Seven Souls

Where is Sophia?

Christiana’s POV

I stared at the peaceful sunset—the sun sinking into the horizon where the ocean and the sky met, filling the sky with the beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and blue. This was my favorite kind of spending time. It comforted me, another type of comfort other than the one Sam gave me.

Yeah, it took my brain off about my current problems, and it had been a while having fresh air rather than the smell of hospitals.

It has been like what? Five days. Sophia didn’t contact me for five days, and my sister couldn’t visit me regularly because then Sam would suspect us.

If I just told him the truth… Jesus, everything could’ve been much easier.

The sound of the waves crashing together snapped me out of my thoughts. The waves got more violent as they got closer to the shore.

Only for Alec to snap me out of my thoughts as he touched my shoulder, taking a seat on the bench while I was in the stupid wheelchair. Of course, I didn’t leave the house on my own.

Sam wouldn’t even let me leave through the front door without having someone babysit me. He was treating me like a kid, and I hated every second. I understand he was afraid, being very cautious with me.

I wasn’t used to this—used for someone to take care of me.

“I didn’t find cookie dough, so I brought you chocolate instead,” his deep voice crackled through the air, and I glanced at him as he handed me my ice cream.

“Thanks,” I murmured, settling my gaze on the relaxing sunset.

Why was I with Alec? Well, it was Sophia’s request to go out with him—they had that sort of friendship bond, more of acting like siblings.

They are just close and after the accident; they became distant—thanks to the coma. Then the week Sam spent with me in the hospital before I finally got out.

Alec crashed by, and just ordered me to get ready because we were going for a nice ride, then have lunch together—instead, we got stuck in a traffic jam.

Sam let him take me, seeing that I needed fresh air to clear my mind, and change the depressing mode of staying in bed—in home generally.

And after what Kylie told me about him, I wanted to have this alone time with him even more than before. I needed to know the man who broke my sister’s heart at the airport and got me to change my destination.

“Burger or Pizza?” He randomly asked, trying to fill the silence with any conversation.

“Burger,” I answered, licking the chocolate ice cream—a shiver traveled down my spine as the cold material touched my tongue.

“Is there something bothering you?” I asked, trying to match Sophia’s caring tone.

“I could ask you the same, Sophie,” he retorted, and I busied myself with finishing my ice cream.

I knew why Sam wanted us to get out. He wanted answers he thought I wouldn’t give him, but I would give to Alec—I seriously need Sophia’s guidance right now.

He placed his hand on my knee, and my gaze snapped to him, finding his worried gaze on me. “The accident wasn’t your fault, Soph, and losing the baby, either. You need to let someone in because we can help you.”

Well, Sophia indeed let Sam in—they f****d right after she was out of the hospital. I understand they needed that type of comfort, but I didn’t have to get traumatized for it.

Sam’s naked form was engraved in my mind forever now—living there rent-free.

I clamped my lips together, lost in my thoughts—like what am I supposed to say? He was trying to comfort his soon-to-be sister-in-law, and she wasn’t here at the very moment.

And all I was thinking at the moment was to spill everything—hey, Alec, I’m Christiana. My soul jumped in Sophia’s body, and we are currently sharing the body.

I know where I will find myself—the psychiatric ward. My story wasn’t believable—hell, this entire situation wasn’t even believable to a human mind.

Why didn’t I die? Why am I alive? The spiritual guide must’ve had some answers for me, and this was why I desperately needed to find her.

I haven’t heard a word from Sophia since our last encounter—she showed up in the bathroom’s mirror four days ago, but I ignored her. Sam was right outside the bathroom, and I couldn’t simply talk to her.

Now I’m thinking what if she had something important for me, and I just ignored her. I don’t even feel her around as before—or her feelings. It was like she was gone.

I let go of my lips, and a long sigh escaped my lips—Alec was watching my moves up closely, waiting for something—waiting for me to break down and tell him everything.

I remember what Sophia told me about her relationship with him—he was like one of her brothers—they had a rough start, Sophia being a secretary, dating his brother. He thought she was securing the bag—a gold digger.

But then they became friends, and Sophia became the sister he never had. I liked their friendship.

The one I’m going to ruin if I don’t speak up.

“I’m fine, Alec. I just need some time alone to…” I paused, lowering my gaze to his hand that was still on my knee.

“I need some time alone to heal mentally and physically—my body is still processing what happened, and Sam is fretting over this, but I swear I’m okay,” I assured, forcing a smile for him—to let him know I was okay.

Actually… I wasn’t okay. This whole situation was tiring me. Dying for a while, then becoming alive again—it was tiring. Ever since I woke up, I have had nightmares of the accident—playing repeatedly in my mind.

I lifted my gaze, already finding him waiting for me to look up. “Are you-“

“If something is bothering me, I’ll come to you, okay?” I cut him off, and he nodded with hesitation. “Now, let me finish my ice cream in peace,” I grumbled.

He stroked my knee before moving his hand away, turning his gaze to the calming view.

“So, you never mentioned you had a girlfriend…” This was me trying to get some information about how my sister got herself knocked up.

I wasn’t keeping up with her dating life, so I didn’t know she was seeing someone—after hearing her announce her 8th break-up, I kind of stopped listening.

Getting pregnant, or even having a family, wasn’t a plan of hers—not after what we went through as kids.

