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He stood up, the smile fading as he crossed the room. "Stay here," he said softly. "I'll be right back."
Sophia's mind raced as she watched him leave the room. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She had thought they were alone, that this moment was theirs to share, but now she was left alone with the silence, with the weight of everything she had just said.
A few moments later, Liam's voice floated in from the hallway. "Sophia, you need to come out here."
Her stomach twisted. She hesitated, then walked toward the living room. What she saw when she entered made her blood run cold.
Standing by the door was a tall man, his back turned to her. Liam was talking to him in hushed tones, his posture tense, almost defensive. The man turned, his sharp features coming into full view.
Sophia froze. It was Jason—her ex. The man who had once been her protector, her lover, but who had also been the reason she had learned to shut herself off from the world.
"What the hell is he doing here?" she asked, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.
Liam turned to her, his face unreadable. "You didn't think your past wouldn't catch up with you, did you?"
Jason's smile was cold, predatory. "We need to talk, Sophia."
Sophia's heart pounded. The past she had tried so desperately to bury had resurfaced, and with it, the terrifying realization that nothing was as it seemed. Jason's presence here wasn't a coincidence. He had a plan—and it involved both of them.
Liam stepped forward, positioning himself between her and Jason. His voice was low, a warning in his tone. "Stay away from her."
But Jason only laughed, the sound low and menacing. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, Liam."
Sophia's world tilted as the pieces of her past began to unravel. The web of lies, the secrets, everything she had kept hidden—it was all coming to the surface now. And there was no escaping it.