Axel's POV:
"Okay, mom just tell me when you're ready and I will bring her over."
My mom just looked at me lovingly, and hugged me without a warning.
"I've never seen you like this honey. So... happy and at peace. She must really mean a lot to you." She cupped my face, and stroked my cheeks like she did since I was a baby.
Naturally, I blushed. Whenever I thought of her, I always felt giddy and warm and I guess it showed on my face.
"She really is, mom. And I know for a fact that you would love her."
"I already do darling. Let me just straighten a few things out with your aunt and grandma first and I'll come find you both, okay?"
By 'aunt', she was referring to Spencer's mother, AKA her sister; Meredith De Leon. They've been arguing about who should be CEO of my late grandfather's electronics company. My mom is the eldest, so naturally it should be her, but my aunt said she has experience being a CEO because she owns a jewelry line, and my grandma has been trying to be a mediator but all their arguments end in yelling. As if my mom wasn't singlehandedly running my dad's LA branch of whatever company he owns. As a result of this mini feud, her and her son don't like us very much and we don't like them much either. By 'we' I mean just me; my mother's too much of a saint to hate anyone.
Since she was too nice, she saw that this party was a good time to invite my dad to make up for things. I saw the exhaustion in her eyes, trying to raise five adult kids the past years, and I knew that I owed it to her to try and accept him back in to our lives. She knew how he abandoned me because she lived it with me, how I eagerly waited up for him when he never even showed up. How I used to look for him in the crowd during my basketball games, but he was never there. Eventually I stopped looking out for him, and I knew that I never wanted anything to do with him again. I got a full ride athletic scholarship to university, and played all four years, I had enough people rooting for me then that I didn't feel the need to even look for him. I excelled at all my classes and I'll be graduating Magna Cum Laude this year, again no thanks to him. I did that myself, with my own effort.
The only reason I felt the need to reconcile with him was for three reasons. One, because he decided to be a part of my siblings' lives which meant that I would be seeing him a lot at our house; his house. Two, my mom loves this man more than anything in the world, and it really took a huge toll on her when he was gone half the year, and I love her too much to stand in the way of that. Third, and the most important reason, was that it made Sophia happy. She didn't even know him personally, but she insisted that I fix it with him. Two ladies that mean a lot to me, three if you include my sister, so I decided to bury the hatchet and turn a new page.
I was never this touchy feely before, and for reasons unknown, it really bothered me. Sure, I'm nice and whatnot, but changing my life around for a girl has never been a thing for me. Yet, somehow this girl managed to quite literally wrap me around her little finger and the worst part is; I don't seem to mind. It just dawned on me that I forgot her standing outside, looking all gorgeous in that emerald green dress. I mean she looked wonderful in everything she wore, even her plain black hoodie that she wore to work half the time. I can't pinpoint one thing I adore about her, it's just her. Her smile, her eyes, her hair, the way she blushes when I say something remotely kind to her, the list went on and on.
I caught myself smiling in the mirror, like a psychopath, and went back to baseline. Speaking of her, I totally left her out there on her own. I knew she wasn't very social because she always had her eyes down and seemed to mind her own business when she had no customers. She always kept to herself, and was kind with everyone; but she wasn't a pushover. It still killed me that I called her that last week. The look on her face broke my heart, I should have never said anything to her. Even though she refuses to tell me why she is the way she is and why her walls are way up high, I know that she tries very hard to look and act tough. Despite the act, she is just a squishy marshmallow inside, even if she didn't want to show it. I know it, and that is all that matters.
I left the room and went out to look for her. I got stopped by a few family members and acquaintances along the way to congratulate me for the opening of my company. It got tiring telling them that it still might be a long way to go, so I just gave in and thanked them. It was fifteen minutes later of constant talking and smiling, I managed to wriggle my way out. She was absolutely going to hate me for leaving her out in the cold like that. I went to the main area where I last left her, but she wasn't there. Weird, maybe she went to the washroom?
Yeah, she wouldn't know where that was buddy.
Oh, damn that's right. And I know for a fact that she wouldn't even think of asking anyone. Then where hell was she? I stood in my place and looked around me, turning around like a lunatic. Her emerald green dress, her sparkling jewelry, and her beauty would be very hard to miss. Don't get me wrong, my family is great and all, but their style is very bland. The prettiest people here were my friends. This girl was absolutely not here. I stood atop the stairs and took a look around; still nothing.
"Yo, Nikol-idiot!" Only one person calls me that.
I turned around, to be met with God's most hideous creation, whose ear was somehow bright red...?
Didn't care honestly.
"What do you want now, Spence? I'm a little busy."
"I know. Your dumb girl did this to me." He said, pointing to his ear.
My girl? Did he speak to her? I grabbed him by his collar and pulled him inches from my face.