“I told you about her, silly,” he quipped, and I lifted my eyebrows, tilting my head as he glanced at me. “I just didn’t mention her name.” He asserted.

“She was my agent, and we were dating for publicity… it was to help me with my career—anyway, I f****d it up, and she’s pregnant,” he confessed, turning his full attention to see my reaction.

There was more of his story, but he wasn’t telling me, and so was Kylie.

“Well, I won’t pressure you on telling me the rest, but she’s a nice person, Alec. Take care of her for the sake of your kid,”

“What did you do to old Sophia? She used to pressure me for answers.” A low chuckle crackled past his lips.

Yeah… write that down—Sophia is a pain in the ass. I noted mentally.

“With Kylie being pregnant with your kid, and you mistreating her—I’m approaching cautiously,” I quipped, and he rolled his eyes, leaning back on the uncomfortable bench.

“She already complained to you…” he breathed.

I glanced at the nearly done ice cream, groaning mentally as it was melted ice cream now.

“She mentioned you caring about the baby-“

“I messed things up at the airport when she told me the news. I told her to get an abortion if she wanted our relationship,” he cut me off, and slowly I realized Kylie was lying to me, so she wouldn’t add her problems to mine.

I clenched my hands, forming two fists to stop myself from hitting him—or punching him. Yeah, I wasn’t currently able to hold my body still, but I could teach him a lesson.

Realizing if I’m gone any day now, Kylie would be alone.

“I hurt the woman I love because I’m afraid of this foreign feeling, and now she hates me.” He continued with a pained look—the guilt laced in his voice.

His words revoked whatever I had planned in those seconds.

“You two lost your baby, and now I feel guilty about this whole pregnancy-“

“You told her to get an abortion before the accident, and before you knew I was pregnant. Don’t mix up things and work on apologizing,” I cut him off—my voice high pitched as I let my anger get to me.

Deep down, I know Sophia would’ve told him the same. Yes, she lost her baby, but she wouldn’t wish for anyone to lose theirs. She wasn’t cruel.

“Jesus, thanks for the extra guilt,” he remarked with an eye roll, and I punched him in his shoulder which literally did nothing to him—he was twice Sophia’s size, and as muscular as Sam, maybe even more since he was modeling.

He got on his knees in front of my wheelchair, taking the now molten ice cream from my grasp, and placing it on the bench—he grabbed my hands in his warm ones, caressing the back of my hands with his thumbs.

“I took you out so you could change the depressing setting. Please cooperate with me, and let’s enjoy the rest of the day,” he pleaded—I narrowed my eyes sharply at him, sighing loudly before nodding.

If he could make me happy, why can’t he do the same to my sister? He looks honest about his feelings, and I know he won’t lie to Sophia.

“Promise me you will fix things with her,” I startled him with my words—not that he was expecting them.

“I’ll try, and hopefully she is willing to have me back,” he reasoned—his voice was calm, still trying to be gentle as much with me.

“Great, let’s go to Burger King, or McDonald’s—oh, I’ve been craving for In-N-Out burgers,” I tried to change the mood—and it worked. My excitement made him chuckle.

How I despised Sophia for the number of people who cared about her while I only had Kylie—who was now on her own.

I’m rooting for him to make up for her.

∆∆∆∆

“How was the day with Alec?” Sam asked as he helped me out of the shower.

And no, I wasn’t naked. I had the towel securely wrapped.

I wasn’t very comfortable around him like that, especially when their love language is touching physically.

But I’m sick—I’m sick of him treating me like a princess—even better, as his queen; he was literally the best, but not for me.

He was one of those men that are too good to be real.

“It was good—refreshing from staying behind these walls,” I answered casually—he was about to lift me off, but I grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?” My annoyed voice made him roll his eyes.

“The therapist wants me to walk around, and I called you, so you could help me walk to the room without you lifting me like the damsel in distress,” I emphasized as he walked us to my room.

He kissed my head, sitting me down on the edge of the bed before going to the wardrobe to bring out my stuff. “I’m sorry, princess. Can you blame me for being extra protective?” He asked, glancing at me with a spontaneous smile.

“I know you pushed Alec to check on me,” I pointed out, and he peeled off his gaze—hearing his loud sigh.

“You’re shutting off your feelings. I know we shouldn’t have had s*x because of your recent heart surgery, and I believe it got things worse-“

Sophia barely survived this accident. I’ve been keeping up with her health status, and they aren’t at their finest. She had open-heart surgery, and surgery on her brain to release the fluid—there was a huge ongoing list of surgeries over the month she stayed in a coma.

“Slow down,” I interrupted him, and he turned around with my clothes in his grasp. “I’m processing what happened… s*x was for comfort, and it kind of helped me,”

It traumatized me, but that wasn’t our subject. He walked to me and squatted, placing the clothes right next to me—taking one hand in his grasp. “My heart is okay, and if I feel anything, or pain, I’ll tell you immediately,” I reassured him.

I had to say anything to get him off my back, and it worked like a charm as he got up—pecking my lips in a quick kiss, then kissing my forehead—longing for this one.

My stomach tightened as I felt the butterflies swarm in my insides—I hated those butterflies.

Where are you, Sophia, when I need you?

Five days with no answers is way too long—I’m losing my mind because what if she was gone, and I failed her?

No, she will be back. I just need to have my hopes up for her.