Liam Devereux
Waking up to an empty bed, I felt relieved. For a brief moment, I thought Sophie had left. That she had taken what she needed, my money, and disappeared from my life forever.
But then, something inside me twisted. A dull ache settled in my chest.
I should be happy. I should be relieved.
So why did it feel like a loss?
Guilt clawed at my gut. I had acted like a complete jerk. Instead of telling her the truth, I had buried myself in the past, pretending none of it mattered. But it did matter.
Last night mattered. It was amazing.
Her words from before still echoed in my head. You disappeared.
I hadn’t.
Something wasn’t adding up, and no matter how much I tried to figure it out, I kept hitting a dead end.
I exhaled and swung my legs over the bed, running a hand through my hair. I was about to get up when something caught my attention.
A handkerchief.
James’s handkerchief.
It lay on the floor near the door, as if he had dropped it in a hurry. My brows furrowed.
Was James here this morning?
I stood, pulling on a shirt, and walked to the door. I pushed it open, stepping into the hallway. My eyes flickered towards the balcony, where two figures sat under the shaded tent.
James and Sophie.
A strange rush of relief washed over me, surprising even myself, when I realized she was still here.
I should have known she wouldn’t leave just yet. Not when she had unfinished business.
But what were they talking about?
They were so engrossed in their conversation that neither of them noticed me walking towards them.
James saw me first. His eyes widened, and he immediately looked away.
That confirmed my suspicion. She was interrogating him.
“What do you want to know, Sophie?” I asked, my voice breaking the tense air.
She stiffened and twirled around.
James wasted no time. He stood and walked past me, disappearing into the penthouse without a word.
I sat in the seat across from Sophie, leaning back against the chair. I watched her, waiting.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Why did you disappear years ago?”
I chuckled. A deep, bitter sound. “Who told you I disappeared?”
Her brows furrowed. “Lucas.”
I went still.
Damn him. That bastard. I should have known.
Sophie saw the shift in my expression and crossed her arms, her gaze accusing.
“Lucas saw you leaving, Liam. You can’t deny it.”
I exhaled slowly. “I didn’t leave.”
She let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Right. And I suppose I just imagined the part where I woke up one morning and you were gone.”
“I never left, Sophie.”
She scoffed. “You’re such a liar.”
Her voice was sharp, her words laced with anger.
“Do you have any idea what you did to me?” she continued. “You promised me forever. You promised me you’d always be there. And then, you left, without a word, without an explanation. Do you know how that felt?”
I clenched my jaw.
“I loved you, Liam,” she said, her voice breaking. “I trusted you. And you just...vanished. Like I meant nothing.”
I remained silent, watching as the emotions poured out of her. She ranted, she cursed, she threw every painful memory in my face. And I let her because she deserved to get it all out.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. I reached forward, my fingers brushing her cheek, but she slapped my hand away.
She pushed back her chair, standing abruptly. “I’m done here.”
She turned to leave, but I caught her wrist before she could take another step.
“What if I told you I never left New York?” I said, my voice low and she froze.