Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 125
Sophia stepped out of the car.
She put her trembling hand in her pocket. Not now.
She took a deep breath.
Nicholas closed the car door for her, “You ready to go inside?”
Sophia stared at the palace.
“I am,” she mumbled.
She was about to enter the palace doors before they swung open.
“Miss Sophia!” She heard someone yell with excitement.
A grin immediately formed on her face.
She felt two tiny arms wrap around her waist.
“Hi Liv,” she greeted, ruffling Liv’s hair.
“Hi Sophia!” Liv greeted.
“Did you miss me? Did you miss me?” She asked, bouncing with excitement.
Sophia’s grin widened, “Of course I missed you!”
“I missed you tons, because you’re my favourite,” Sophia said, giving Olivia a hug.
Nicholas crossed his arms. He thought he was Sophia’s favourite.
He then realized who he was going up against.
“Come on, I want to show you something!” Olivia said, tugging on Sophia’s hand.
Sophia asked, intrigued, “And what is it do you want to show me?”
“You have to follow me to find out!” Olivia said cheekily.
Sophia nodded, “Oh, okay, then take me where is this thing you’d like to show me.”
She glanced at Nicholas, covering Olivia’s ears for a moment, “Between you and her, you know I’d chose you.”
Nicholas chuckled, watching as Sophia uncovered Olivia’s ears and followed her into the palace.
Sophia asked, “So Liv, where are you taking me?”
Olivia hushed her, “It’s a secret.”
‘More and more you’re sounding like your brother,’ Sophia mumbled as she followed Olivia through palace hallways and doors.
She wondered where Olivia would be taking her. She hoped, no pleaded it wouldn’t be the palace gardens.
She wasn’t quite ready to go there yet.
Yes, she’d agreed to come to Beldovia, but the memory of her getting shot was fresh in mind.
She was resilient, but that didn’t stop her from remembering what’d happened.
How Nicholas was almost shot.
She couldn’t care any less that she nearly died and had to be rushed to the hospital; she was more distraught over the fact Nicholas could’ve died had she not stepped in.
She didn’t come this far to only come this far.
She and Olivia passed the palace gardens.
She froze in her spot.
She stared at the spot. It’d been cleaned so there wasn’t any blood in sight, but… the feeling still lingered.
She’d felt as though needles had been injected into her spine. Did that make sense?
She sighed, shutting her eyes.
She couldn’t help but think of it.
Of Nicholas getting shot.
Over, and over and over again.
‘Make it stop,’ she said to herself.
“Why are you standing there?” She heard Olivia ask.
Sophia snapped out of it. She came to.
“Noting, dear, I’m just admiring the view,” she lied.
She knew it wasn’t good to lie to a child, but what else was she meant to say, that she was remembering the moment Nicholas – who also happened to be Liv’s brother – got shot?
No.
Liv had been kept in the dark. The staff weren’t allowed to tell her anything.
It was simple, considering no one wanted to tell Olivia either.
“Let’s go,” Sophia said cheerfully, trying to lighten up her own mood.
She held Olivia’s tiny hand and she brought her to her quarters..
“So why’d you bring me here, Liv?” Sophia asked, crouching to reach her level height-wise.
Liv grabbed a piece of paper from her desk.
“I drew this,” she said to Sophia, grinning proudly.
She looked at her creation with pride and absolutely no remorse.
The innocence of a child… it was refreshing to be around.
Sophia gazed thoughtfully at the drawing.
“Is that me?” She asked Liv.
Liv nodded, “It is!”
“I drew a picture of you!” She giggled.
A small smile grew on Sophia’s face, “It’s wonderful!”
“You’re a very talented artist,” she praised.
“Your parents must be so proud of you,” she added.
Olivia giggled, “They are!”
“Well, why don’t you draw a picture of your brother too?”
“You want me to draw my brother?” Olivia asked, her adorable eyes blinking at Sophia questioningly.
Sophia resisted the tempting urge to squeeze Olivia’s cheeks, she was so damn adorable.
“I do, Liv,” she answered.
“Want to draw with me?” Olivia invited her.
“That would be great,” Sophia said, watching as Olivia walked over to her drawing table that was scattered with crayons and pieces of paper all over.
