Web Short 1 - Sweet Burden Series (Pt. 1)

Web Short 1 - Sweet Burden Series

Sophie's Decision (Pt. 1)

**This takes place between Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 and during the same time as Vol. 2.5**

Sophie walked across the living room drawing the blanket tightly around her shoulders. Liam was sitting quietly on the floor in front of the fire. The flames made his dark brown hair appear a gleaming copper color. He didn’t turn to look at her as she moved around the couch to join him, but she knew that he sensed her presence.

“What are you doing?” Sophie asked. “It’s late. You should come back to bed and get some rest so we can keep looking for Hitomi tomorrow.”

“I can’t sleep,” he replied simply. “It’s too quiet.”

Sophie had to agree. It was eerily quiet and still. The cabin had been vacated almost immediately after Hitomi opened the Heavens. However, she couldn’t bring herself to leave the cabin yet especially with Hitomi still missing and Liam not being allowed to enter the Heavens by order of London.

She sat down next to him and leaned into him. Liam put his arm around her drawing her closer against him as she looked up into his concerned crimson eyes.

“I know you’re worried about Hitomi,” she stated.

“I’m worried about a lot of things,” Liam replied as he glanced over at her, but returned his gaze forward.

“Everything will be okay. We’ll find Hitomi and Minns. She’ll get her memory back and she’ll change you. It will all work out, because it has to.” Even as she tried to make the situation sound positive, she was having a hard time believing her words.

“You don’t need to try to make me feel better. It’s not really in my nature to feel good about things,” he commented without a hint of joking. Liam let out a long sigh and squeezed her closer. “You’ve been the one bright spot in my horrid existence.”

She drew in a breath and stared ahead at the fire. Sophie learned from Hitomi not to ask about his past. If he wanted to tell her about it, he would. She refused to pry. She saw firsthand what it did to Hitomi and Obsidian. Of course, it didn’t stop her curiosity. “You know you can talk to me about anything. You can trust me with your past. I won’t judge you.”

“Yes, you would. Anyone would. You would have no other choice but to judge me. And I know you think I don’t tell you because I don’t trust you, but I do. It has nothing to do with trust. I see the way you love me. That’s what scares me the most. I don’t want you to look at me in any other way than the way you do now.”

“I wouldn’t look at you differently,” Sophie protested. She pulled away and scooted across the floor maneuvering herself in front of him. Reaching out she took his hands and squeezed them. “You will never be anyone except the one I love. If you don’t want to tell me, I respect that. But just know I will love you no matter what.”

Liam’s eyes turned down as if examining their intertwined fingers. “Do you think Hitomi ever said the same thing to Obi?” Liam whispered.

Even though Liam definitely wasn’t one for optimism, Sophie knew that he viewed Hitomi and Obsidian as a sign of hope. They were his living symbols of endless possibilities. With their relationship crumbling, Hitomi missing and Obi gone, Liam’s attitude of late had become sullen.

“I don’t know. But they are…” Sophie abruptly stopped knowing the wrongness of her words. “I mean, they were different. They had a lot stacked against them,” she tried to say as delicately as possible. “It’s hard talking about them in the past tense.”

“I know. I can’t get used to it either and it’s been months.” He lifted his head as his eyes sparkled brightly. “We’ll find Hitomi and we’ll avenge Obi,” he stated. “I guess your positivity is wearing off on me.” The corner of his mouth twitched with the hint of a smile, but it abruptly faded. “None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for Laebosu. If I could take him down myself, I would.”

“Hopefully we’ll all get our chance to take him down,” Sophie said softly giving him a warm grin.

Liam reached up behind her neck and pulled her to him. He kissed her hard and passionately, but still with a degree of tenderness. The slam of the screen door suddenly jolted them apart. Not expecting anyone to be at the cabin at such a late hour both of their gazes shot to the door in alarm. Standing in the doorway was Roland and two other figures behind him.

(To Be Continued)