82| Taking Her Home

After their kiss, Ethan and Sophie lingered in the quiet flower shop, holding each other as if afraid the other might disappear.

Ethan's hand rested on Sophie's back, his fingers splayed against the soft fabric of her blouse, grounding himself in the warmth of her.

He pulled back just slightly, just enough to take her in.

Her flushed cheeks. The gentle rise and fall of her chest.

Her lips—still tinged with the color of their kiss.

It hit him then—seeing her like this, really seeing her—how foolish he had been to run. How everything he had feared, everything that had held him back, suddenly felt so small.

"Do you want to go home?" he asked softly, his thumb grazing her cheek.

Sophie nodded, the corners of her lips lifting into the kind of smile that had always undone him. "Yes, I'd like that."

She quickly arranged for Lily to take care of the shop for the rest of the day.

As they stepped outside, Ethan reached for her hand, their fingers intertwining like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And maybe it was.

Maybe it always had been.

The drive home was wrapped in comfortable silence.

But Sophie's mind raced.

There was something she had to say to him. Something she had kept buried for too long.

She wanted to tell him before he told her everything he had been holding in.

But there was no rush.

Ethan's hand rested lightly on her knee, his touch steady, grounding.

Letting her know he was here.

That he wasn't going anywhere.

When they reached their home, Ethan parked the car, but neither of them moved.

They just sat there.

Maybe because they both knew.

Once they stepped inside, there would be no more running.

Finally, Sophie turned to him, her eyes shining with quiet determination.

"Come with me."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Ethan followed her inside, neither of them turning on the lights as they walked through the familiar space.

She led him to the couch, their home feeling smaller, quieter, as if holding its breath along with them.

They sat facing each other, their knees touching.

For a moment, neither spoke.

They just looked.

Ethan couldn't help himself—his fingers found their way to her hair, gently tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

His touch lingered.

As if afraid to let go.

Sophie took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say.

"Do you remember high school, Ethan?"

A small smile touched his lips—a mixture of nostalgia and guilt.

"Of course I do."

Sophie's gaze drifted to her hands resting on her lap, her fingers fidgeting slightly. "I had the biggest crush on you back then. You were always so confident, so sure of yourself. And I was... well, I was just this awkward girl who could barely look at you without blushing."

Ethan chuckled, though the sound was tinged with regret. "I remember." He hesitated, his smile fading. "And I also remember how I rejected you."

Sophie looked up, surprised at the weight in his voice.

"It's okay, Ethan. I understood, even back then. You were dealing with so much, and I... I didn't fit into your world."

"No." Ethan's voice was firm, pained. "You were everything good. And I was too scared to let myself have that."

His jaw clenched slightly, old wounds reopening. "I was raised to believe that emotions were a weakness. That letting anyone close would only lead to disappointment."

Sophie's heart ached—for the boy he had been, for the man he had become, for all the years he had spent believing he was unworthy.

She reached for his hand, lacing her fingers through his.

"But you're not that person anymore," she whispered. "You're not your father. You're not the shadows that haunted you back then."

Ethan's eyes locked onto hers, and for the first time, he felt the walls around his heart begin to crumble.

He squeezed her hand, grounding himself in her warmth. "You were always so brave," he murmured. "You walked right up to me, confessed your feelings, and I... I pushed you away."

Sophie smiled softly, shaking her head. "Brave? I wasn't brave at all. I was terrified too. But I couldn't help myself."

Her voice softened, thick with emotion.

"I fell in love with you long before I even realized it."

Ethan frowned slightly, his expression clouded with confusion.

"I don't understand." His voice was almost helpless. "I was so distant, so closed off. Why would you...?"

Sophie's gaze softened, filled with every unspoken feeling she had carried for years.

"Because you weren't just that, Ethan. You were so much more than the walls you put up."

She exhaled, her grip on his hand tightening.

"People always saw you as this serious, untouchable guy. But I saw something else.

I saw how kind you were. Even when you didn't show it in big ways."

She paused, as if pulling a memory from a place so deep it still held a pulse.

"Do you remember the time you helped me carry all those books to the library after I dropped them?"

Ethan furrowed his brows slightly, as if trying to recall.

"You didn't say much, but you didn't have to. It was just a small gesture, but it meant everything to me."

Sophie smiled, her voice growing softer. "And then there was the day you stayed behind after school, secretly replanting the flowers I'd spent months working on after the storm ruined them."

Ethan blinked.

"You didn't even tell me," Sophie continued, emotion laced in every word. "But I knew it was you. And honestly... that might have been when I fell even harder for you."

Ethan stilled, his mind sifting through the fragments of memories long buried beneath years of self-doubt.

Those moments had been nothing to him—just small, instinctive acts. Things he had done because... because he had cared.

But for her?

They had meant everything.

Sophie saw the hesitation in his eyes, the way he struggled to grasp the weight of her words.

She gave his hand another gentle squeeze. "I always had this feeling that you didn't want to let anyone get too close. But those small acts?" She smiled. "They showed me who you really were."

"You were kind."

"Thoughtful."

"And willing to do things for others even when no one was looking."

Ethan stared at her, speechless.

He had never considered that someone—that Sophie—had seen him like that.

That someone had noticed him.

That someone had loved him, even then.

His voice came out barely above a whisper. "I never thought twice about those things." He swallowed hard. "I didn't know anyone was watching."

Sophie smiled, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"That's the thing, Ethan. You didn't do those things because you wanted attention. You did them because you cared. Even if you never said it out loud."

Her fingers brushed against his knuckles, grounding him in the warmth of her presence.

"You were always there for me, in your own way."

She held his gaze, her voice unwavering. "You've always been good, Ethan.

Even when you didn't see it."

A pang of guilt twisted in Ethan's chest—for all the years he had kept her at a distance. For all the times he had pushed her away when all she had ever done was love him.

"I spent so long trying to be the man my father wanted me to be," he admitted, his voice thick with regret. "I never allowed myself to be the man I actually was."

Sophie shook her head, her touch grounding him as she cupped his cheek, tilting his face toward hers. "You never had to hide from me, Ethan. You didn't have to be perfect or strong all the time. I saw through all of that.

I saw you.

The real you.

And that's who I loved—not the version your father wanted you to be, but the man who was always kind and thoughtful, even when he didn't realize it."

Tears welled in Ethan's eyes.

For so long, he had believed he wasn't enough—that he had to be more, do more, become more to be worthy of love.

But here she was, telling him that she had always loved him.

Just as he was.

His voice broke as he whispered, "I'm so sorry. Sophie, even back then... I really wanted to respond to your feelings." He swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around hers. "Because I really liked you back then too."

Sophie's eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across her face. "You did?"

Ethan exhaled a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Come on, Sophie, there's no way you didn't know I liked you."

She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Well, if you liked me so much, then why did you reject me?"

Ethan's smile faded, replaced by something more vulnerable.

"Because I knew I couldn't be with you," he admitted. "Because I thought if you got too close, you'd see how messed up I was and regret ever liking me. Because I didn't believe you actually liked me."

His voice dropped to a whisper. "I didn't think anyone could."

Sophie's expression softened, but there was sadness in her eyes. "Ethan... I really liked you back then."

"I know." He exhaled. "Back then, I just didn't want to believe it."

She leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"You're so precious."

She whispered the words against his skin, her arms wrapping around him, holding him close to her heart.

Ethan closed his eyes, letting it in.

Her warmth. Her love.

For the first time in a long time, he felt like he could finally breathe.

He didn't have to be perfect.

He didn't have to hide anymore.

Because Sophie had always seen him.

And that was enough.

And maybe, just maybe, he could finally believe it too.

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