"What did you do to her you perverted freak of nature?!"
He raised his hands in defense.
"Hey! She was the one who hurt me, mate! Look at my ear! It's so red and swollen it swallowed my stud earring whole!"
That's my girl.
"She wouldn't do something like that unprovoked Spencer. So what did you do?" My blood was close to reaching its boiling point.
"Nothing! But she just went running down the stairs, her shoes and dress tail in hand. It looked like she was crying. I tried asking her what was wrong but she zoomed right past me. People were staring."
For the first time in his life, he sounded honest, mainly because he was scared that I'd screw up his other ear. I let go of his collar and he immediately walked away.
I heard him mumble 'what a couple of psychos', as he shook his head.
What the hell was she running from? Did anyone hurt her, or scare her? I left her by this table in front of me, and knowing her, she would've kept her head down. So what happened that she quite literally picked herself up and ran?
I called her phone; why didn't I think of that earlier? It rang for a few seconds then went to voicemail. I tried again two more times, until it just went to voicemail straight away. Now I was worried.
I took the stairs to the basement then outside to meet with the rest of the gang.
"Um, what did you do to my sister?" Asked Lara as soon as she saw a glimpse of my shadow. "I knew you'd be the death of her Nikolson!"
"Hey, hey, woah. I am looking for her. I told her to wait for me by one of the tables, but when I came back she was gone and my cousin told me saw her run away, on the verge of tears..."
"Call her phone!" Said Landon.
"Gee, why didn't I think of that sooner?"
"A simple 'I did' would've sufficed bro. Words hurt." He legitimately looked hurt.
"Not now man."
"Where could she have gone?" Asked Asma.
"Maybe, home?" Replied Marina.
"No, she wouldn't go home without me, we came with the same..." Lara looked at me, clearly thinking what I was thinking.
"The same car! What did your driver look like?"
"Mid sixties, white hair, Scottish accent. He said his name was McGiligan."
I never meet the drivers because there are just way too many and my failing memory would be of no use whatsoever.
"You guys can wait here, Lara and I will go find out what's going on."
We ran, correction, I ran and she slowly trodded behind me.
"Can you wait up Nikolson? I'm wearing heels buddy. These feet ain't rockets, their ageing grandma feet with advanced osteoporosis and arthritis." She said, panting and wincing the entire set of stairs we had to go up.
I chuckled, and came to a halt, she and Soph are the exact same. Same height, same build, same eccentric sense of humor and the exact same sarcastic nature. It was as if they were twins separated at birth.
"Let me hold those heels for you, and you can worry about holding on to your flowy princess dress."
I gave her a few seconds to gather herself, and I took that time to look around. That girl was nowhere to be found.
"Okay, let's go your highness." She said, handing me her heels. How the hell do girls walk in this willingly.
She then stopped in her tracks and looked at me.
"I'm sorry, it's just a habit. Any time someone talks to me in a British accent, I always mimic them and call them your highness." she chuckled.
"Don't worry about it." I laughed back. Honestly, I didn't even notice, I was pre-occupied with this whole scenario that made no sense to me.
Why would Sophia run off like that. I get that she didn't tell me, but how could she leave without letting Lara know what was going on? I would've assumed that she got herself kidnapped, but if she was running out, then there's a slim chance of that happening.
We descended the stairs outside to where the drivers were parked.
"Hello Mr. Nikolson, what can I do for you?" Said Jacob, our butler.
"Do we have a driver called McGiligan? He drove Sophia and Lara in." I replied.
He went through the names on the register he was holding.
"Ah, yes. Bernard McGiligan. He called us a half hour ago saying that there was an emergency and that he had to leave but would be back before the party ended. Did you need him for anything, sir?"
"No, thank you Jacob."
I helped Lara back up the stairs.
"I don't like what's going on, Axel. Something is definitely wrong. She turned off her phone, the driver is mysteriously gone. What if he took her?"
Before I replied, I got a text message.
From: Soph <3
Hey. I'm okay. Something happened. I just need time to process it before I can open up to you about it. PLEASE don't hassle McG about it. He doesn't know anything. xx
"Look at this." I showed her the message.
Her brows furrowed as she read it, tilting her head.
"Well, I mean, at least she's okay, right?"
I didn't reply.
"Axel? Yoohoo." She waved her hands in front of my face.
"Uh, yeah. Of course. As long as she's okay."
I must've looked different, because she gave me a look. She dragged me to a table on the first floor terrace and sat me down like a little child.
"Look at me Nikolson. You have to communicate with me here. Why do you look like that? What are you not telling me?"
I trust Sophia, and she wholeheartedly trusts Lara, therefore I guess I should too.
I sighed, already feeling my heart clench at the memory.
