Forty-Two
FORTY-TWO
SOPHIE
“ I ’m sorry. Say that again? I don’t think I heard you right.” My voice wavers between disbelief and frustration. After I’d finally calmed down, Lucas showed up at the apartment too, adding his stern energy to the already tense atmosphere. We’ve been sitting around for what feels like hours, tossing around ideas and making zero progress. Until now—or at least Lucas seems to think this is progress.
Lucas crosses his arms, his expression like stone. “I said the best way to handle this is for you and Liam to go public with your relationship. Not just as a couple—but engaged.”
I stare at him, blinking slowly. “Engaged?” I repeat, my tone dripping with skepticism. “Are you out of your mind?”
“It’s damage control,” Lucas says flatly. “Right now, the narrative is against you. The media is painting you as some opportunist and Liam as irresponsible. An engagement shifts the story from a scandal to a love story.”
Adeline, still perched on the arm of my couch, lets out a low whistle. “Bold move,” she mutters, glancing between me and Liam. “But I’m telling you right now, two fake engagements in this friendship group are enough. Don’t even think about making me the third.”
A faint smile tugs at my lips, slowly morphing into something more unexpected. Before I knew it, I let out a wholehearted laugh, the heaviness in my chest lifting, if only for a moment. Adeline’s lightheartedness is like a breath of fresh air, cutting through whatever is in the air. Her comment draws a laugh from everyone except Lucas, whose expression remains as stony as ever.
How is he not laughing? That was hilarious.
But as the laughter fades, the weight of what’s suggested settles back in, heavier than before. An engagement.
I turn to Liam, searching for his reaction, but he’s eerily quiet. He sits across from me, elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed. It fuels the panic rising in my chest.
“And what do you think about this?” I ask him directly.
Liam lifts his head, eyes locking onto mine. “I think Lucas is right. It’s not ideal, but it’s the best way to take control of the narrative.”
I blink again, trying to process this. “So your brilliant plan is for us to fake an engagement? How long would this charade last? Weeks? Months? Until the media forgets about us?”
Lucas exhales impatiently. “This isn’t just about the media, Sophie. It’s about salvaging both your reputations and your career.”
“My career,” I repeat bitterly. ”Because nothing screams professional credibility like a fake engagement to my boss.”
Lucas’s face hardens, and he straightens his posture, arms crossed like he’s preparing for battle. “Didn’t you push your best friend into a fake engagement with me?” he snaps. “Back then, it wasn’t unprofessional, was it? And look at us now. She’s the love of my life, and I won’t have you questioning our marriage as if it were some cheap ploy.”
“That’s different,” I mutter, though I know it’s a weak defense.
Adeline claps her hands together, cutting through the tension. “Okay, before this turns into a full-blown soap opera, let’s focus. Sophie, you’re right to have doubts, but Lucas isn’t wrong. A public engagement shifts the story to your benefit and the press loves a happy ending.”
I look at her, feeling betrayed. “You’re on their side?”
“I’m on your side,” she says firmly. “But I’m also trying to help you save your career and help you get the best outcome. I want you to be happy.”
I’d love to be engaged to Liam, but I want it to happen because he wants to marry me—not because he has to. So, I try again. I glance at Liam, my pulse stuttering. “Is this what you want?”
Liam’s eyes darken, his jaw tightening. “This isn’t just about damage control for me,” he says, his voice low but intense. “I want this. Us. I don’t care if it’s public or private—I want you .”
He exhales sharply, then stands. My breath catches as he moves, closing the space between us. Without hesitation, he sinks down beside me, his warmth seeping through the inches separating us. His hand finds mine, his grip firm, grounding.
I swallow hard, my heart lodging itself somewhere between my ribs. His words should calm me, should reassure me—but instead, they tangle with everything I’m feeling, twisting tight.
Anger. Fear. A dangerous flicker of hope.
And Love.
I blink down at our hands, at the way his fingers fit around mine like they belong there. Like they never stopped belonging there.
I don’t know what to do with that thought.
I pull my hand back, fingers curling into my lap as I glance at Adeline. She’s watching me carefully, her expression a mix of encouragement and quiet warning.
“I need time to think,” I finally say, my voice barely above a whisper.
Lucas exhales sharply, nodding once. “Take tonight. But we need to decide by tomorrow. Every minute we wait, this spirals further out of control.”
Adeline follows as he heads for the door, giving me a quick squeeze on the shoulder before she walks into her room to give us space.
That leaves me alone with Liam. He doesn’t say anything, just watches me. The weight of his gaze is suffocating. He doesn’t say a word. The silence stretches, each second dragging out like an eternity. It feels as though minutes have passed, but it’s probably only seconds.
