Twice The Trouble Book 2 of 2: Twice The Love

Chapter 26: Window Cracks

Sophia

Friday Morning.

Dressed in my Snack Attack uniform of a teal visor and matching polo, black slacks and white tennis shoes, I merrily hummed under my breath while I dutifully wiped the L-shaped counter in front of me.

"Someone woke up on the right side of the bed today. Whose bed?" commented Laurence, his gray eyes taunting me from the wide square window of the fully furnished kitchen. He was the cook, and despite my negative first impression of him, I couldn't deny that he was very talented in culinary arts, which led me to wonder why he selected a business course and not in H.R.M. or N.H.M.

"MY bed, Laurence." Even his constant innuendos couldn't ruin my light mood. "Where else?"

Immediately I regretted the ambiguous query, because Laurence easily flashed me a smirk. "Your so-called boyfriend's bed?" he retorted.

In spite of my flaming cheeks, I narrowed my brown eyes at him from behind my rimless eyeglasses. It was a slow morning. There wasn't much of a crowd, but that was normal.

People frequently piled into the diner at lunch time, and it proved hectic for us.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded tersely. Through my peripheral vision, I could see my twin sister making a supreme effort to reign in her chaotic temper.

Sandwiched between me and Stacy, Felicia gave a derisive snort. "Seriously, Sophia?"

I craned my neck to my right. "What?" I asked in a curt tone.

Felicia tossed her long black ponytail over her shoulder, her gray eyes on my brown ones.

"You two barely have time for each other. If you're not in school,you're here at work. And if he's not at managing his future empire, he's drowning in his academics. On top of that, you also help out with the bakery.. spend time with your family.. you're also the E.I.C. of the school magazine.. who knows how long you two will last?" she opined.

Each word was like a dagger stabbing my heart. I opened my mouth to retaliate, but closed it again. I didn't know how to respond. I didn't even know how to feel: Angry? Shocked? Indignant?

I was rendered speechless.

Until a small flock of one guy and two girls fell into a queue at my lane.I thought it was weird because the other two could have lined up at Stacy's and Felicia's lane until the group of close friends asked me to autograph their copies of my latest bestseller "My Name Is Siren."

I politely agreed to have them take a group picture with me, after which they ordered a bunch of fries, burgers, and iced teas, which I felt like a way to appease me.

The second the flock of my admirers searched for a free table, I swiveled to frown at Felicia. "There is no such thing as an easy relationship," I robustly said to her. "It's not about the hardships, it's about being with the right person to withstand it all. And no matter what dilemma or hindrances we encounter, Lucas and I won't--"

Laurence scoffed, giving me a resentful scowl. "Your words mean nothing unless you fulfill them, Sta. Ana." He crossed his arms. "Don't get all noble and virtuous because the time will come where you have to make hard choices and you'll shrink back and fold."

His voice was so harsh, his gray eyes sharp, I felt my heart and stomach plummeting.

Stacy's ice blue eyes snapped with fire as she whirled around to face Laurence, who was sneering at me from the kitchen order-window, like in Sponge-bob Square-pants.

"Listen you--" she began angrily,but Felicia interrupted her bubbling tirade. "Hold it!"

My pretty blonde sister glared at her raven-haired co-worker. "What?" snapped my twin.