Harley POV
I woke to the feeling of someone clinging to me. At first, I thought I was dreaming. Then I felt it again—soft, steady breaths against my bare chest.
My eyes slowly opened.
Moonlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a pale glow across the room.
And there she was. Completely vulnerable. Too trusting for my liking.
Sophie.
Curled up beside me, her arms wrapped tightly around my waist as if she was afraid I might disappear the moment she let go.
For a moment, I didn't move. I simply watched her, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face.
Even in her sleep, her brows were slightly furrowed, as if something was troubling her.
A familiar ache settled in my chest.
Another nightmare.
Back then, whenever they came, she would quietly slip into my room in the middle of the night and climb into my bed.
She never said anything. She would just hold onto me… like she was afraid the world would take everything from her again if she didn't.
Her breathing slowed as she relaxed further against me.
My gaze softened.
Nothing else in the room mattered. It never did when it came to her.
My thumb brushed lightly against her lips. "Why won't you become mine, Sophie… when you've already been everything to me for years?"
Tonight hadn't gone the way I planned.
When I leaned in earlier, I thought—
No.
I knew.
I knew it was risky.
But when she looked at me like that… like she always had since we were kids… I lost whatever control I thought I had.
I wanted her. More than I should. More than I had any right to. There had never been a second choice. Not in the past. Not now. Not ever.
But then she pulled away… and said the words I hated the most.
We agreed to remain friends.
The memory still stung.
I had hoped that with time, she would be honest with herself. Honest about us. But her stubbornness had only grown, and it drove me insane.
Because I already knew the truth. I had known it for years. I just wasn't sure she would ever choose me the same way.
Friends.
If she knew how many times I had to stop myself from crossing that line… she wouldn't say that so easily.
I almost let out a bitter laugh.
Friends didn't look at each other the way she looked at me.
Friends didn't cling to each other like this in the middle of the night.
And friends definitely didn't kiss each other on the cheek after rejecting a kiss.
I had to force myself to stay still as my gaze drifted to her lips.
"Would you hate me if I kissed you right now?"
I could feel the warmth of her body through the thin fabric of her pajamas. She shifted slightly, her face moving closer to mine.
"Sophie," I murmured softly.
She didn't wake.
I lifted her chin gently, my chest tightening. "Just this once…"
I pressed my lips to hers—slow, careful, as if even that might be too much.
She stirred faintly, her lips parting just slightly, and for a moment, I almost forgot myself.
But I didn't go further.
I couldn't.
After a while, I pulled back, my breathing uneven, my restraint hanging by a thread.
I wanted more. I wanted everything.
But not like this.
Never like this.
She shifted again before turning onto her side, away from me. I watched her for a long moment before my thoughts drifted back—years ago, to the night everything changed.
I could still remember the way she clutched my shirt, crying like her world had ended.
Because it had.
Her parents were gone… and she was terrified of being alone.
That night, she looked at me with tear-filled eyes and said something I would never forget.
"Harley, I want to go where my mommy and daddy are."
Even now, the memory made my chest tighten.
Back then, I didn't know what to say. I was just a kid.
But I knew one thing.
I never wanted to see her cry like that again.
So I made her a promise.
"You're not alone," I told her. "You have me."
I meant it then.
And I still mean it now.
No matter how many times she pushed me away. No matter how many walls she built between us.
I would always be there for her.
A soft sound escaped her lips.
"…Harley…"
My heart stuttered.
Why do you do this to me?
Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep myself from crossing every line I shouldn't?
I pulled her closer, closing the small distance between us, as if even that space felt unbearable.
The faint scent of her cherry blossom body wash filled the air, wrapping around me in a way that made it impossible to think clearly.
I closed my eyes.
There had never been anyone else.
There never could be.
Not Stacy. Not anyone. Whatever she thought she saw… whatever anyone else believed… none of it ever meant anything to me.
Eventually, sleep took me—filled with thoughts of what could have been… and what still might be.
Morning light slipped through the windows, warming the room as I stirred awake.
Sophie was already looking at me.
"Sorry for showing up in your bed last night," she said softly. "I dreamed about my parents… I didn't want to be alone."
I smiled at her, softer than I intended. "I told you I'd always protect you. I meant it. You don't need to apologize."
She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"I feel like I've slept in your bed more than my own."
"You have," I said lightly. "The first six months, you refused to sleep anywhere else."
Her blush deepened.
I pushed myself up, sitting at the edge of the bed as I looked back at her.
"I couldn't take you out for dinner last night. How does breakfast sound?"
She smiled.
I felt something tighten in my chest.
"I'll take that as a yes."
I stood and made my way toward the bathroom.
The moment the door shut behind me, the warmth on my face faded.
The memory came back immediately.
The kiss.
My jaw tightened.
I should tell her.
She deserves to know.
Even if she ends up hating me for it.
I turned the shower on and stepped out of my clothes before stepping under the spray.
Hot water hit the back of my neck as steam slowly filled the space. I braced a hand against the tiled wall, lowering my head as water ran down my face.
But it didn't wash it away.
It didn't erase the way her lips felt.
I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly.
I shouldn't have done it. But pretending I didn't want her had always been the bigger lie.
We agreed to remain friends.
She made that clear.
And yet… the moment she moved closer, trusting me completely… I broke.
Now the question wouldn't leave me alone.
Do I tell her?
My fingers pressed harder against the tile as the thought circled relentlessly.
If I told her, everything might change. She might pull away again… and I wasn't sure I could survive losing her a second time. Because loving her had never been the problem. Not being allowed to… was.
But keeping it from her felt just as wrong.
She deserved the truth.
Didn't she?
Water ran down my face as I tilted my head back, letting out a quiet breath.
No matter how long I stood there, the answer refused to come.
And somehow, I knew…
Being with Sophie was never going to be easy.
…But walking away from her was impossible.