She followed suit, pushed the chair away and sat on the floor whilst Olivia tried her best to draw a picture of her brother.
Sophia observed Olivia at work, wondering how she could’ve retained her innocence.
In a world filled with darkness… it was a wonder how they kept their innocence and joy.
How they were able to remain happy despite the troubles that were waiting for them… how they could be so resilient. They could get back up to her feet quickly and behave as though nothing had happened.
She respected them.
She watched as Olivia draw Nicholas’ face before she volunteered to help draw him.
They laughed while chatting about all their favourite things and Olivia asked Sophia questions regarding her relationship with her brother.
Of course, she was delighted to discover her and him were dating.
Overall, it was an amusing and splendid time.
She and Sophia had been communicating over the phone – they’d gotten decently close.
“You’re smiling,” Nicholas whispered to her.
Sophia responded, agreeing, “I am.”
“I had a lovely time with your sister,” she whispered to him.
Nicholas creased his brow.
Sophia chuckled.
“The fact she’s so adorable doesn’t help either.”
“You think I’m adorable?” Liv asked, her eyes glimmering.
“I do,” Sophia bopped her nose, succeeding in making Liv laugh.
“What did the both of you do?” Nicholas asked, looking back and forth in between his two favourite people in the world.
“We talked, and talked and talked. We even drew a picture of you,” Sophia said to Nicholas.
‘A picture of me?’ Nicholas whispered.
‘Yes,’ Sophia nodded.
‘Just go with it.’
‘She worked hard on it, babe.’
She corrected herself, ‘No, we worked extremely hard on it.’
‘You actually helped?’ Nicholas asked in a hushed tone.
‘Oh come on, can’t you pretend to act less shocked,” Sophia said dejectedly.
Nicholas put a hand to his chest.
‘I’m not shocked.’
‘Believe me, I’m not.’
‘I’m taken aback.’
‘I’m astounded,’ he said in fake astonishment.
He placed the back of his hand on his forehead in a dramatic manner.
“What are you doing?” Olivia asked curiously.
It took all of Sophia’s willpower not to double down and break into laughter.
Nicholas answered, telling Olivia, “I’m asking Sophia to see the picture you drew of me.”
“Can I see it?” He asked her.
Olivia nodded, before running off to bring him her drawing.
Sophia pointed in the direction Olivia had run off to.
“Shouldn’t we–”
Nicholas nodded, “We should.”
They ran after her.
Sophia warned, “Olivia don’t run down the halls!”
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Nicholas stared at the picture Olivia drew of him.
“What do you think, brother?” Olivia asked.
Nicholas praised, “It’s amazing.”
“Right?” Sophia asked.
Nicholas squinted at the picture.
He was drawn without a neck.
He winced.
Sophia nudged him in the shoulder.
__
Sophia moved her gaze someplace else.
She walked beside Nicholas and refused to look at the gardens.
Nicholas looked over at her worriedly. She’d refused to talk about it regardless how much times he asked.
He hadn’t gotten over it… but he wasn’t his first priority. She was.
He wrapped his arm around her neck.
“Want to go on a date with me?” He asked her, wanting her to think of something else.
Sophia smiled, “Of course I do.”
“Got any ideas?”
Nicholas repeated Sophia’s answer, “Of course I do.”
“What, do you have an endless list of date ideas?” Sophia asked him jokingly.
“I might have,” Nicholas said cheekily.
Sophia stared at him. She’d merely been joking, she hadn’t expected him to take this seriously.
“I’m not kidding,” Nicholas said to her seriously.
Sophia smirked, “Well then…”
“A date it is,” she declared.
“But, we’ve got to return to the palace early, what with Olivia’s birthday tomorrow.”
Nicholas kissed the back of her hand, “Of course, m’lady.”
“Just let me handle everything this one night,” he said.
Sophia sighed, nodding.
She decided to retreat to her quarters for a relaxing bubble bath to soothe and calm her down.
That’d hit the spot.
“I’ll get going now,” he said, kissing her on the forehead before leaving to go to his quarters.
She stared at the spot he once stood on before she whirled on her heel and headed to her quarters.
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