_Almost Is Never Enough_

The Cracks Begin To Show 🩶

As Sophia yawned and opened her eyes to the morning sunlight streaming through the window, she found Ryan staring at her, his serious face a stark contrast to the peaceful morning atmosphere. She wondered what was wrong.

"Why are you staring at me like you want to strangle me?" Sophia asked, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and concern, as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should've when you walked in sneaking late at night."

Sophia shifted uncomfortably, sitting up in bed and running a hand through her tangled hair. "I just didn't want to wake you."

Ryan's tone turned sarcastic. "Is that so? I'm someone who makes sure to make noise when I come back, so you wake up and we talk before I pass out. But you, on the other hand, seem to have a habit of sneaking around."

"That's not something to brag about, Ryan. It's actually disturbing that you expect me to lose sleep because you came home late," Sophia said, her voice firm but calm.

Ryan's expression turned accusatory. "What happened last night, Sophia? I waited for you at the restaurant, but you never showed up. I called you a million times, and you didn't answer."

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "You called me a million times? Was that before or after our agreed meeting time?".
Ryan hesitated, his eyes darting away for a moment. "Our agreed time was 7 pm."

Sophia's gaze turned icy. "And what time did you arrive at the restaurant? If you hated waiting for me, imagine how I felt sitting alone at the restaurant, waiting for you. It was embarrassing".

"It's not a competition, Sophia. You should've waited for me to see how long I'd take," Ryan said, his voice laced with a hint of annoyance.

Sophia's expression turned incredulous. "You're kidding me, right? You're basically saying I should be grateful you showed up, that you could've said "fuck me and this date?".

Ryan gaze turned cold. "That's not what I'm saying. That date was supposed to be a way for us to reconnect, but it seems like the gap between us is only getting wider."

"We could've avoided that gap if you arrived on time on a date that you initiated. Learn to respect people's time".

Sophia stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash away her tension. Ryan followed her, and they stood together under the cascading water. As Ryan began to caress her, Sophia's initial resistance melted away, and she found herself kissing him back, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

But just as Ryan's hands began to roam, Sophia's mind suddenly snapped back to reality. She realized that her passion was not for Ryan, but for Alex, whom she had been fantasizing about all along.

Sophia's eyes flew open, and she quickly stepped back, grabbing a towel to cover herself. The sudden movement broke the spell, and Ryan's eyes narrowed in confusion.

As Sophia finished getting dressed, Ryan trailed behind her, his eyes fixed on her with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Hey, what's wrong? Where are you off to?" Ryan asked, his voice tinged with a hint of possessiveness.

Sophia smiled sweetly, trying to placate him. "I'm not working today, so I'm going to visit Lola. I need to make amends with her."

Ryan's face lit up with a hopeful smile. "Today's my day off too. We could spend the day together."

Sophia's expression turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, Ryan, but I really need to see Lola right now. Can we catch up later?".
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Well make sure you answer your phone this time."