Forty
FORTY
LIAM
“ A re you ready?” I clutch her soft hand tightly in mine, feeling the buzz of anticipation thrumming between us.
“Yes.” Sophie’s smile lights up the small space of the elevator, and if this were a scene from a movie, time itself would stop just to capture it. To allow me to kiss her sweet lips. To stay in this perfect moment where the world doesn’t exist—only her. The soft hum of the elevator, the city outside, everything fades, leaving us suspended in time. My hand itches to reach for her, to pull her close and savor every heartbeat we share. Instead, I let her smile burn into my memory because right now, this moment feels like forever. Everything feels lighter around her like the whole world brightens with her presence. Just like pure sunshine.
The elevator dings, pulling me back to reality, and I blink as the doors slide open. The spell breaks, but her hand in mine is grounding.
The spa is finally ready, and Sophie has been asking me to show it to her. It’s the only room she hasn’t worked on, I was in charge of it. Nerves rake through me. I don’t really know why, but I’m afraid she’ll judge me. Not that she’s that kind of person. I’m not a designer, I’m not even close to her level. But spas are my sanctuaries—everything about them calms me in a way nothing else can. It’s where the noise of the world fades away and I can relax.
As we step further into the spa, Sophie’s eyes wander, trying to take in everything at once. The room opens into a series of hallways, each leading to a different experience.
“There are different halls here, each offering something unique,” I explain, guiding her closer. “Everything from a traditional Turkish hammam, with heated marble and steam, to a Scandinavian ice plunge, where the cold helps with circulation and recovery. It's like traveling the world without ever leaving the building.”
Sophie’s gaze flickers between the various paths, her smile widening as she takes in the variety. “This is incredible. You really thought of everything.”
I nod, watching her closely, taking in her reaction, feeling a sense of satisfaction settle in my chest. She approves.
“Come,” I say, tugging her hand, pulling her closer to the pool. “I want you to see the tiles at the bottom. I'm really proud of this; we imported it directly from Spain.”
The memory of Sophie's old bathroom, with those striking blue tiles, flashes in my mind. She probably won’t remember, but I never forgot anything connected to her. Even the smallest details about her are etched into my brain, permanent and vivid.
Now, a part of our story will always reside in this hotel.
Her high heels tap rhythmically on the polished floor as we approach the pool. The sound is steady, almost hypnotic, and I find myself smiling at the simple yet intoxicating presence of her beside me. She bends forward slightly, trying to get a better look at the water below, but stops short. The way her hair falls forward as she peers down is stressing me out.
“Careful,” I murmur, tightening my grip on her hand. A flicker of nervousness runs through me—she’s too close to the edge, and the marble is slippery.
She glances back at me, a confident smile dancing on her lips. “It’s fine, Liam,” she says, her tone light. Still, she takes another cautious step forward, bending even closer. “Is that the same as—AAAH!”
Her words cut off as her foot slips, and instinctively, she yanks on my hand. Before I can react, the world tilts and tumbles into chaos. The polished marble, her startled gasp, the rush of air—it all blurs into one disorienting moment.
Splash.
The water engulfs us, cold and shocking, snapping me into the present. For a second, I can’t see anything but bubbles and ripples as we sink into the pool. Her hand is still clutched tightly in mine, our fingers intertwined, and I’m not letting go. Never.
We surface together, gasping for air, and the first thing I feel is a jolt of panic. “Sophie?!” I grab her face, searching her eyes, my heart pounding. Is she okay? Did she hurt herself? But then her lips pull into a grin—a big, radiant one that immediately dissolves the tension in me.
Relief floods through me as the biggest, most beautiful sound escapes her—a laugh so pure it echoes around us. “You’re not hurt?” I ask, my voice shaky but softening as her laughter grows.
“No!” she gasps between giggles, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “What a mess!” Her arms loop around my shoulders, and before I know it, her legs wrap around my waist, holding onto me like I’m her lifeline.
Her makeup is smudged—black streaks of mascara running down her cheeks—but she’s somehow never looked more beautiful. Without thinking, I reach out, wiping a streak away with my thumb. ”You look like a raccoon,” I tease, my voice low but filled with warmth. She’s beautiful. Always beautiful. With makeup, without makeup, even with it running down her face—she’s stunning.
She huffs a laugh, her fingers brushing under her own eyes as she tries to clean up.
Is that…? I stop breathing.
There's something black on her left ring finger. The moment feels suspended in time, water dripping from us, and laughter fading into a stillness so profound that it feels like the entire world has hushed to listen. My heart tightens as I reach out, gently taking her wrist and moving it closer to my eyes. My thumb drags over her finger, slow and deliberate.
What are you hiding, Sunshine?
A faint smudge of makeup clings to her skin, the water having eaten away at its disguise. My breath catches as a familiar word begins to emerge—a glimpse of something I thought was long gone.
She stills, her eyes fixed on me, waiting. I stare at her finger, the faint but unmistakable Arabic script coming into view.
Nasib.
Our promise, still inked into her skin after all this time. Matching mine. My mind races, memories crashing into me like waves. The night we got them. The laughter, the thrill, the absolute certainty of what we felt for each other.
