Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 38

Not bothering to greet the hostess and her queen consort friend, Emilia, Sophia looked around before grabbing another glass.

Her one coping mechanism was drowning herself in alcohol.

“Well someone’s going heavy on the bubbly,” a voice chimed in.

“Shut it,” Sophia answered instantly, knowing exactly who it was.

“Nicholas, I don’t have time for your judgement. I have problems that need solving,” she retorted.

She stopped and thought about it.

“Although, you’re right,” Sophia said, nodding.

Nicholas tilted his head, confused by her sudden change in decision.

“I’m definitely going to need something far more stronger than champagne,” Sophia said decisively.

Nicholas blinked. That was not what he meant at all.

He watched whilst Sophia poured herself whiskey in a shot glass.

“And drowning yourself in champagne is what you think will work rather than facing whatever problem it is you’re facing head on?” He asked, trying to be the voice of reason.

Sophia stared at Nicholas before she chugged down a glass of whiskey.

She noticed Nicholas’ look of concern.

“I’ve been drinking since the moment I was allowed to, I can handle two glasses,” Sophia said confidently. She felt fine. Slightly more energetic, but relatively fine.

Once she finished the shot glass of whiskey, she placed the glass down, proceeding to refill it, much to Nicholas’ dismay.

“Windsor, that’s really not the best idea,” he warned one last time.

Sophia looked at him reassuringly.

“I’ll. Be. Fine.”

She hesitated upon drinking a third glass, before her gaze landed on Clarisse beaming, talking to Julia and Louis.

She immediately took the shot of whiskey.

Nicholas, him not being too big a fan when it came to alcohol, asked, “So, how do you feel?”

Sophia grimaced.

She felt an alcohol buzz. The alcohol had hit her. Her body felt warm and somewhat cozy. She didn’t realize what a terrible idea taking two shots and a glass of champagne was… for now.

“I’m buzzed,” she answered truthfully.

In a matter of minutes, Sophia had already begun acting under the influence of good ol’ alcohol, clearly inebriated. She’d expected this to happen, but not for Nicholas to witness everything.

It turned out she wasn’t too alcohol tolerant after all, despite the fact 2 glasses of champagne and whiskey was enough to take her out.

“I drank that too fast,” Sophia said, shutting her eyes.

Nicholas raised his eyebrows.

Louis happened to pass by, still unaware of his sister’s state of mind.

“Soph, Nicholas,” he greeted.

Nicholas acknowledged him, whilst Sophia opened her eyes and told him, “Heeeeeeey, you look like someone I know. Do we know each other?”

She’d slurred her words, and Louis noticed the two empty glasses on the bar table.

Louis’ jaw dropped.

“Hold on, are you drunk?” He asked, his eyes darting to Nicholas as if he was to blame, when Louis knew he wasn’t. It was simply his brotherly instincts acting up.

Sophia tilted her head.

“Aaaaam I?” She asked, slurring her words and unbalanced.

She tried saying a word, before noticing she was slurring her words.

She attempted it again, the result was no different.

Louis stifled a laugh.

“My sister, drunk.”

“Never seen that before.”

Someone tapped his shoulder and he turned around. Someone whispered something into his ear.

“Soph, stay here,” he ordered. He’d be back to bring her back to the palace.

“And you, make sure nothing happens to her or I’ll have your head,” he ordered Nicholas.

Nicholas looked at him with a blank expression.

‘Don’t leave me here with her while she’s like this,’ his blank expression screamed, although it was too late. Louis had already left.

He looked at Sophia, wondering why he decided to get involved with whatever she was going through when he could’ve chosen to stay out of it.

He’d already tried to leave. But Sophia stopped him, clinging onto him as if he were some big teddy bear she couldn’t let go of.

His gaze returned to Sophia, who at the time, was both laughing and crying.

“Clarisse won’t even talk to me because I’ve ruined our friendship,” Sophia said, spilling some whiskey to the carpet as she swished it around.

Nicholas winced, “We should get alcohol as far away from you as possible,” he said as he took the glass she held and moved it somewhere else.

Nicholas knew Clarisse was a friend of Sophia’s, as she told him, and he realized why she’d gotten drunk in the first place.

Nicholas’ eyes darted to the royals nearby. They’d been staring at Sophia.

Sighing, he suggested, “And, we should probably get you out of here as well.”

Sophia snorted, “Me, out of here? Why? I’m perfectly fine.”

Nicholas shook his head, “No you’re not, you’re drunk.”

He scanned the surroundings for Louis, who was better suited to be seen ushering his sister home rather than him. A stranger she’d barely known.

Unfortunately, Louis was nowhere in sight.

He realized that waiting for Louis would be a terrible idea. Beldovia’s own duchess being seen behaving in a non-royally manner was not what Beldovia needed as of now. And God forbid Emilia, or Margaret see Sophia like this.

He ushered Sophia out of the room discreetly. Sophia put up a fight, but it wasn’t anything Nicholas couldn’t handle.

“Come on, we’ve got to get you out of here,” he said, moving her hand around his neck so he’d be able to support her since she’d been stumbling and close to falling over. Her heels didn’t help.

Sophia made a face at him, “I’d be madder at you if you weren’t so handsome.”

Nicholas pretended not to hear what she’d just said.

‘She didn’t mean that, she was drunk,’ he convinced himself, even though he knew he was misleading himself.

“Get your hands off of me you sicko, I know you’re trying to kidnap me,” Sophia blurted aloud.

Nicholas blinked. He was fortunate he thought of bringing her someplace else or that would’ve been a disaster.

“I am not a sicko, and I am not trying to kidnap you. I’m trying to get you out of here,” he said defensively.

Sophia answered, “Sure, hotstuff.”

By then, Nicholas had brought her to one of the more private lobbies of the mansion. The royal car had been waiting for them, as per Nicholas’ request.

“In you go,” Nicholas said as he opened the car door for Sophia.

Sophia pouted before she entered the car.

Nicholas entered the car, sitting beside her.

“How cruel of you,” she said, crossing her arms, looking out the window.

Sophia suddenly had the urge to move and bend over. She had involuntary stomach reflexes and quickly realized what was to happen.

Nicholas was about to say something before Sophia opened the car door and retched.

Nicholas winced. He resisted the urge to gag.

“This is going to be one long car ride,” he said dreadfully, looking over at Sophia right as the car began to drive.