Between Us

☆ part thirty four ☆

Larks pov

Sophie was tucked against me, her head resting on my chest, her legs tangled with mine as we lay on my bed. The soft glow of the television bathed the room in muted light, casting shadows on the walls as the movie played on. Bob was sprawled out at the foot of the bed, his little snores faint but rhythmic, adding to the comforting atmosphere. It felt perfect. Almost. Except for the unspoken tension hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break. I knew exactly what it was—who it was. Chloe. I'd been trying to ignore it all day, trying to pretend that Sophie wasn't carrying the weight of jealousy and uncertainty on her shoulders, but I could feel it in the way she clung to me a little tighter, the way her laugh was a little quieter than usual. I hated it.

I shifted slightly, brushing my fingers through Sophie's hair as I summoned the courage to speak. "Soph?"

She tilted her head up to look at me, her soft green eyes meeting mine. "Hmm?"

I hesitated, my thumb tracing idle patterns along her shoulder. "I need to talk to you about something." Her body stiffened ever so slightly, but she nodded, her eyes still locked on mine. "I'm sorry I never told you about Chloe," I started, my voice low. "It wasn't something I was trying to hide or anything, I just..." I sighed, trying to find the right words. "I dated her at the start of the year." Sophie's brows furrowed, but she stayed silent, waiting for me to continue. "It was a desperate attempt to get over you," I admitted, my voice cracking slightly at the confession. "I thought if I dated someone else, I could convince myself to stop feeling the way I did about you. But it didn't work." I let out a hollow laugh. "It was never going to work, because... she wasn't you." Sophie blinked, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there for a moment before pulling back to look at her again. "I broke it off with her in the summer," I said softly. "Because I couldn't keep lying to myself—or to her. It wasn't fair to anyone."

Sophie nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought I'd completely messed this up. But then she gave me a small, almost amused smile. "It's fine," she said, her voice quiet but steady. "My ex is literally your twin. I'm sure I'll be fine."

Her words caught me off guard, and I let out a surprised laugh, though the tension in my chest didn't fully ease. "Well, are you?" I asked, my tone serious despite the teasing smile on my lips.

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she leaned up and kissed me, soft and deliberate, her hands cupping my face as if to ground me. When she pulled back, her eyes searched mine. "Yes," she said firmly. "As long as I have you, I'm fine." Her words should have been enough to chase away the lingering guilt I felt, but I couldn't help but notice the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. I opened my mouth to press her further, but something in her expression stopped me. Instead, I wrapped my arms around her and held her close, burying my face in her hair as the movie played on in the background. She let out a content sigh, her fingers lightly tracing the fabric of my shirt, and for a little while, I let myself believe that everything really was fine.

The soft flicker of the TV, the warmth of Sophie in my arms, the steady rise and fall of her breathing—it all felt so achingly perfect. And yet, I couldn't shake the quiet thought lingering in the back of my mind: Was this enough? Was I enough? But for now, I pushed those thoughts aside. Sophie was here, and she was mine.

After a while, Sophie had fallen asleep against me, her soft breaths brushing against my neck, her arms wrapped around my waist like I was her anchor to the world. I held her just as tightly, unwilling to let go of the peace that settled over the room despite the storm of thoughts brewing in my mind. Her face was tucked into the crook of my shoulder, and I couldn't stop myself from brushing her hair out of her face. She looked so peaceful, so innocent in her sleep. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there for a moment as a soft smile tugged at my lips.

"Hey," I whispered gently, stroking her cheek with my thumb. "Soph, you need to wake up." She stirred slightly, letting out a quiet, sleepy hum but not quite opening her eyes. I chuckled softly. "Do you want me to drop you off at home?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

Her response was a soft mumble as she curled closer to me, her body melting into mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I'm fine sleeping here," she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

I smiled, my heart swelling in a way that still felt foreign and overwhelming, and kissed her head again. "Okay," I said quietly. "Let me grab you something to change into." Carefully, I shifted out from under her, propping her up with a pillow so she wouldn't miss my warmth too much. Bob stirred slightly at the foot of the bed but didn't fully wake. I rummaged through my drawers, grabbing an oversized t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants for her. They'd be a little big on her, but I figured she'd be more comfortable that way. When I came back, she was already half-asleep again, her head tilted to the side in the soft glow of my bedside lamp. I gently shook her shoulder, and she blinked up at me, her eyes heavy with sleep. "Here," I said, holding out the clothes. "Something more comfortable to sleep in."

She gave me a drowsy smile, sitting up just enough to take them from me. "Thanks, Lark," she murmured. I turned away to give her some privacy as she changed, taking a moment to tidy up the room and make sure Bob was settled. When I turned back, she was already crawling back under the covers, her hair a little messy but still effortlessly beautiful. I slid in beside her, and she immediately cuddled up to me again, her head resting against my chest, her hand gripping the fabric of my shirt. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close, and let out a content sigh.

But as the minutes passed, the quiet peace of the moment was slowly overshadowed by the nagging thoughts in the back of my mind. Chloe. Something about her being back felt... off. It wasn't just that she'd shown up at school out of nowhere. Chloe wasn't the type to let things go easily. I'd learned that the hard way. And now, with Sophie in the picture, I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. I tightened my grip on Sophie instinctively, like holding her closer could somehow protect her from whatever storm might be coming. She stirred slightly but didn't wake, her breathing even and steady against me. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to focus on the sound of her breathing, the warmth of her body against mine. She was here, in my arms, where she belonged. That was all that mattered.

But even as I drifted off to sleep, the unease lingered, a quiet whisper in the back of my mind. Something was coming—I just didn't know what.