She wouldn't even look at him.

Saul tried everything in his power to get her to at least acknowledge his presence, shy of getting naked or setting himself on fire. Even then, Sophie probably wouldn't look at him or put out the flames.

They ate in silence. A silence that was so deafening that you could hear their heartbeats, he was certain of it.

Sophie scrolled her phone and she'd said thanked him for the takeout,but that was the extent of their conversation. Little sighs would escape her every now and then, and she looked defeated.

"Are you OK?" He asked, not truly knowing how she would answer.

"Perfect."

Saul blew out a long breath and stared at her until she glared at him.

"Do you need something, playboy?"

Saul tossed his containers into the trash, "I just want to know if you're all right. Is your head hurting? Do you need your meds?"

"No, I'm fine, Saul."

She finally put her phone down along with the still full container of rice.

"Are you not hungry?"

"I told you I wasn't."

Saul stood up. He was still shirtless from earlier and even that wasn't striking up any attention or glances from Sophie.

"Is it about what happened,-"

Sophie rolled her eyes, "I said I'm fucking fine, Saul. Shit!"

Saul cracked his knuckles. He'd never been nervous around women before, but something about Sophie made him that way.

"Can you at least look at me?"

Sophie turned to glare at him. He could have sworn if she'd had laser beams for eyes, he'd be a dead man.

"What do you want?"

"You're so mad at me and I don't know why..."

"I don't know why, either. Maybe it's my hormones,"Sophie waved her hand, flippantly as if that would end the conversation.

"I'm sorry about Caliope."

"No, you're not. It's just sex, Saul, right?"

Saul lowered his head, "It usually is..."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Saul knelt down in front of her, catching Sophie off guard.

"I didn't mean to hurt you—if I did..or maybe I did..I don't know," Saul took her hands into his and she didn't resist, no matter how badly she wanted to.

"I don't understand you. Did you try to make me jealous?"

"Did it make you jealous?"

"No. Yes. No..."Sophie was flustered, stammering out her words, "Maybe. Why would you do it then?"

Saul was having a hard time and that wasn't like him.

"I wanted to see how you'd react.."

Sophie stared at him just as confused as ever.

"What for? What's this all about?"

Saul let go of her hands and stood up. He ran a hand through his hair and Sophie couldn't help but admire his body, the way he moved. She needed to let it go—let him go.

"I wanted to make you jealous because I was jealous!"

Sophie leaned back in her chair, "Of what?"

"Of what?"Saul glanced at her with wild eyes, "Of you and Joe. Why do you think I pretended to be him on the text messages?"

Sophie didn't answer him. She just thought he wanted a quick fuck in the locker room.

"There's something that's happening to me and I don't understand it,"Saul said, his voice cracking, "I've never felt like this before..."

"Felt what?" Sophie asked, softly, her heart thudding maniacally inside of her chest.

"Love."

That damned silence again.

"I can't...I don't..."Sophie was shaking her head as if trying to comprehend what was happening.

"Did you mean what you said to me when you told me that you felt safe with me?"Saul asked her.

"Yes. I meant that with all my heart, Saul."

He knelt in front of her again and this time she gripped his hands tightly.

"Ever since you got here, I've tried to be this asshole and I can't do it,"Saul shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind, "I see how people hurt you and I want to kill them. I have killed for you and I'd do it again and again and again if that meant it would keep you safe and happy. I would have gladly killed my brothers if I knew they were involved in your attack. I hate your uncle with a passion and I don't even know half of what he's done to you."

Sophie's face was red and she was shaking, trying to hold back the tears threatening to flow down her face.

"Saul, what are you saying to me?"

Saul licked his lips, and he wanted to stop because he knew the repercussions of everything he was about to say, "I like you, Sophie. I like you more than I think I do..."

"Saul, you can't have these feelings for me. You know that."

"To hell with that, Sophie!" Saul stood up again and paced the room, "I can't be without you. I don't even like being this close to you, yet feeling so far away. It's not just how you make me feel when we're fucking, I love that, it's how you've,--"He trailed off.

"How I've what?"

Saul turned to her, "It's how you've stolen my heart, sparks."

Sophie shook her head over and over and over again, "No, Saul. You can't do this. Don't do this to me."

"Don't do this to you? What are you talking about? I've been watching you since freshman year, Sophie, and it wasn't because of intel or because you're supposed to be my enemy and need an extra eye. I've watched you because I can't help but watch you. You're beautiful and sweet and you've given so much of yourself to me."

Sophie held up a hand, "How do I know you're telling me the truth? How do I know you're not playing with me, Saul?"

Saul shrugged, "I'm taking the biggest chance of my life right now, Sophie. Don't you remember the love letter you wrote me when we were kids?"

Sophie's tears were not to be contained anymore, "The what?"

Saul opened his closet and pulled out a chest, "This is a box for all of my keepsakes. I've had this for years."

Sophie slowly made her way to him. She felt like she was in a dream and couldn't tell what was real or fake anymore.

"Here.." He handed her a handwritten note from her to him when they were seven. It was a love letter.

"I do remember this,"She said, holding it close to her, "I was supposed to,-"

"What? What were you supposed to do?"Saul asked her, his heart now in his throat. All of the suave and cool Saul ever had went right out the window after he started spilling his guts to her.

"Be your wife."

"W-what?"

Sophie sat down cross-legged, still clutching the letter, "When your family still had arranged marriages, Alexander and my dad had made up their mind that you and I were going to get married once we turned 21."

Saul frowned, "I was never told that."

"It wasn't supposed to be known at the beginning.,"Sophie sighed, "I didn't even know until right before my dad died, but then everything changed and you and I became,--"

"Enemies."

"I've had to lie to myself for so long,"Sophie didn't look at him, she kept her gaze on the letter, "I had to pretend like I never wanted you or that we were never meant to be and that's what I still have to do, Saul."

Saul furrowed his brows, "Why?"

"Because you even said that this is what happens. This is the life we're in, Saul, no matter what I feel for you..."Sophie sobbed, "My heart broke when Eddie told me you and I wouldn't be together and I could never tell you. Ever. My heart's been broken ever since..." She handed the note back to Saul and wiped her face, "I have to pretend like I don't,--"

"Like you don't what, Sophie?"Saul pressed her.

"Like I don't love you."

Saul pulled her into his arms, "I love you, Sophie. I can't pretend that I don't."

Sophie trembled. All of the pent up anger and rage and sadness she'd felt came flowing through her again just like it did with Debra, but this was nothing except heartbreak.

"We can never be together, Saul,"She looked into his eyes. They were filled with more sorrow than she'd ever seen from him, "You know that. It doesn't matter that I love you. It never will matter to Eddie..."

"There's got to be something we can do,"He leaned in and kissed her, smashing his lips with hers so passionately that Sophie felt like she could die right there and she'd be fine with it. The only thing keeping her from floating away was Saul's arms wrapped around her.

She was safe.

"What if there isn't?"

Saul held her tighter. He said he'd do anything for her. What did that really mean, though? What would he be willing to do to keep them together?

"I don't know,baby..." He told her, cradling her in his arms, "All I do know is that they'll have to kill me before I'd ever let you go."