Chapter 8:
Sophie had barely finished her morning classes when her phone buzzed with a message from the hotel: "Report to the lounge. Urgent." Her stomach twisted. She wasn't sure what awaited her, but instinctively, she knew it had something to do with Alexander.
When she arrived, he was already there, pacing slowly near the reception desk, his expression unreadable. The air felt thick, charged with a tension that made Sophie's pulse race.
"Sir… you called for me?" she asked, her voice tentative.
Alexander stopped pacing and looked at her. "Sophie… we need to talk," he said, his tone sharper than usual, but not angry—more like someone struggling with his own emotions.
Her heart thudded. She had expected calm, polite conversations, not this undercurrent of intensity. "About what?" she whispered, trying to sound steady.
He took a deep breath. "About… us. About everything that's happening." His gaze softened for a brief moment, then hardened again. "I don't want misunderstandings between us, Sophie. But I can't ignore the tension that's been building."
Sophie's stomach knotted. "I—I don't understand," she stammered, afraid she'd misread his intentions.
Alexander's jaw tightened. "Do you think I don't notice the way you… avoid me sometimes? Or the way you're always so careful around me? I know you're scared, but you can't just pretend this doesn't affect us—doesn't affect me."
Her eyes widened. The words were blunt, but there was truth in them. "I'm… I'm just trying to keep everything under control," she admitted. "School, work… this pregnancy… I don't want to make things harder for you—or for myself."
He stepped closer, and she felt the air shift, their personal space charged with something unspoken. "Sophie," he said, softer now, "you don't have to do this alone. I want to be here, but you keep shutting me out."
Her throat tightened. She had never expected him to say that—not so openly, not so sincerely. "I'm… scared," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Scared of getting hurt… of everything changing too fast."
Alexander reached out, his hand brushing hers lightly. It was a tentative touch, but enough to make her heart flutter. "I get it," he said quietly. "But maybe… maybe we face this together, instead of letting fear rule us."
Sophie looked up at him, her mind spinning. There was vulnerability in his eyes she hadn't noticed before, a quiet honesty that made her feel both comforted and exposed. She nodded slowly. "Together," she whispered.
For a brief moment, the tension eased, replaced by a fragile understanding. And though neither of them knew exactly what the future held, Sophie felt a spark of hope—a promise that maybe, just maybe, love could find its
way through the uncertainty.