One Bed, One Lie, and Too Many Feelings
1141 Words
Chapter Four: One Bed, One Lie, and Too Many Feelings
Sophia barely slept.
The necklace lay on her bedside table.
The note remained folded in her hand.
“I kept it safe.”
Four words.
Simple words.
Yet they haunted her all night.
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Why had Ethan kept it?
Why had he kept anything connected to her?
After five years, shouldn’t he have moved on?
Shouldn’t she have?
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The next morning, Sophia entered the kitchen determined to stop thinking about him.
That plan lasted exactly three seconds.
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Ethan was standing at the counter.
Wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
Making coffee.
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Sophia immediately looked away.
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This was a problem.
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A very attractive problem.
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“Morning.”
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She mumbled the greeting.
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Ethan glanced up.
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“Morning.”
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The silence that followed felt strangely domestic.
As if they were a real married couple.
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Sophia hated how natural it felt.
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Then Amelia entered the room.
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And everything became worse.
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“There you are!”
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The older woman smiled brightly.
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“You two look adorable.”
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Sophia nearly dropped her coffee.
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Ethan looked suspiciously amused.
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“We’ve been awake for five minutes.”
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“I know.”
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Amelia pointed dramatically.
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“Married people glow.”
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Sophia almost laughed.
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If Amelia knew the truth, she’d realize they were glowing from stress.
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Not romance.
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At least that’s what Sophia told herself.
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That afternoon, Ethan informed her of another problem.
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“My grandmother wants a family dinner.”
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Sophia sighed.
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“When?”
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“Tonight.”
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“Fine.”
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Ethan hesitated.
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“There’s something else.”
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Sophia immediately became suspicious.
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“What?”
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“The guest rooms are being renovated.”
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The silence was immediate.
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Deadly.
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Dangerous.
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Sophia stared at him.
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“Ethan.”
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“Yes?”
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“Please tell me you’re joking.”
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“I’m not.”
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Her eyes widened.
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“No.”
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“Sophia—”
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“No.”
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“We’re supposed to be married.”
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“I know.”
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“Fake married.”
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“I know.”
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“Very fake married.”
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“I know.”
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“Then explain why we’re having this conversation.”
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Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.
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Because honestly?
He wasn’t thrilled about it either.
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Not because he didn’t want to share a room with Sophia.
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Quite the opposite.
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And that was exactly the problem.
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“We only need to pretend when my grandmother is around.”
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Sophia narrowed her eyes.
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“Meaning?”
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“Meaning one room.”
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“One room.”
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“Yes.”
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“One bed?”
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The room suddenly became very quiet.
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Ethan looked away.
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“Technically.”
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Sophia grabbed a cushion and threw it at him.
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It hit him directly in the chest.
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For the first time in days, Ethan laughed.
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Actually laughed.
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And Sophia hated how much she missed hearing it.
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That evening, the family dinner began.
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The dining table was enormous.
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Amelia sat at one end.
Ethan and Sophia sat together.
Across from them sat Ethan’s best friend, Lucas Reed.
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Lucas looked between them.
Then grinned.
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“Oh, this is going to be fun.”
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Sophia immediately knew she was in trouble.
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Lucas had always been impossible.
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Charming.
Funny.
And entirely too observant.
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“So.”
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He leaned forward dramatically.
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“How did the happy couple reunite?”
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Sophia opened her mouth.
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Nothing came out.
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Ethan rescued her.
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“We reconnected.”
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Lucas looked unconvinced.
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“That’s it?”
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“Yes.”
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“Terrible story.”
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Amelia laughed.
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Sophia relaxed slightly.
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Until Lucas asked the next question.
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“Who said ‘I love you’ first?”
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Sophia nearly choked.
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Ethan coughed.
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Amelia looked fascinated.
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Lucas looked delighted.
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This was clearly the best evening of his week.
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After several painful seconds, Ethan answered.
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“I did.”
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Sophia turned toward him.
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Surprised.
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Because it was true.
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Five years ago, Ethan had said it first.
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The memory flashed between them.
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A university rooftop.
A sunset.
A nervous smile.
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“I think I’m in love with you.”
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For one brief moment, the room disappeared.
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Only the memory remained.
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Then Lucas snapped them back to reality.
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“Oh.”
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His grin widened.
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“That look was suspicious.”
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Sophia wanted to disappear.
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Immediately.
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After dinner, she escaped to the garden.
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The cool night air helped clear her mind.
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Or at least she hoped it would.
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A few minutes later, footsteps approached.
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She didn’t need to turn around.
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She already knew who it was.
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“Ethan.”
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He stopped beside her.
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Neither spoke.
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The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
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It never had been.
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Eventually Ethan looked toward the stars.
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“You were angry when I said I loved you.”
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Sophia smiled faintly.
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“I thought you were joking.”
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“You threw a book at me.”
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“It was a small book.”
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“It still hurt.”
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For the first time in years, they laughed together.
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A real laugh.
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Not forced.
Not awkward.
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Real.
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The kind they used to share.
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Then the laughter faded.
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And the memories remained.
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Dangerous memories.
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The kind that reminded them of what they once had.
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And what they lost.
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Sophia looked away.
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“Why did we really end, Ethan?”
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The question hung in the air.
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Heavy.
Painful.
Unanswered.
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Ethan’s expression changed immediately.
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Because after five years…
Neither of them had ever truly talked about it.
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And perhaps it was finally time.
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But before either could speak, a voice interrupted them.
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“Sophia?”
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Both turned.
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A woman stood at the garden entrance.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Confident.
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The moment Ethan saw her, his jaw tightened.
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Sophia noticed instantly.
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And suddenly her stomach dropped.
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Because she knew exactly who this woman was.
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Vanessa Morgan.
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Ethan’s business rival.
The woman every magazine once claimed he would marry.
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And judging by the way Vanessa was looking at Sophia…
She had not come to offer congratulations.
- Writer
