After a long moment of silence between them, with only the sounds of the crackling fire and the distant calls of the jungle filling the night air, Liam finally spoke again. His voice was quiet, almost hesitant, but the question had been gnawing at him since Sophia first confronted him.
"Is that why you said I hurt you?" he asked, his eyes staring off into the darkness. "Because I slept with Mariel?"
Sophia didn't lift her head immediately. She shifted a little, her fingers brushing the fabric of his sleeve in a nervous, unconscious movement. Then she gave the smallest nod against his shoulder.
"Yes," she whispered.
Liam exhaled slowly, a long breath that seemed to carry the weight of everything they hadn't said to each other. He closed his eyes for a second, trying to sort out the storm of emotions crashing through him.
"Hmmm," he hummed thoughtfully, then finally said, "I'm not going to apologize for having sex with Mariel."
