𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐮 + 𝐢

𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟒𝟗

【••JAMESON••】

Something’s wrong.

I’ve been having a weird feeling nagging at my chest since Sophia told me about her brunch with Richard.

I understand Sophia has been trying to bond with Richard since she was a child but I have a feeling this brunch will only ruin their bond.

It’s obvious I don’t like Richard. I didn’t like him the first time I met him but I didn’t say anything because no matter how much he hurts Sophia, she still respects him.

The call on Sophia’s birthday was suspicious at best. Sophia knows it but she ignored it because she wants a chance with him.

And now, she’s not answering my calls.

“Pick up. Pick up.” I keep saying as the call continues to ring.

“This is Sophia. Leave a mess-”

“Fuck.”

I hang up and call Liv. I grab my hair and release a heavy breath.

Please be okay, Sophia.

Liv picks up after a few beats.

“Hello?”

“Have you talked to Sophia?” I skip the formalities and ask ahead.

“Uh, I talked to her while she was on her way to Richard’s.”

“When was that?”

“An hour ago.”

Fuck.

“Why? What’s wrong?-”

“She’s not picking up her phone. I’m going to Richard’s.”

I hang up, tuck my phone in my pocket and run downstairs. I grab my car keys from the counter and run out of the house towards my car.

The ache in my chest continues to increase as I think about Sophia more.

I start the car and speed towards Richard’s mansion.

I call Sophia one more time while driving to the mansion but it goes straight to voicemail.

She’s fine. She’s okay.

No matter how much I try to reassure myself, it doesn’t work. I get more and more worried at every passing second.

When I reach Richard’s mansion, the guard doesn’t open the door. I roll down my window to talk to him.

“I need to talk to Sophia. Richard’s daughter.”

The guard frowns, “Ms Sophia left 30 minutes ago.”

Dread creeps in my veins as I process the guard’s words.

Ms Sophia left 30 minutes ago.

Liv talked to her an hour ago.

She’s okay. She probably went home.

The sound of my phone ringing brings me out of my thoughts.

I quickly grab hoping to see Sophia’s name flash on it.

Alan.

For some reason, seeing Alan’s name appear on my screen only makes the nagging feeling increase.

I pick up the phone and place it against my ear.

“Hello?”

A beat passes then a two.

Then Alan’s next words make my stomach drop.

Sophia’s in the hospital.

________

I have never driven so fast in my life.

I probably got multiple speeding tickets in one day. Some people honk and yell at me for driving like a maniac but I don’t fucking care.

All I can think about on the way is what Alan told me over the phone.

Sophia got into an accident.

She’s in the emergency room right now.

They’re performing surgery on her.

At every word that left Alan’s mouth, it got harder and harder for me to breathe. I asked him the name of the hospital and as soon as I got it, I rushed there.

The roads seem longer and at every passing second, I feel like I’m losing Sophia.

I push that thought out of my head.

No, Sophia will get through it. She’s a fighter.

She has to get through it because I don’t want to face the other news.

The hospital finally comes into view and I stop my car near the entrance. I rush out of the car and into the hospital lobby where I find Alan pacing around the room.

He stops when he sees me.

“Where is she?”

“They’re still operating on her,” he replies.

“How is she?” my voice shakes, even when I don’t want it to be.

Alan tells me everything the doctor has told him. By every word out of his mouth, my stomach continues to tie a harder knot.

The impact of the crash resulted in internal bleeding, bruises and neck injuries. When they pulled Sophia out of her crashed car, she was already out and bleeding. The doctor also mentioned that some pieces of the broken windshield might have gotten into her body.

“In other words, the doctor said, Sophia might not recover-”

“She will.” I cut him off.

A shadow passes through his face, “I hope.”

Silence falls between us. Alan’s words keep repeating in my head. The voices around us slowly vanish. The sound of my heart thumping increases in my ear.

Sophia might not recover.

She will. She has to.

Because if she doesn’t, I’m following her to wherever she ends up.