Two Lovers Entwined

16. Desperate message.

Now, a year later, Noah sat alone in his apartment, staring at the message he had just sent Rosie. He hadn’t seen her since that night in Paris, but things had changed. He and Sophia had officially broken up, and he couldn’t stop thinking about Rosie. She had always been there, in the background, waiting.

The doorbell rang, and Noah stood up, his heart racing. He opened the door to find Rosie standing there, just like she had been in Paris. Only this time, she didn’t hesitate.

“I came as soon as I got your message,” she said, breathless, her eyes searching his face for answers. “Is it really over between you and Sophia?”

Noah nodded. “It is. I need to talk to you, Rosie. About us.”

But even as he said the words, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind. He hadn’t told Sophia the truth about Paris. Not yet. And the secrets he had kept for so long were starting to catch up with him.

Rosie stepped inside, and as the door closed behind them, the past felt closer than ever, threatening to unravel everything.

Rosie’s heart pounded as she heard the doorbell ring. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and the soft clinking sounds coming from Noah’s room told her he was still getting dressed. Without thinking, she padded across the apartment, her bare feet whispering against the cool floor. When she reached the door, something gnawed at her gut, a sense of unease, but she ignored it and opened the door.

The sight on the other side made her breath hitch.

Sophia.

Standing in front of her was the woman she hadn’t seen in years—the woman who had always loomed over her like a ghost, even when she wasn’t physically there. Sophia looked incredible, even more radiant than Rosie had remembered. Her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders like liquid gold, her skin as white as porcelain, flawless, like the models Rosie used to see in glossy magazines. But it was her eyes that really twisted the knife. Those perfect, hauntingly pale blue eyes. The kind of eyes Rosie had always envied, eyes that made people stop and stare, eyes that demanded attention without even trying.

For a moment, Rosie just stood there, speechless, the fire of old insecurities roaring inside her. She had always known, hadn’t she? Deep down, she had always known that Noah had been with her to fill the void left by this woman standing in front of her. Rosie had been a balm, a fleeting distraction, but never the true object of his heart’s desire. She wasn’t stupid. Noah’s love for Sophia was like gravity—inevitable, unshakable. And Rosie… Rosie had just been someone to heal his wounds, a quick fix, a roll in the hay, and maybe a wild night to forget everything else.

She swallowed hard, trying to compose herself, but something inside her cracked. She wanted to hate Sophia. She wanted to despise everything about her, but all she could feel was a bitter mix of admiration and envy. It wasn’t just that Sophia was beautiful. It was the fact that she seemed untouchable, like she was from another world—a world where people like Rosie didn’t belong.

And now, here she was, standing in the doorway of the apartment Noah shared with Rosie, still somehow believing that she had a place here, that she could just waltz back into Noah’s life without consequence.

Rosie’s fingers tightened on the doorframe, her knuckles whitening. A flame of anger flared up inside her—was it fair to throw Sophia out? Make her leave without even hearing her out? Part of her, the part that was still raw from the sting of being second best, wanted to slam the door in her face. She wanted Sophia to hurt, to feel the rejection that Rosie had felt time and time again, even if it had never been said out loud.

But she couldn’t. No matter how much Rosie wanted to burn this bridge and leave Sophia standing in the cold, something held her back.

A voice in her head, a small, cruel voice, whispered, Let her stay. Let her see what it’s like to be on the outside looking in. Let her see that Noah isn’t waiting for her anymore.

She wanted to play that game, to make Sophia doubt her place in Noah’s heart, to twist the knife just a little. But the fire in her belly flickered and faded just as quickly as it had come. She couldn’t do it. As much as she resented Sophia, as much as she envied her beauty and her hold over Noah, Rosie didn’t have it in her to be cruel. And deep down, beneath all the jealousy and bitterness, she understood why Sophia was here.

Because she, too, had felt the pull of Noah. The way he could make you feel like the center of the universe one moment, and then leave you spinning in doubt the next. She knew that even though Sophia had always been the one Noah truly wanted, she wasn’t immune to the chaos he brought with him.

So, instead of slamming the door, Rosie stepped aside, letting Sophia have a clear view of the apartment, of the life she had unknowingly intruded upon.

Sophia’s expression was unreadable. She didn’t say anything, but Rosie could see the uncertainty flicker in her eyes—the slightest tremor in her perfect composure.

Rosie wanted to scream, wanted to tell her to leave Noah alone, to let them figure things out without her presence looming over everything like a shadow. But how could she say that? How could she ask for something she didn’t really deserve?

Sophia runs off, something unexpected for Rosie.

“Sophia…” Noah’s voice broke the silence, and Rosie’s heart sank. The way he said her name, the softness, the familiarity—it was like a punch to the gut. Rosie had never heard him say her name like that.

He's seen her run away, and he knows that maybe he still has a chance to fix it. She watches him pick up the phone, dial her again and again.

Rosie closed the door softly, her mind racing, her heart aching.

Noah looked at her, confused. “What just happened?”

But Rosie didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Because deep down, she knew the answer all too well.

Sophia was always going to be a part of Noah’s life, whether she was physically there or not. And Rosie, no matter how hard she tried, would never fully take her place.

Something in her heart twisted painfully, the realization settling in. She had wanted Sophia to stop looking for Noah. But now, standing there in the empty silence of the apartment, Rosie wasn’t sure if she could make him stop looking for her.

Now is when she really thinks that maybe it was a mistake to choose to go back to Noah. But, she can move the pieces in her favor: Rosie has a secret that could change everything. She knows about Liam's existence, and Liam knows about her existence. And now it's no longer a coincidence that Liam works at the same gallery as Sophia. It's time to believe that Rosie has done it in her favor to keep Noah by her side again. A selfish act, she is envious. She knows that she will never be able to be like Sophia, and she will never be able to get the love that Noah gave her.