Sophie sat on her balcony, a mug of tea warming her hands as she stared out into the fading sunset. The events of the past few days still felt surreal. She kept replaying Ethan's fury, the way he'd stormed into Liam's house and unleashed his anger like a force of nature. Her cheeks heated at the thought of how protective he had been, and yet, she felt torn.
The sound of the doorbell broke through her thoughts. Setting down her mug, she rose and made her way to the door, her stomach tightening with unease. When she opened it, Liam stood there, his face a mixture of regret and exhaustion.
"Liam?" she asked, her voice edged with confusion.
"Sophie, I just…" He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I needed to see you. To apologize."
Her grip tightened on the door. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Please," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "Just hear me out. I messed up—badly. I wasn't in my right mind that night. I—I lost control."
Sophie stared at him, her heart warring between anger and pity. "You scared me, Liam. Do you even understand how much?"
"I know," he said quickly, his eyes pleading. "And I'll never forgive myself for that. I've been a mess since it happened, Sophie. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know how sorry I am."
Her mind swirled with conflicting emotions. She hated what he'd done, but she also saw the raw regret etched into his face. "This doesn't just go away with an apology," she said firmly.
"I understand," he said, nodding. "And I'll do whatever it takes to make things right. I just… I couldn't let this sit without trying to make amends."
After a long silence, Sophie sighed. "I don't know if I can fully forgive you, but I'll try. For both our sakes."
Liam's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank you, Sophie. That means more than you know."
---
Later that evening, Sophie sat on the couch, lost in thought, when her phone buzzed. It was Ethan.
"Hey," she answered, her voice cautious.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You don't sound fine."
She hesitated, unsure how to break the news. "Liam came by today."
There was a beat of silence. Then, Ethan's voice turned sharp. "What?"
"He came to apologize," she said quickly, as if to soften the blow.
"And you let him?"
"Ethan, he was sincere. He regrets what he did."
"Sincere?" Ethan's tone was incredulous. "You're kidding me, right? The guy tried to hurt you, Sophie. And now you're just… what? Letting it slide?"
"I'm not letting it slide," she said, her voice rising. "But people make mistakes, Ethan. He was remorseful."
"That doesn't change what he did!" Ethan snapped. "You can't just forgive someone like that, Sophie. Not after what he put you through."
"It's not that simple!" she shot back, standing up. "I don't want to carry around hatred, Ethan. It's exhausting."
Ethan's laugh was bitter. "Exhausting? You think forgiving him is going to magically make everything better? What happens the next time he 'loses control'?"
"Why are you so angry about this?" she demanded.
"Because I care about you!" Ethan yelled. "And it kills me to see you let someone like him back into your life."
Sophie froze, the weight of his words sinking in. "This isn't your decision to make, Ethan. It's mine."
"Fine," he said coldly. "Do whatever you want. But don't expect me to stand by and watch you make a mistake."
Her chest tightened. "You're being unfair."
"And you're being naive," he shot back.
The silence that followed was deafening. Finally, Ethan exhaled, his voice softer but no less hurt. "I can't do this right now, Sophie. Call me when you figure out what you really want."
The line went dead before she could respond.
---
Sophie spent the rest of the night pacing her apartment, her emotions swinging between anger and sadness. Ethan had always been her rock, her safe place. But tonight, he felt like a storm, and she wasn't sure how to weather it.
She curled up on the couch, clutching a pillow as tears slipped down her cheeks. Part of her wanted to call him back, to apologize and smooth things over. But another part of her was tired of always being the one to bend.
---
Across town, Ethan sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He felt like an idiot for losing his temper, but the thought of Liam anywhere near Sophie made his blood boil. He cared about her more than he cared to admit, and the idea of her forgiving someone who had hurt her made his stomach churn.
He closed his eyes, resting his head against the steering wheel. "What are you doing, man?" he muttered to himself.
But no matter how much he tried to push it down, the truth was glaringly obvious: he was in love with her. And he didn't know how to handle it.