LOGINThey stood there in the living room.Not touching.Not fighting.Not pretending.Just… standing.And somehow—That said everything.“I still love you,” Dominic said quietly.No pride.No ego.Just truth.She didn’t answer right away.Because love—Wasn’t the question.It never had been.Then finally—“I love you too.”That was the part that made everything harder.Not easier.Because if they didn’t love each other—This would be simple.Walk away.Close the door.Move on.But they did.Deeply.Sophia looked at him.“Love isn’t what we’re missing.”Dominic nodded.“I know.”“It’s everything around it,” she said.“Trust.”“Respect.”“Safety.”Each word landed heavier than the last.“I want to fix that,” he said.Not defensive.Not desperate.Just… honest.“I want that too,” she said.A beat.“But wanting it isn’t enough anymore.”Dominic stepped closer.Careful.Like he didn’t want to push too far.“What does enough look like?”Sophia took a breath.“Consistency.”“Time.”“And no more b
Sophia didn’t sleep much.If she did—it was light, restless, broken.Every time she closed her eyes, her mind replayed the night.Not clearly.But enough.When morning came, she was already awake.Sitting at the edge of the bed.Fully dressed.Shoes on.Like she was ready to leave before the day even started.Patrick stood in the doorway.Quiet.Careful.“Morning,” he said.Sophia didn’t look at him.“Don’t.”One word.Flat.He stopped.“I just—”“I said don’t,” she repeated.Still not yelling.Still not emotional.Which somehow made it worse.Sophia stood up.Grabbed her bag.“I trusted you.”That hit harder than anything else she could have said.Patrick didn’t try to explain it away.Didn’t interrupt.“I know,” he said quietly.Sophia finally looked at him.And her eyes—Were different.Not soft.Not confused.Clear.“You don’t get to take advantage of me because I’m vulnerable.”Patrick shook his head.“I didn’t see it like that—”“That’s the problem,” she cut in.Silence filled t
Patrick didn’t push her that evening.He watched her.Carefully.“Get dressed,” he said earlier, more relaxed than she’d seen him.Sophia raised an eyebrow.“For what?”“Dinner.”She didn’t argue.Didn’t have the energy to.The restaurant was quiet.Upscale.Nothing like the chaos she’d left behind.Patrick let her talk—or not talk.Let her drink.One glass turned into two.Then more.He followed her pace.Not ahead.Not behind.Just… with her.After dinner, he didn’t take her home.He drove.“Where are we going?” she asked.“You’ll see.”The bowling alley lights came into view.Sophia laughed for the first time in days.“Seriously?”Patrick smirked.“Yeah.”They bowled. Patrick just watched her like a hawk.. While she bowledBadly.Laughed.Drank.More than they should have.More than she realized.And for a little while—Sophia didn’t think about Dominic.Didn’t think about anything.The house was quiet when they got back.Too quiet.Sophia changed into a loose t-shirt and boxers.C
Patrick set the glass of wine in front of her.Not as a distraction.Not as a solution.Just… something to steady the moment.“So what’s your plan,” he asked, watching her carefully,“if he does this again?”Sophia didn’t hesitate.“Don’t worry about it.”Patrick didn’t like that answer.“I am worried about it.”She took a sip.Set the glass down.Then looked at him—steady, controlled.“He won’t know what hit him if it happens again.”Patrick’s brow tightened.“That’s not a plan, Soph.”Her voice sharpened.“Yes, it is.”“I’m done being walked over,” she added.“And I’m definitely done being scared in my own house.”Patrick held her gaze.“That’s not what I’m worried about.”“I’m worried about you being in a situation where you have to prove that.”That landed.But Sophia didn’t back down.“I won’t let it get there.”Patrick leaned back.“You already did once.”Silence.Sophia looked away.Out the window.The plane began its descent.Mountains stretching across the horizon.Wide open
The runway shimmered in the heat as Sophia pulled up.Her father’s plane sat waiting—engines quiet, door open.She took a breath.This was supposed to be a break.Just a few days to reset.Clear her head.Figure things out.Sophia climbed the steps.Dropped her bag beside the seat.Then stopped.Patrick.Sitting there.Watching her.Her brows pulled together immediately.“Why aren’t you with my children, Patrick?”Her tone wasn’t soft.It wasn’t angry either.Just… sharp.Confused.Patrick didn’t look away.His eyes were heavy.Tired.Serious.“Because you’re the one I need to be with.”That landed.Harder than she expected.“And besides,” he added, leaning back slightly, “your parents took the girls to Disney.”Sophia blinked.“What?”“They wanted time with them,” he said. “They’re fine. More than fine.”A beat.“So… it’s just us for a couple days.”Sophia sat down slowly.Her mind catching up.“You planned this?”Patrick shook his head.“No.”But his tone said—He wasn’t upset about
Nothing magically changed after that.No hug.No forgiveness speech.No “we’re okay now.”Just… space.They lived in the same house—But not the same way.Sophia stayed upstairs.Dominic stayed downstairs.Meals were quiet.Conversations were short.Everything… intentional.The next morning, Dominic didn’t wait.He poured the bottles out.Every single one.Down the sink.No speech.No announcement.Just action.Sophia watched from the stairs.Said nothing.But she saw it.He made calls.Appointments.Not just saying he needed help—Actually getting it.Therapy.Support.Structure.She didn’t praise him.Didn’t reward him.But she noticed.Because this wasn’t about grand gestures anymore.It was about consistency.A few days later, they sat down.Not forced.Not planned.It just… happened.Dominic stayed quiet for a moment.Then said—“I hate who I was that night.”Sophia looked at him.“You should.”No softness.Just truth.“I don’t remember everything,” he admitted.“But I remember e
Sophia’s expression changed when she reached that part.Not softer.Just… unguarded.“I booked my flight to Texas fully prepared to be disappointed,” she said.Lily tilted her head. “Meaning?”“I assumed he’d be late. Or distracted. Or not show up at the gate.”Jacob frowned. “Why would you assume
Lily tilted her head slightly.“How did you even meet Dominic?” she asked.Sophia let out a quiet breath through her nose.“It started with humiliation,” she said.Jacob gave her a look. “Of course it did.”Sophia ignored that.“When I turned nineteen, I found out my boyfriend at the time — Jace —
The desert felt different the next morning.Still.Final.They were halfway to Vegas when Sophia picked up her phone.Dominic glanced at her but didn’t ask.“I need to make one call,” she said.He nodded once. “Do it.”She dialed her father directly.He answered on the first ring.“I’m driving to V
Sophia sat very still after that.“When you grow up watched,” she said quietly, “you start to internalize it.”Jacob frowned. “Internalize what?”“The gaze.”Lily understood first.“You became self-monitoring,” she said.“Yes.”Sophia folded her arms loosely, not defensive — contained.“I didn’t re