“You kept it,” I whisper. ”You didn’t remove it.”
Her eyes soften, the spark of vulnerability flickering in their depths. “Of course I didn’t.”
She was always my destiny. Meant to be mine.
“I could never erase you.”
I bring her finger to my lips, kissing the inked word, letting its meaning anchor me. Without a word, I lean in and capture her mouth with mine. The kiss starts soft, but as always with Sophie everything shifts. The heat between us ignites, spreading like wildfire.
Her lips part, welcoming me in, and I deepen the kiss, my hand cradling the back of her head, threading through her wet hair. She tastes like water and something sweeter—something purely Sophie. My other hand slides down to her waist, gripping her tight. She melts into me, her body fitting against mine, soft and warm and everything I’ve ever wanted.
Both her hands grab the back of my neck, pulling me closer, like she’s trying to fuse us together. I kiss her harder, pouring everything I can’t say into every movement of my lips against hers—my regret, my longing, my love. Her nails scrape lightly against my skin, and I groan low in my throat, the sound swallowed by her mouth.
The water around us is a whisper compared to the fire roaring between us. Each kiss grows hungrier, more demanding, until it feels like we might burn up entirely. My hand travels down her back, pulling her even tighter against me, and a soft moan escapes her lips, the sound shooting straight through me like lightning.
“Now, isn’t this a surprise?” A cold voice slices through the moment, sharper than the chill of winter air.
Ice rushes through my veins, and I reluctantly pull back from Sophie, my heart plummeting as I turn to find my older brother, Lucas, standing at the edge of the pool. Jared hovers awkwardly beside him, his expression as unreadable as ever.
Sophie stiffens in my arms as her gaze darts to Lucas. ”Lucas!” she breathes out, her voice tight with shock and something else—maybe guilt.
His jaw is like granite, his arms crossed in a way that screams authority. “Out of the pool. Now.”
The heat of the moment dissipates immediately. Sophie and I exchange a look before releasing each other. We swim to the edge in silence. I hoist myself out first, then turn to help Sophie. Her dress clings to every curve, leaving little to the imagination, and my instinct to protect her kicks in. I move to stand in front of her, shielding her from prying eyes—Lucas’s included.
“I’ve been calling you,” Lucas says, his voice sharp, the tension in the air crackling like a live wire.
“I left my phone in the office,” I reply, my body still trembling, not from the cold but from the lingering charge of the interrupted moment.
He doesn’t break his glare as he turns to Jared, his expression darkening further. “You,” he snaps, his voice cold and cutting, “are you incompetent or what? Go get them towels.”
Jared stumbles over his own feet as he scurries away, his face pale. He doesn’t even dare look in our direction when he hands us the towels.
“Sophie,” Lucas says, his voice frosty, his words clipped. ”I’ll have Liam’s assistant bring you something to change into. Then you’re free to take the rest of the day off.”
She nods, her arms hugging herself as if trying to vanish into the background. She avoids his gaze, her usual spark dimmed. The disappointment in Lucas’s tone is unmistakable, and the weight of it seems to press down on both of us.
Then Lucas turns to me, his eyes like ice daggers. “Liam. Office. Now.”
Every muscle in my body tenses under his scrutiny. I feel like a young boy again, desperate for validation, the one who’d do anything for his brother’s approval. It’s a feeling I thought I’d left behind, buried under years of trying to prove myself. Yet here I am, standing drenched and exposed, his disappointment pressing down on me like it always has.
“Give me a second.” I tell him before I turn to Sophie, “I’ll explain everything to him. Just go home. I’ll be there soon.” I kiss the top of her head.
Her eyes meet mine—wide, startled, unsure. But after a beat, she nods.
I squeeze her hand, brief but firm, before turning toward the storm that is Lucas, bracing myself for the inevitable fallout.
Lucas paces back and forth in front of me, his fury filling the room like a storm about to break. I sit on the sofa, a towel wrapped around my body, dripping water onto the plush carpet. Like a complete fool.
“You haven’t changed one bit!”
The words land like a slap. Dismissive. Condemning. Like nothing I’ve done matters.
My jaw tightens as I meet his glare. “I’m not the same.” The words are clipped, controlled—but my pulse hammers. Because I don’t just want him to hear them. I need him to believe them
“Oh, you’re not? Then why the hell were you playing with Sophie in the pool like a damn teenage boy?”
“It isn’t like that,” I say firmly, but the heat of his stare makes me feel exposed, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Liam, you’re here to work. Do you understand how important this hotel is for us? Huh?”
“I do.”
“This hotel is our gateway into the U.S. market. Do you even grasp how much money is tied up in this project? How much is riding on this?"
He exhales sharply, frustration tightening his features. “Can you at least look at me when I’m speaking to you? When will you start thinking with your head instead of your dick?”
“Of course, I know all of this!” I snap back, my temper flaring. “I’m working. I’ve been working hard, and we’re almost done. You saw it with your own eyes.”
“No.” He stops pacing, turning to face me fully. “What I saw with my own eyes was your tongue down my wife’s best friend’s throat. Do you understand what’s going to happen when Leora finds out you’re using her friend?”