"When I was 23, there was this girl. I was absolutely crazy about her. I loved her so much, that I was pretty much blinded to everything else. My mom didn't trust her, and neither did Landon. Of course, I couldn't see it, and I ignored them. We met initially on campus, she used to study architecture, so we ran into each other in the engineering building a lot. We became friends very fast, because there was just something about her that I found interesting and charming. Within a few months, I knew that I wanted to marry her, so I proposed. She said 'yes', but my mom, her husband, Landon and even Nate were appalled and completely against it. They said that she's just using me for my money and my family name, and that she didn't really love me. Regardless of what they thought, I still really loved her. So three years ago, I invited her to our family winter party and that was the last time I saw her. She disappeared, packed all her clothes, and car and house and family and fell off of the face of the planet; the exact same way Sophia disappeared. I'm really beginning to think that it's just something to do with me?"
I didn't see it coming but she smacked the back of my head.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?"
"Stop wallowing in self pity, man. You and I both know Sophia isn't like that and that she would rather die than hurt your dumbass. She'd actually rather hurt me than do that to you. I'm really sorry about your other girl, but to be honest everything just seems so weird to me. Don't you think it was weird that your entire family rejected her and somehow she ended up disappearing? If she made it to the party, how did she leave? What was the last place she was seen? You're a smart dude Axel, but back then you were an idiot in love. Now, you have us to help you."
"Help me with what? I don't think I want to see her again after what she did. Whatever, Sophia is my main concern right now."
Lara stared into space, and it looked like something just clicked in her brain.
"Do you have security cameras?" She asked.
"Uh, yeah. We do, around the main hallways where we host the parties. We can check there?"
"Are you waiting for a formal invite Nikolson? Move it!" She's worse than my basketball coach.
"Okay, okay!" Still carrying her heels in my hands, we made our way to the security room behind the gates of the house.
The security office had its own mini kitchen and washroom, and they somehow always kept it super clean and tidy. Meanwhile, my brother's room looked like a toxic dump site where shady scientists conducted illegal experiments.
I knocked on their door, and the head of security, Demetri, opened it.
"Everything okay Mr. Nikilson?" He asked, his eyes darting to Lara and back at me.
"Yeah, I just need the surveillance footage for the past hour. Mainly at the main hall on the first floor." I replied.
"Sure, come on in." He moved to the side, allowing us to come in.
There were three of them in there. Demetri, the head of security, Nicola, and Armand. The rest were outside around the house and by the entrance.
"Okay, sir. Here it is." He got up, and Lara and I sat on the chairs.
"Wow, her dress really is beautiful." She said, admiring Soph's appearance.
"Can we focus please?"
"Sorry."
"Okay, so that's me and her. I told her to wait there so I can go get my mom. Dumbass Spencer said he didn't talk to her what the hell?" I'm going to kill him.
He said something to her, and I saw her demeanor change, like she was repulsed by him. Somehow she still ran her hands up his cheeks.... oh that's why! She yanked his ear to her level and clearly threatened him; that's my girl! I fast forwarded a little and that's when it happened.
She followed me down the hall, and she stood outside the room where I was speaking with my parents. I don't know what happened exactly, or what she heard, but five minutes later, she took a few steps back, like she was in shock or something.
What the hell did she see?
"What on earth went on in that room?" Asked Lara. I totally forgot she was with me for a second.
"It was me and my parents. They were telling me about investors for my company, nothing too crazy."
I saw her looking at me from my peripheral vision. I side-eyed her a few times before I turned to her.
"What, Lara?"
"Are you sure, you're going to be the head of a whole company? You don't think any of this is suspicious?" She said, like I was the dumbest dummy of the world.
"Any of what? Can you please speak English?" I actually felt dumb.
"I swear if anything happens to Sophia because you're slow, I'll kill you myself. Your parents didn't approve of your previous girl and she disappeared, and now the last thing Sophia saw or heard before she ran out was your parents. Do the math buddy." She said, patting my back like I was one.
"There's no way..." But then I remembered what Spencer said about my dad doing questionable things. Could this be one of those weird things?
"What? You're running a play in your head. What are you thinking?"
"It's just something Spencer said that last time I took Sophia out..."
"Spencer? Your pervert cousin?" She asked.
"Yea. He said how could I show my face out in public, in the midst of all the creepy things my dad does. Obviously I didn't believe him, and I still don't. My dad is not a killer."
Or is he? What has he been doing all
these years that he wasn't home?
No. I promised my mom I would give him a chance and she trusts him with her life. There's no way he made someone disappear. Right?
"She texted us and said she'd tell us what happened when she processed it. Let's wait for that to happen. Maybe we're just blowing this way out of proportion." Said Lara, but she sounded even more unsure than I did.
I wasn't sure of anything anymore, but I decided to wait for Sophia. I promised her that I would always wait for her. No miscommunication will ever come between us.
I'll wait for her; always.