The Key ♕

19

Lucas's Point of View

"Sophie, are you hurt?" I ask frantically, pushing past a crowd of rude and whispering women.

I bend down next to her as she clutches her ankle. She looks confused, "I'm... fine."

"Your ankle?" I ask, placing a hand on her shoulder. As soon as I make contact with her skin, she looks up at me with her beady blue eyes. At that moment, it feels like we are the only two people in the world. All the hushed whispers and judgemental stares mean nothing to me.

"I think I just twisted it," she says, cautiously eyeing the people surrounding us.

"What's going on?" Nathaniel pushes through the crowd.

I suddenly realize what I am doing. Without thinking, I rushed to Sophie's side, completely disregarding the promise I made to myself to stay away from her. I shake my head furiously, "Nathaniel, take her back to her room." I turn to everyone else, "everything's fine. Sorry for the disruption."

The group of people disintegrates, leaving just the three of us huddled on the floor. Nathaniel immediately obliges, picking Sophie up with tremendous ease. He cradles her in his arms, and I can see Sophie blush madly. I frown as he walks away; seeing them so close - it makes my heart clench up.

"Dear cousin," Bradley's sickening voice startles me. "Well, what was that all about?"

"What was what about?" I ask, straightening my suit. I press my lips together in a straight line when I remember how I scratched Sophie with it earlier today.

"You seemed so worried," he says. "It was just a small fall."

"Well..." I rummage my head for a good excuse. "She looked like she was in pain."

"Did she?" He questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," I snap and I turn my back on him immediately to walk away.

"Is Sophie hurt? What happened just now?" Alice catches me speeding past a crowd of waiters.

"Someone accidentally pushed her to the ground. She thinks she just twisted her ankle. I asked Nathaniel to take her back to her room," I explain.

"Poor Sophie," Alice pouts. "Anyways, if she is with Nathaniel, she must be fine."

"I'm sure she will," I sigh. I walk away, wanting to get my mind off Sophie.

After countless moments of insincere socializing and mindless drinking of perhaps too much wine, I see Nathaniel walk back into the banquet hall. I storm towards him, "Nathaniel, where is Sophie? Why are you not with her? Is she alright? Is she hurt?"

He seems taken back by my bombardment of inquisitions. I step back, clear my throat, and straighten my suit jacket when I realize I am standing uncomfortably close to him. "Sophie told me she was fine. I kept on saying I will stay, but she insisted I come back to the ball."

"How can you leave her alone like that?" I pace around the doorway. "I'm going to check on her." 

With that, I rush up the staircase into her room. My heart is beating fast, but I doubt it is because of my running across the hallway.

Nobody is here. I even check in the closet and bathroom. No one. Where is she? My mind begins spinning as I pace around her room, pulling at my hair anxiously. I must calm down, but I can't. I must know how she is doing. My mind is spinning, my heart is racing - where is she? I need to find her. I can't stay away from her any longer.

I run down the hallway, asking every person and searching every room for her. alksdfa;sd

"Excuse me," I say to a nearby maid dusting the debris off of a flower vase.