“I’m going to bed,” I say.
“Wait.” His hand envelops mine, pulling me toward him. I stumble forward, crashing into his chest, and his arms wrap around me instinctively. The unmistakable scent of him envelops me, and I take a long inhale.
His lips press softly against the crown of my head, and he speaks into my hair, his voice low and steady. “I know this isn’t how we’d want it to go, but please…think about it. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you either,” I mumble into his chest, the confession escaping before I can stop it.
“Then think about this.” He tilts my chin up with his index finger, forcing my eyes to meet his. “This will save your career. I can’t stand watching you cry over people not wanting to work with you. It makes me want to break their legs, and let’s be honest—that wouldn’t exactly help our case.”
I can’t help the small laugh that escapes me, even as my chest feels heavy. “No, it wouldn’t.”
His thumb brushes against my cheek, wiping away a stray tear.
“Please don’t think I feel forced into this.”
How did he know that was exactly what I was afraid of? That he’d feel trapped, obligated to be stuck with me.
“It’s written all over your face, Soph,” he says as if reading my thoughts. “I know what ticks in that beautiful head of yours. Like I told you before—you and I are inevitable. Rouhi. Nasibi”
He cups my face, his eyes searching mine, full of conviction. “You are my soul and my destiny. I would’ve proposed to you as soon as it was deemed ‘appropriate’ by everyone around us. If I had my way, I would’ve put a ring on your finger the moment I saw you at Lucas and Leora’s wedding.”
“Liam…”
He leans in, pressing his forehead to mine. “You’re it for me, Sophie. And I’ll spend every day proving it to you, whether we fake an engagement or not.”
The rawness in his voice, the absolute certainty in his words, shakes me to my core. I close my eyes, letting his presence hold me. Everything is starting to feel just a little bit lighter.
“I–” I try to speak but he stops me with his soft lips and I melt into him.
“Don’t make a decision now. I want you to really think about this. Whatever you decide, I’m with you, and we’ll figure it out together.” He kisses the tip of my nose, “Okay?”
His words are like a balm, quieting the chaos.
I press my cheek to his chest, letting the rhythmic beat of his heart ground me. For a moment, I let myself simply be here, wrapped in the quiet comfort of him.
“Dance with me,” he says suddenly.
I pull back slightly, blinking up at him. “What? Now? We’re kind of in a complicated situation.”
His lips twitch into a small smile, his eyes glinting with that familiar playfulness that always gets under my skin. “Then make it less complicated. Dance with me.”
“There’s no music.”
He shrugs, his bright smile widening. “We don’t need any music.”
For a moment, I hesitate, but the way he’s looking at me as if I’m the only thing in the world that matters, makes it impossible to say no. Slowly, I let my hands slide around his neck as his arms wrap firmly around my waist, pulling me closer.
I rest my head on his chest and we sway together, our movements slow and unhurried, as if the world outside doesn’t exist.
The absence of music doesn’t matter. There’s something between us—something deeper, something neither of us can deny. It feels like we’re moving to a melody only we can hear, the music of us.
At this moment, I’m not stressed. I’m not afraid. I’m not unsure. It’s the opposite. Here, in his arms, I’m safe. I’m calm. And I’m more certain than I’ve ever been.
I love this man—more than I even realized. More than I ever thought possible.
I love him so much it overflows, consuming me, filling every part of me until I don’t know where I end and he begins.
Because standing here with him, wrapped in his warmth, I feel like I could fly.
It’s not just that he gives me strength—he gives me wings.
He makes me believe I can do anything I set my mind to, that nothing will stand in my way as long as he’s by my side.
Isn’t that what we all strive for? To find someone who makes us feel invincible, supported, and completely seen? Fake or not, I’d be with him for real.
“Okay,” I whisper, tilting my head up to look at him again. A small smile tugs at the corners of my lips, and he mirrors it, his eyes lighting up with relief, he’s probably thinking I’m agreeing to take time to consider.
But that’s not what I mean.
I rise onto my tiptoes, cupping his face, and kiss him softly. “Okay, I’ll get fake engaged to you, Liam Ayoub.” He blinks, shocked for a split second before a slow, wicked grin spreads across his face. “Sunshine , there’s nothing fake about this.”
I shrug playfully, my heart fluttering at the way his gaze softens and his possessive hands tighten their hold on me. “You’re stuck with me now.”
His laugh rumbles through his chest, and he leans down to kiss me again, this time deeper, more deliberate. ”Sunshine,” he murmurs against my lips, “I’d take that option over anything in the world.”
And then—just as I start to sink into him, into this moment that feels terrifyingly real—he says it.
“I love you.”