The Decision

Chapter 5: The Decision

Sophia's POV

The room was suffocating. Every single eye in the room seemed to be on me, waiting for me to speak, waiting for me to make a choice I wasn’t ready to make.

Liam’s words were like a heavy weight on my chest, pressing me into the ground. "Sophia, choose. Right here, right now."

How had my life spiraled to this? Standing between two men, each of them expecting something from me—something I wasn’t sure I could give. The truth was, I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

I looked at Lucas, his dark eyes burning with a mixture of anger and something else I couldn’t place—was it hurt? Or was it just the mask he always wore? He had every right to feel betrayed, but that didn't make it any easier. And then, there was Liam. His expression was unreadable, his jaw tight, his eyes cold. The man who had once promised me everything now seemed like a distant stranger.

"I—I don’t know," I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips.

"You don’t know?" Liam’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. "You’ve had months to figure it out, Sophia. You’ve been hiding behind your uncertainty, but now, you have to choose."

His words stung. Was this how he truly saw me? A coward who couldn’t make a decision?

I clenched my fists at my sides, willing myself to stay calm, to hold it together for just a little longer. I had spent days, no, weeks, replaying this moment in my mind, but now that it was happening, it felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, unsure if I was about to fall or fly.

"I’m not choosing between you two," I said, my voice rising with frustration. "This isn’t a game, Liam. You don’t get to make this into something I have to choose right here, right now. I need time. I need—"

"Time?" Liam interrupted, his voice shaking with disbelief. "Time? You’ve had plenty of time, Sophia. And now you’re telling me you need more?"

Lucas stepped forward, his gaze narrowing as he addressed Liam. “You can’t keep pushing her like this, Liam. It’s not going to help anyone. This isn’t just a game for you to win.”

Liam’s glare shifted to Lucas, the heat between them palpable. “You don’t get to lecture me on what’s best for Sophia, or this child. You don’t have a claim on either of them.”

The words stung, but Lucas didn't flinch. He stood his ground, his voice steady. "Maybe I don’t have a claim. But I’m not going to let her make a decision under duress."

I watched as the tension between them escalated, and I could feel myself crumbling under the weight of their expectations. They were both right in their own ways—Lucas was giving me space, but Liam was offering me something I desperately needed: stability, certainty. But at what cost?

I saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes, and it made something twist painfully in my chest. But this wasn’t about me and him anymore. It wasn’t about the engagement I had ruined or the lies I had told. It was about a life growing inside of me. A life that didn’t care about the mess I had made, or the twisted love triangle I was trapped in.

"I need to know who the father is," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. "And I need to know if you’re both willing to accept this child, no matter what the circumstances are."

Lucas leaned in slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. "If this child is mine, I’ll take responsibility. You have my word on that," he said, his voice almost... gentle. But the cold edge was still there, buried beneath the surface.

Liam’s eyes flashed with anger. "And you think he’s just going to step into my life and take my place? Is that it, Sophia? Do you want to throw away everything we had for this?"

I could feel the eyes of the room on me, judging me, waiting for me to make a decision. I glanced at Lucas, searching his face for some kind of clue, but all I saw was that same indifferent mask. My heart pounded in my chest, the uncertainty consuming me.

"Stop!" I shouted, my heart pounding in my chest. "This isn’t about you anymore, Liam. This is about me and what I need to do to get through this mess. I can’t keep doing this with you two. I can’t keep pretending everything is okay when it’s not."

The silence that followed was deafening. I could feel their eyes burning into me, waiting for me to crack, to break under the pressure. But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

"I’m sorry, Liam," I whispered, my voice breaking. "But I need to go."

I turned on my heel and walked away, my heart in my throat. I didn’t look back.

The days that followed were a blur of chaotic thoughts and sleepless nights. I couldn’t keep avoiding them. But every time I thought about facing either Liam or Lucas again, the overwhelming weight of uncertainty crushed me. How could I ever expect them to understand? How could I ever choose between them?

I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands trembling as I stared down at the ultrasound photo that had been sitting in the back of my drawer for days. It felt like the only thing I had left that was real.

The doorbell rang. I jumped at the sound, my heart skipping a beat. I knew who it was before I even opened the door.

"Can we talk?" Liam’s voice was soft, though there was a hardness beneath it that I couldn’t ignore.

I didn’t say anything as I stepped aside, letting him into my apartment. The tension between us was suffocating, but neither of us spoke. He simply looked at me, his eyes searching my face for something—what? Answers? Forgiveness?

"I’m not asking for anything," Liam said finally, his voice steady but cold. "I just... need to understand, Sophia. I need to understand how we ended up here. How you ended up here."

I swallowed hard. "I didn’t plan any of this, Liam. You have to believe me. You’re not the only one who’s confused by everything that’s happened."

He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he took a step forward, his gaze softening ever so slightly."I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t even know if it can be fixed," he admitted, the vulnerability in his voice surprising me.

My heart twisted in my chest. "I don’t know either," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.