Two Lovers Entwined

4. Take off.

The morning after her encounter with Liam, Sophia lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. The memory of his kiss lingered on her lips, and no matter how hard she tried to push it away, it kept resurfacing. The guilt gnawed at her, sinking its claws deeper into her conscience. But alongside that guilt, something else brewed—an undeniable thrill she hadn’t felt in years.

Noah’s side of the bed was empty. He had left early for a business meeting, as usual. It gave Sophia some solace, knowing she didn’t have to face him yet. She rolled over, pulling the covers tighter around herself, wishing she could block out the world and the decisions she was too afraid to make.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, the vibration shattering the silence of the room. She hesitated before picking it up, fearing it might be Liam again, further complicating her already chaotic emotions. But when she checked, it wasn’t him. It was Noah, sending a simple message:

Noah: "Miss you already. Let’s do something special tonight? Just the two of us."

Sophia’s stomach churned. The tenderness in his words only magnified her guilt. Noah didn’t deserve what she had done, even if it was just one kiss. The thought of spending the evening with him, pretending everything was fine, seemed unbearable. But she had to try. She owed him that.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she forced herself to reply.

Sophia: "Of course. Looking forward to it."

She dropped the phone back onto the bed, her body heavy with the weight of her lie. She knew Noah would sense something was off, but what could she say? That her heart was suddenly split between two men?

By the time evening came, Sophia had spent hours trying to act normal, burying herself in gallery work and avoiding her thoughts about Liam. She had told herself over and over again that the kiss was a mistake, a moment of weakness. It couldn’t happen again. She loved Noah. She had to love Noah.

Noah arrived home around seven, a bouquet of white lilies—her favorite—in hand. He smiled at her the way he always did, warm and affectionate, like nothing had changed. But for Sophia, everything had.

“Thought I’d surprise you,” he said, handing her the flowers with a kiss on her cheek. “I made a reservation at that new place downtown. Figured we could get away from everything for a bit.”

Sophia forced a smile, taking the flowers and inhaling their delicate scent. “They’re beautiful,” she said, her voice wavering slightly. “Thank you.”

Noah’s brow furrowed as he studied her. “You okay? You’ve been off lately. Stressed about work?”

Sophia swallowed hard, her mind racing for an excuse. “Yeah, work’s been a lot,” she lied. “I’m just a little overwhelmed.”

Noah pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapped around her tightly. “You’ve been working too hard. Tonight, we’re going to relax, no work, no stress. Just us.”

As he held her, Sophia squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push down the emotions that threatened to surface. She wanted to lose herself in his embrace, to forget about the kiss with Liam, to go back to the way things were before her world had turned upside down. But she couldn’t. Not entirely.

The restaurant was beautiful, with soft candlelight flickering across the table as they sat down for dinner. Noah, ever the gentleman, pulled out her chair for her before sitting across from her. As they sipped their wine and perused the menu, Sophia tried to focus on the conversation, on Noah’s stories about his day, but her mind kept drifting to Liam. The way he had looked at her, the way his touch had set her skin on fire. She was spiraling, caught between the comfort of what she had with Noah and the temptation of what Liam represented.

“You’re quiet tonight,” Noah observed, interrupting her thoughts. He reached across the table to take her hand. “Is everything okay?”

Sophia flinched slightly at his touch, guilt once again creeping in. “I’m fine,” she said quickly. Too quickly.

Noah’s eyes darkened with concern. “You can tell me if something’s bothering you, Soph. You know that, right?”

Sophia nodded, squeezing his hand in an attempt to reassure him. “I know. It’s just… I’ve been thinking a lot lately. About us.”

Noah’s grip tightened ever so slightly. “What about us?”

Sophia swallowed hard, feeling the tension between them build. “I just… I don’t want us to lose what we have,” she said carefully. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. “Things have been hectic, and I feel like I’ve been distant, but I don’t want to lose what we’ve built together.”

Noah relaxed a little, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “We won’t lose it, Sophia. I promise. We’re solid.”

But were they?

Sophia forced another smile, nodding along, though inside she felt anything but solid. She was crumbling, piece by piece, unsure of which way to turn.

After dinner, Noah suggested they take a walk by the river, something they used to do often before their lives got so busy. The night was cool, the breeze off the water refreshing against Sophia’s flushed skin. They strolled in silence for a while, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the pavement, the city lights reflecting in the water.

Noah slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close. “This is nice, isn’t it? Just the two of us.”

Sophia nodded, resting her head on his shoulder, though her mind was far from the peaceful moment they were sharing. She wanted so badly to be present with Noah, to feel the love she knew she had for him. But her thoughts kept drifting back to Liam, to the way he had looked at her, the way he had kissed her as if he could see right through her.

“Soph, I’ve been thinking…” Noah’s voice broke the silence, pulling her back to reality. “Maybe we should take a trip. Just the two of us. Get away for a while, clear our heads. What do you think?”

A trip? The idea sounded perfect—an escape from the confusion that was slowly consuming her. But at the same time, it felt like running away from her problems instead of facing them head-on.

“That sounds amazing,” she said softly. “But maybe we should talk about some things first…”

Noah stopped walking, turning to face her with a look of concern. “What things? Sophia, if something’s wrong, I need to know.”

Sophia hesitated, the words she wanted to say caught in her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth, not here, not now. Not when she didn’t even know how she truly felt.

“Nothing,” she finally said, offering him a small, reassuring smile. “It’s just… we’ve both been so busy. I think we need to reconnect, that’s all.”

Noah nodded, though his expression remained cautious. “Okay. Then let’s do it. Let’s reconnect.”

But as they continued their walk, Sophia couldn’t shake the feeling that things were slipping out of her control. No matter how much she tried to focus on Noah, on their relationship, the memory of Liam lingered in the back of her mind.

And for the first time, Sophia wondered if reconnecting with Noah would be enough.