Two Lovers Entwined

7. Now lines that blur.

Sophia sat at the kitchen table, the morning light filtering through the curtains as her tea grew cold. She hadn’t slept much, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and guilt. The kiss with Liam had been more than just a mistake—it had been a sign, a c***k in the foundation of her relationship with Noah. The urge to tell him the truth gnawed at her. Maybe it was time to be honest, to stop pretending everything was fine when she felt herself slipping away.

Noah was in the next room, on a call about work, his voice low and steady. He was always so reliable, always there for her, and yet…something was missing. Sophia couldn’t shake the feeling that she was living someone else’s life, a version of herself that was polished and perfect but not real.

She sighed, running her hands through her hair, wishing for an escape from her tangled emotions. She needed to tell Noah. He deserved to know. The guilt was eating her alive.

Just as she resolved to talk to him, her phone house buzzed. It was an unknown number, and her stomach twisted. Without thinking, she answered.

“Sophia?” It was Liam’s voice, low and familiar, sending a shock through her system.

“What—how did you get my house number?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Someone at the gallery gave me your address,” he said, his tone apologetic but firm. “I needed to talk to you. Can I come over?”

Sophia’s breath hitched. “Liam, this isn’t a good idea.”

“I know,” he replied, his voice softening. “But I can’t just leave things like this. Please.”

Her heart raced as she glanced toward the door, torn between what she wanted and what was right. Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door.

It was him.

Sophia opened the door, her pulse pounding in her ears as Liam stood on the other side, his expression unreadable. He looked as conflicted as she felt, but there was something in his eyes that pulled her in, something she couldn't resist.

"Liam," she whispered, stepping back to let him inside. "You shouldn't be here."

"I know," he said again, stepping into her home, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on her. "But I couldn't stay away."

Sophia closed the door behind him, her heart thudding in her chest. She knew this was wrong, knew that Noah was just a room away. But the temptation, the pull between them, was stronger than any sense of reason.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice strained as she crossed her arms, trying to maintain some distance between them.

Liam took a step closer, his gaze never leaving hers. "Because I can't stop thinking about you, Sophia. I know you feel the same way, no matter how hard you're trying to fight it."

Her breath hitched, and she took a step back, her mind screaming at her to end this, to send him away. But instead, she found herself standing still, her body betraying her resolve.

"I can't do this," she whispered, shaking her head. "I'm with Noah."

Liam reached out, gently brushing his fingers along her arm, sending shivers down her spine. "You deserve to feel alive, Sophia. You deserve more than just... going through the motions."

His words echoed the thoughts that had been haunting her for weeks, the doubts she had buried deep down. She was tired of pretending, tired of living a life that no longer felt like hers.

Before she knew what she was doing, she closed the distance between them, her lips crashing against his in a desperate, hungry kiss. It wasn’t soft or tentative like the one in the gallery; this was raw, full of the tension that had been building between them for weeks.

Liam’s hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer as they stumbled toward the living room. Sophia’s mind was spinning, her body taking over, the heat between them overwhelming any sense of reason. She wanted to stop, to pull away, but the temptation was too strong, the feelings too intense.

They tumbled onto the couch, limbs tangled as their kiss deepened, the room spinning around them. For a moment, Sophia lost herself in the moment, in the heat and passion that she had been craving for so long.

But then she heard the front door click open.

Noah.

Panic surged through her as she pushed Liam away, scrambling to her feet just as Noah walked into the room, a bag of groceries in his arms.

Noah froze, his eyes darting between Sophia and Liam, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“Soph, what’s going on?” he asked, his voice laced with suspicion as he set the groceries on the table, his gaze narrowing.

Sophia’s heart raced, her mind scrambling for an excuse, a reason why Liam was in their home. But before she could speak, Liam stood up, his expression calm, as if the tension between them had vanished.

“I just came by to drop off something for the gallery,” Liam said smoothly, stepping forward with a confident smile. “We were just catching up.”

Sophia’s breath caught in her throat as Noah’s gaze flickered between them, doubt clouding his eyes for a moment before he seemed to accept the explanation.

“Oh,” Noah said slowly, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Right. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Liam smiled, giving Noah a casual nod before turning back to Sophia. “I should get going. We’ll talk later.”

Sophia’s chest tightened as Liam gave her one last lingering look before walking out the door, leaving her standing in the center of the living room, her mind spinning.

Noah approached her, his expression softening as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You okay? You seem a little off.”

Sophia forced a smile, nodding quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired, I guess.”

Noah gave her a concerned look but didn’t press further. “Well, the trip should be good for us, right? Just a few days away from everything.”

The trip. It loomed over her like a shadow, a reminder of the life she was supposed to want but no longer did.

Later that evening, as Noah went over their travel plans, Sophia sat on the couch, her phone vibrating with a message from Liam.

Liam: “Noah’s a good guy, but he’s not the man for you. You know that deep down.”

Her fingers hovered over the screen, her mind racing. She wanted to tell Liam to stop, to leave her alone, but part of her wasn’t ready to let him go.

Sophia: “This has to stop, Liam.”

She hesitated for a moment, then turned off her phone, shoving it into her bag as if doing so could silence the voice in her head that told her he was right.

The next morning, Sophia and Noah arrived at the airport, their suitcases in tow as they made their way through security. The whole trip felt surreal, as if she was watching someone else’s life unfold.

Noah squeezed her hand as they sat in the terminal, waiting for their flight to board. “This trip is going to be amazing,” he said softly. “Just the two of us.”

Sophia forced a smile, her stomach twisting with guilt and uncertainty. As Noah leaned in to kiss her cheek, she stared out the window at the planes taking off, wondering if running away to another country would make her forget the mess she had left behind.

But deep down, she knew there was no escaping it. Not really.