“I’m not using her!” The words burst out of me, my voice loud. I won’t stand him thinking I’m using her.
Lucas narrows his eyes, his voice dropping to an icy calm. “Are you sleeping with her?”
“Lucas—”
“Are. You. Sleeping. With. Her?” He takes a step closer, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
“Yes,” I admit, my voice clipped. “But it’s not what you think. We’ve been together before?—”
He raises a hand, cutting me off. “Enough. I don’t want to hear it.” His tone is final, leaving no room for argument. “You need to listen to me and listen closely. Sophie is here to do a job. An important job. Leora picked her for this because it’s her chance to put her name on the map. This project will elevate her career after what that jackass Jared did. And don’t get me started on why you hired him in the first place.”
I grit my teeth but stay silent, his words hitting their mark like a well-placed punch. Because he’s right. I never should’ve hired Jared.
Last week, Sophie told me everything. About their history. About what he did. I still see the way she looked at me when she said it—like she was bracing for my reaction, like she wasn’t sure if I’d snap.
She was right to worry.
I barely got through hearing it without seeing red. She had to grip my arm, press her palms to my chest, hold me back before I made my way to his apartment, broke his front door down, and put him through the fucking wall.
But the anger I felt then? It’s nothing compared to what slams into me when Lucas keeps going.
“Jared saw you two kissing. Do you think he won’t use that against her? Against us? How do you think that will look?”
“He did what?” My head snaps up, my blood turning to ice before it boils over. My fists curl, my entire body locking up as I force out, “It won’t come to that. I'll speak with him.” My voice is firm, final.
But Lucas just laughs—sharp, cold, like he already knows I’m an idiot for thinking it’s that simple.
“He will speak, Liam. And when he does, it will look bad for her. For you. For all of us. What happens when Sophie leaves because of this? Because I promise you, she will. Then we’ll be left without an interior designer. Do you think anyone at her level will take on a project that’s eighty percent done? There’s no money in that, Liam, and it’ll ruin our timeline. You’re risking everything for a simple fuck.”
“She isn’t a simple fuck.”
“I don’t care if she’s a complex fuck,” he retorts coldly. “But that’s what it is to the outside world. You being the reckless little brother again.”
“Reckless?” My voice rises, sharp and unwavering. “I’m not reckless, Lucas. You’re just too stubborn, too stuck in the past, to see anything other than your outdated ideas of me.”
“ Ma tetmanyak, Liam.” When he switches to Arabic, I know he’s deadly serious.
“I’m not fucking with you.” I tug at the back of my neck, feeling the tension coil tighter with every second. “I’m trying to explain, but you don’t want to hear it. You just keep throwing your accusations like you’ve already made up your mind.” I feel like I’m on trial with no chance to defend myself. “I don’t know what to say for you to understand.”
“Make this right,” he snaps, his voice like a whip, as he drags a hand through his hair, the motion sharp and frustrated. ”I left my pregnant wife at home to check on you. And this is what I walk into?” He glares at me, his jaw tightening, the weight of his words sinking in. “I won’t let you hurt Sophie. First, because she’s an amazing woman who deserves better, and second, because Leora will lose her mind if you do. And believe me, you don’t want to deal with that.”Standing, I toss the towel aside, facing him head-on. “Can you stop being CEO-Lucas for a minute and just be my brother?”
“Don’t–”
“Be quiet for one second and listen to me.” My chest rises and falls, my breath ragged with the weight of everything I’ve been holding back. My hands clench at my sides, barely keeping my anger in check as I meet his piercing glare.
“Liam.” His warning doesn't stop me from continuing.
“No.” I take a step closer, my voice firm, unyielding. “It’s my turn to speak and your turn to shut up.” My chest heaves as I hold his gaze, the words spilling out before I can stop them.
“I’m not playing any games. I would never do that to Sophie. She deserves more than that—more than you’ll ever understand. She’s brilliant, she’s talented, and she’s the only reason this project is where it is now. You think I’d risk everything if this wasn’t real?” My voice wavers, but I don’t back down, my eyes locked on his. “What’s between us isn’t some meaningless fling. I won’t let anyone treat her like she’s disposable. Not you. Not anyone.”
I pause, my voice lowering but no less fierce. “I’m in love with her. I have been for ten years.”
Lucas freezes, his gaze sharpening as he studies me. For the first time, his anger falters, replaced by something more calculating, as if weighing the truth of my words.
“That girl is going to be my wife,” I say, daring him to challenge me. “So you can yell, you can question me, but don’t for a second think I’m not serious about her.”
Lucas exhales sharply, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly. “If you’re serious, Liam, then prove it. Not to me—to her. Because if you hurt her—intentionally or not—you’re going to lose more than just her. You’ll lose Leora too, and you’ll regret it.”
“I don’t need to prove it to her. She already knows. And I’ll make damn sure nothing and no one comes between us again, especially not me.”
Lucas swallows, his stance shifting, and I see the slightest hint of understanding in his eyes. But I don’t wait for him to say anything more.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I say, my tone icy. “I need to see if my girlfriend is okay.”
Without waiting for his reaction, I turn on my heel and walk out of the room, slamming the door behind me.