14. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Liam
I turn onto my other side but still can’t find a suitable sleeping position. I adjust my pillow, but I know very well that’s not the reason for my lack of sleep.
The dinner at Sophie’s house was phenomenal. I loved getting to know the people she grew up around. Being with her family made me wish I was a part of it.
However, I can’t stop thinking about the fact that Sophie denied our relationship in front of her family.
While I can imagine her reasons for taking such a step, it still hurts that it happened.
It shouldn’t hurt this much. This is another sign that my feelings for Sophie are so much deeper than I ever knew.
Things have changed, but I can’t really explain how.
The thought of it scares me. But the fear isn’t exactly similar to the one I felt seven years ago.
Seven years ago, I’d been scared of the possibility of the unknown and the probability of my career ending before it even started.
Now I’m scared of things ending between us. The fear is eating into me so badly that I can’t even function normally.
I know things have to end eventually. After all, I’ll be going back to LA once this shoot ends next week. LA is where I belong. It’s the place where I’ll continue to hone my craft and make my mark in the movie industry.
Still, I don’t even want to think of the possibility of leaving.
A small part of me wants to remain in Surfside Haven. Though it isn’t exactly Surfside Haven that’s the draw. It’s Sophie.
I want to remain here with Sophie and forget about life in any other place.
That thought alone is scary. Feelings that strong can’t be normal.
I try to find a suitable sleeping position again, but sleep still refuses to claim me. It isn’t until the early hours of the morning that I finally drift off.
But that sleep ends as the door to my room bursts open with a bang.
I blink as I force my tired eyes open. Julian rushes to my bedside, his tablet dangling in his hand.
His mouth moves, but I don’t hear what he’s saying. He taps my shoulder, and I shake the sleep off.
“Are you awake now?” Julian asks.
The panic in his voice causes me to sit up. “What’s wrong?”
“This is what’s wrong.”
He shoves his tablet at me. I stare at what appears to be the front page of an article, but when I see who it’s about, my eyes widen.
It’s a picture of Sophie and I walking along the beach. Next to the beach picture is a picture of the two of us from seven years ago.
The title of the article is: “Playboy Actor Reunites with his First Love. A Fairytale…or Nightmare?”
The write-up talks about Sophie being my first love before I broke up with her and found fame. It paints our reunion in such a skeptical light that I feel ill.
“What…how did they get hold of this information?”
“I don’t know how it happened, but the news is spreading like wildfire. The article was released in the middle of the night, so I won’t be surprised if hordes of paparazzi fill up this small town by noon.”
“Oh no!” I jump to my feet, throwing on my shirt. “I have to check on Sophie. She’ll be shocked by the article. She’s never had to deal with something like this before.”
Julian nods. “You should do that.”
I rush out of the room while buttoning up my shirt. Just as I get to the sitting room, the door opens and Sophie walks in.
For a second, something like relief hits me—until I notice her expression. I step forward and pull her into a hug, but her arms stay limp at her sides.
She doesn’t hug me as usual, which worries me. I pull away, staring into her blank face to try to decipher her emotions.
Is she mad about the article?
“I don’t know how the news got out, but trust me, I’ll handle it.”
“What news?” She looks confused, but quickly dismisses me. “I have something urgent to discuss with you.”
“What?”
From her tone, it’s obvious this is definitely important, and for some reason, it alarms me.
“I’d like to stop working as your assistant starting today.”
“Oh.” I breathe out in relief. “That’s fine. I was going to suggest that anyway. We need to prioritize your privacy—”
“Also... I think we should break up”
The words hit like a slap. “What?”
“Why?”
“You’re going back to LA next week anyway. It’s better to end this now.”
My brain scrambles for something to say---anything to stop her from walking away.
We could figure it out. We didn’t come this far to give up now.
“If this is about the scandal, I promise you, I’ll take care of it.”
“It isn’t about the scandal. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
She doesn’t know about the article yet.
I shake my head. “Then why do you want to end things?”
“I love you, Liam.”
What?!
That word shuts down my heart in a totally different way. Everything around me comes to a standstill as I stare back into her eyes.
The blankness is gone, and the full force of her emotions is present in her eyes.
What am I supposed to say to that?
If she loves me, she shouldn’t be ending things. What mentality is she working with?
“I know you don’t want that, and I don’t want to force you into something you don’t want,” she says softly, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. “I love you too much to date you casually, Liam. So let’s end things here amicably.”
I remain stuck where I’m standing. Sophie smiles sadly at me, then turns and walks away. I watch her leave.
I can’t bring myself to make a move after what she just said to me.
She loves me?
Love is superficial, though. It’s not a real emotion, and I don’t want that. I shouldn’t pretend to want it.
So this is for the best, right?
“Won’t you go after her?” Julian asks.
I slowly turn around to face Julian. He’s confused, and I can’t even begin to understand why.
I ignore him and drag my feet back to my bedroom. I throw myself over the bed, hoping to sleep the confusion away.