TWENTY FIVE
TWENTY FIVE
SOPHIA
Tessa is ringing someone up when I push open the door to The Book Nook. The familiar musk of paper and ink greets me instantly, wrapping around me like a memory of Luca’s study.
Shafts of sunlight spill across the cluttered shelves, turning the air golden and soft.
“You can buy junk if you want,” Tessa is telling the man at the counter, sliding his purchase into a paper bag. “But at least choose a higher grade of junk.” She spots me, abandons the transaction without hesitation, and walks straight over.
“You’re late,” she announces flatly. “Friendship over. Official notice.”
I smirk. “Guess our run was good while it lasted.”
She leans her shoulder against the nearest shelf, eyes narrowing in on me with that razor-sharp attention she always has. “So? Has my ex-friend finally decided?”
“Not exactly.” My chest deflates with the sigh I let out. “I love him, Tessa. That part’s not in question. But his world? The violence, the constant control—it terrifies me.”
She studies me for a long beat before answering, her expression softening. “Fear can’t be what rules your life, Soph. If you love him, that means there’s something real between you. The rest? Noise. Things you’ll figure out together.”
I shake my head. “It’s not just fear. It’s him. What he’s capable of. He told me what he did to the man who ruined his family. Tessa, it wasn’t justice—it was ruthless.”
Her tone gentles even more. “Everyone carries shadows. Maybe he’s letting you see his because he trusts you not to flinch.”
“And if I can’t?” My voice cracks with the weight of it. “What if I can’t live with that and still recognize myself?”
She tilts her head, searching me. “Haven’t you changed since him? Grown tougher, bolder?”
“Yeah,” I admit. “I’ve never felt more alive. But sometimes I wonder if I’m losing something in the process.”
Tessa’s hand lands lightly on my shoulder. “Love’s always a gamble. If it’s real, you don’t hide—you face the storm together. And remember, you’ve got me, your sister, and an army of books to keep you steady.”
Her words ease something tight in my chest, enough for me to nod. “Mind if I stay a bit? I just need… quiet.”
“Of course. I’ve got a room full of lost souls to guide anyway.” She waves toward the customers wandering the aisles, then moves off.
I sink into the old couch in the corner, the one where I first spotted Luca through the window. Back then, I didn’t know his name, didn’t know the danger wrapped up in him.
Now I know too well. He is both my deepest desire and my greatest fear. He swears he can’t give up control. Neither can I. How does love survive that kind of deadlock?
The vibration of my phone startles me. My heart leaps into my throat when his name flashes on the screen. With shaky fingers, I answer.
“Hello?” My voice is hushed, unsure.
“Hey.” His deep, steady voice rolls through the line, strangely comforting. “I’m heading back. We need to talk tomorrow.”
I straighten on the couch, gripping the phone like it might slip away. “Is something wrong?” I ask carefully, listening for the cracks in his tone.
“It’s nothing urgent,” he answers, though the clipped edge in his voice hints at things unsaid. “But Sophia, the six weeks are over. It’s time. You need to choose.”
The certainty in his words presses down on me like a weight. “I know,” I whisper. “It’s been on my mind every day.”
“Good.” He stops, and in the silence I can almost see him pacing, dragging a hand through his hair. “If you stay, you’re not just staying. We’ll build something real—a home, a family. That’s the future I’m offering. But you have to ask yourself if it’s what you want.”
His question hangs heavy between us, thick with expectation. “I… I don’t know yet,” I admit, my stomach tightening into knots.
“Sophia,” he says, gentler now, “I need clarity. If you’re mine, I’ll protect you, provide for you. You’ll never have to carry burdens alone again.”
The promise is tempting, a lullaby of safety and devotion. But behind it lies the shadow of his dominance, the risk of losing myself in his world. “And if I say no? If I walk away?”
The pause that follows is sharp enough to cut. When he finally answers, it’s strained. “Then I’ll accept it. I’ll let you go.” A breath. “But don’t dismiss this lightly. Think about what I’m offering—you could have everything.”
Even after the line goes dead, his words won’t leave me. They circle and circle, stirring both longing and dread.
Security, love, a life together… but would it cost me the independence I’ve fought so hard to protect?
Tessa glances over from across the shop, but I quickly lower my gaze and open my book. Losing myself in printed words is the only escape I can manage.