Twice The Trouble

Chapter 69: The Cage

Sophia

The water made me think of Titanic minus the iceberg and depressing loss of Jack Dawson.

I am completely submerged in a freezing body of water. My brown hair was lank like raw pasta and my face was drenched with chilly water. From the neck down, I was becoming numb, but I was so close to the limestone cove. Just a few more laps, I reminded myself.

"OW!" I hissed out when a sharp rock cut my right leg, just above the ankle. My brown eyes widened in fear and alarm when something red invaded the water. It was my blood.

I attempted to swim back to the shore--Maybe try to get Lucas' attention. But my entire system was paralyzed in coldness and my injury worsened my incapability to move properly.

"Shoot shoot shoot, Lucas was right," I whined as I winced in agony.

I was heaving in panic, the muscles in my body going tight and rigid. "Calm down, Sophia."

Talking to myself. That should do the trick. If I keep making noise, I'll remember I'm alive.

"Everything will be fine," I told myself. "It will all work out. Lucas will come rescue me. We'll go to our respective homes and forget this incident never happened. He's going.. he's going to to come here." My resolve wavered.

I could feel my throat acting up. "And he's going to become Stacy's boyfriend. I just want her to be happy. Don't be selfish, Sophia. Mama May was right. Not all stories have happy endings." One by one, tears spilled from my eyes and merged with the cerulean water.

"You love your sister," I said to myself. "And Lucas is a good person. They'll be great together. And I'm going to move on from this. I was able to turn down Liam. I was able to get over Dale. So why is it.. so hard.. to delete my feelings.. for a guy who likes my twin instead of me?" I sniffled.

"People are like clouds." My stiff body continued to float underwater. "Sometimes, the best way to lessen the burden in your chest is to let the rain fall."

I inhaled and exhaled, repeating the process. I clenched my teeth when my feet cramped up.

The salty water was swimming in my mouth and my head was slowly sinking by the seconds.

"Lucas, where are you?" I bawled.

And then the ocean dragged me down in its harsh embrace, like an anchor was tied to my ankle.

Salt water filled my lungs. The ice-cold temperature pierced my skin. Every inch of my body was paralyzed. All traces of light vanished as I sank lower and lower. Once by one, each of my senses faded out. Sound.. feeling.. vision.. leaving me with a mix of fear and helplessness in my stomach.

Then all I saw was black.

Lucas

I emerged from the ocean with an unconscious Sophia in my arms.

She was wet from head to toe, her chin was bowed down,her eyes motionless.

"You're going to be alright," I firmly said to the limp girl I was carrying.

I gingerly deposited the brunette inside the passenger seat of my white mustang.

With lightning speed, I gathered her stuff from the sand and put them in the trunk.

I climbed into my car and drove to the nearest place I could reach so I could treat her wound. The mansion.

Sophia

I was moving. But not moving.

Hmm. Kind of sounds like a riddle.

How can someone be in motion but not in motion?

When they're inside a car.

Slowly, I fluttered my eyes open and turned to see Lucas sitting behind the wheel.

I coughed into the back of my fist and spluttered out salt water. "Where are we?"

"Oh, thank God. You're awake." The black-haired teen exhaled in relief.

"Lucas.." My voice trailed off as I fixed him with a smile. "Thank you for saving my life."

He nodded but said nothing else. Was he mad or something?

I stole a glance at him. "Where are we going?"

"My house," he answered.

"Why?"

"It's closer than the hospital. I need to treat your cut."

"M-my cut?" I shifted my focus to my right leg, the middle part wrapped in white bandages which absorbed my blood, which explained the big red stain.

"Please, Sophia. Don't move around too much."

"I've never been to your house." I looked out the window to watch the scenery rush by.

"It's.. only twenty minutes away from your place. I just didn't see reason to mention it."

"Mm-hmm," I hummed.

"Sophia?" 

"Err.. what?"

"Could you look at me for a second?"

I turned to him. "Is something wrong?"

Lucas extended his arm and I reluctantly put my palm onto his. 

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before intertwining our fingers.

"You know I was worried sick about you, right?"

I glued my lips together, a cloud of guilt floating over my head.

"Worried, I'll believe. But sick? I don't know, Lucas."

His hand loosened from mine before he drove at a normal speed. He looked gloomy.

"You don't understand." He spoke in such a low voice I barely heard him.

"Lucas, I can't hear what you're saying."

"I said--"

"OW!"

He stopped the car on the side of a curb and his hands cupped my face and shoulders.

"What is it? Did your head get hit? Is your neck sore?"

I brushed off something from my eye and showed it to him. "A long lash fell on my eye."

"Oh for.. I don't know how much more I can take, Sophia."

"What do you mean?" I blinked thrice to make sure none of my lashes were going to fall.

Lucas told me to close my eyes,  and I obeyed,my heart racing inside my chest when I felt his fingers move across my cheeks to my jawline. His other hand caressed my eyelids.

"The disadvantages of having naturally long eyelashes," he remarked.

I opened my brown eyes only to see Lucas' face mere inches away from mine. He was so close I could see my reflection in his eyes.

His plump lips parted a little, and for one fleeting second, I thought he was going to kiss me.

"You should be more careful next time." He swiftly retracted his hands and resumed driving.

My entire face was red with mortification.

I coughed and cleared my throat before fastening my lips in a straight line, suppressing my tears. "I will," I replied, moving in my seat to concentrate on the trees and animals outside.

He was just checking my eyelashes. Nothing more.

I cursed myself for my stupidity.

After a few minutes, Lucas parked the car in front of a two-story mansion.

"We're here," he declared, helping me out of the white mustang.

This was his house? It's huge.