The Pull

SOPHIA’S POV

“I want your lips on…” Darcy quivered, and I turned towards her, scared that she was having an attack again.

“What do you want?" I asked, staring intently at her.

“I don't know, feeling very hot and I figured having you beside you would help lessen it. Or don't you think so?"  She asked, and I got still in my bed. 

No no. Pretending to be in love with her was one thing and actually wanting to make love to her was another. 

  

"Sorry, I'm not in the mood, love. Tomorrow," I said, while lying back and she croaked. Not her panic attack again! 

  

Fuck! She was fucking being manipulative at this point. 

The dorm room felt smaller with Darcy back from the hospital, her energy buzzing like a live wire. She clung to me more than ever, her hand always finding mine, her lips brushing my cheek in casual affection that twisted my stomach.  Irritatingly.

I had agreed to this charade out of fear, watching her gasp for air during that panic attack. But every touch reminded me of the lie. 

And Donald—no, Eric. I had to stop mixing up names in my head. Eric, her father, the man I had pushed away. He haunted the edges of my thoughts, his desperate eyes from that night burning into me.

Classes dragged on. Eric's lectures were a battlefield I navigated carefully, sitting in the back, notes scribbled furiously to avoid his gaze. He looked wrecked, his once sharp features dulled by exhaustion. 

I ignored him, slipping out early, but the bond we shared pulled like an invisible thread. It was driving my brain cells into a relapse.

Then came the weekend Darcy insisted I meet her mom. "My mom’s in town," she said, eyes lighting up. "You'll love her. She's so cool, and I want her to meet my girlfriend."

The word ‘girlfriend’ landed like a punch. I forced a smile, nodding. "Sure. Sounds great."

We met at a quaint cafe downtown, the kind with exposed brick and overpriced lattes. Emily arrived fashionably late, her auburn hair cascading in waves, a warm smile that crinkled her eyes.  

She hugged Darcy fiercely, then turned to me. "You must be Sophia. I've heard so much about you."

As we shook hands, a strange familiarity washed over me. Her eyes, the curve of her jaw—it was like looking at an older version of Darcy, but something else nagged. Have I seen her before? In a photo? Or... no, it can’t be.

We sat, chatting about college life, Darcy's art projects, and my economics major. Emily's laugh was melodic, her questions probing but kind. "So, how did you two meet?" She asked, sipping her tea.

"Roommates," I said, glancing at Darcy. "Then friends. Then... more." The lie tasted bitter.

Emily nodded, her gaze lingering on me a beat too long. "You seem familiar, Sophia. Have we met?"

I shook my head, heart racing. "I do not think so. Maybe I have one of those faces."

She chuckled. "Perhaps. Anyway, I'm glad Darcy has someone like you. After the divorce, she's needed,” she stopped while taking a glance at Darcy who munched on her food quietly then, "stability."

Divorce. Eric and Emily were separated? My eyes nearly bulged out from its circle.

That explained his freedom and our… affair. But why did she feel so known? As lunch wrapped, Emily hugged me goodbye, her perfume lingering—jasmine and something earthy. 

It hit me later, alone in the dorm… she reminded me of a woman from my childhood, a neighbor or teacher? No, something else but I couldn’t place my fingers on it and it unsettled me. 

Back on campus, ignoring Eric became harder. He cornered me after class one day, his voice low. "Sophia, please. Talk to me."

"I can not," I whispered, glancing around. "It is over."

"But why? What changed?" His eyes searched mine, desperate.

"Your daughter," I hissed. "This is messed up.”

He flinched but did not back down. "I love you. I realized it when I saw you with her. It tore me apart."

The bond flared, that electric pull. I wanted to shove him away, but my body betrayed me, leaning in fractionally. "No," I said, stepping back. "Leave me alone."

He did not. Notes appeared in my mailbox—poetic apologies, pleas for coffee. Texts I deleted unread. He pursued with a fervor that flipped our roles. Now I was the one running, he the pursuer. It was both intoxicating and terrifying.

Darcy noticed my distraction. "You okay?" She asked one night, curled against me on the bed.

"Yeah," I lied. "Just stressed."

She kissed my neck, her hand sliding lower. I tensed, gently pushing her away. "Not tonight. Headache."

She pouted but relented. I refused intimacy, keeping things platonic, hugs, kisses, nothing more. The guilt ate at me, but so did the longing for Eric.

Then Darcy dropped the bomb. "I want to get Mom and Dad back together," she confessed over pizza. "They were great once and the divorce wrecked me."

I stared. "Why?"

"For family, stability and... maybe it would make things easier for us." Her eyes pleaded. "Help me, Sophia. Please."

Pretend to help. That was the plan. "Okay," I said. "What is the idea?"

She grinned. "A surprise dinner. Invite them separately, lock them in a room until they talk."

I nodded, but inside, sabotage brewed. If Eric and Emily reconciled, he would be off limits forever. But did I want that? The thought stung.

We set it up for Friday. I ‘accidentally’ sent Emily the wrong address, a cafe across town. Eric arrived at the right one, waiting alone. When he texted Darcy confused, she panicked. "What happened?"

"Mix up," I shrugged. "Reschedule?"

She sighed, but the plan backfired beautifully. Eric cornered me later. 

"You did that on purpose."

"I do not know what you mean," I said innocently.

He smirked, stepping closer. "You are jealous."

The bond ignited. His hand brushed mine, sending sparks. I pulled away, but the pursuit intensified.

“You are crazy for thinking I would do something like that," I sneered, and he smirked.

"Yes, I am and so are you. And crazy girls get punished,” he said, his hands trailing down from my neck down to my breasts. My breaths hitched.

“Punishments like?" I asked, panting as his hands kept trailing down, erupting low moans from my throat.

“How about I show you?”