Busted
Sophie held on to her breath as she walked quietly down the flight of stairs. One small noise could wake anyone, and this would spoil her chance of escaping. The wooden staircase seemed a bit slippery near the end, where Sophie almost lost balance but thankfully caught on to the railing for support. When her foot landed on the ground, she breathed out in relief.
The wide hallway was silent against her breathing, which was all she could hear. Sophie looked to her right where a family photo hung. They all stood in a line, the older one's at the back and the young ones at the front. The boys wore surfing shorts, and the girls wore colourful sundresses. Smiles bounced on every single one of their faces showing the happiness that they felt at the beach.
Sophie walked up to the photo, and a small smile spread across her face. They looked like the super huge, perfect family you see on TV. Her life was never this perfect, but the downfall after that horrible incident proved to her that is will never be. Now Sophie was left alone; working full time shifts at Bill and Jill's Burgers to support and pay for that one mistake.
She whipped herself around to just run. Run from this entire place and never come back. Perfection...the only reason this family was perfect was because they had money. Money to blow everywhere. Enough money to go where ever their heart desired, whether it be the sunny Miami beaches, or the cold arctic to meet polar bears. They even had money to hire someone in their time of need and use them. A tear ran down her face, and she wiped it away immediately. Sophie had to stay strong, just like she has been for the past 5 years.
Sophie took a step towards the door, almost at the same time her purse smashed against a flower vase perched on a table under the picture frame. Remembering her good reflex skills in volleyball during her highschool years, she dove for the vase as it was inches to crashing with the ground.
Her hands reached for it almost at the right time, but a second too late. Sophie's mouth shot open in surprise as the vase shattered into a billion pieces. Her heart raced in her chest as she thought about what to do. Her eyes darted from the door to the broken vase, and a split second later she ran for it.
Sophie opened the door and bolted towards the gate, not daring to look back. When she was at the large white fence, Sophie began to panic. "Shit!" She pushed and shook but the fence just wouldn't budge. Sophie analyzed the height and made up a decision. Sophie couldn't go back, so she'd just climb over it. She grabbed on to a curved opening and pulled herself on to the fence. Her hand and feet worked at a fast but nervous pace as she worked her way up like she was climbing a gigantic mountain. Sophie's foot missed a curve and her heart jumped thinking she was going to fall. Sophie got her grip on the fence back, and made her way to the top. Sophie swung one of her legs around to the other side, and froze at the sudden sound.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" It was Nathan's dad standing at the front of the door.
Sophie's face flushed, and the thumping in her chest grew louder and louder by the second. She sat on the top of the 30 ft tall gate and looked down. "Oh god, please save me." And then she jumped...
Sophie heard a cracking sound come from her knee and the pain shot up, right before her eyes blacked out.
~
"Sophie?" A sweet voice spoke.
Sophie lay on Nathan's bed unconscious for a while even though she could hear all the murmuring and talking going on in the room. Sophie chose not to talk, mainly because she was afraid of having to explain herself.
"Sophie dear." Marie looked concerned.
"Is she dead?" Kaitlyn said trying to hide a smile.
"No! Why would you say that?" Leighton smacked Kate on the shoulder.
"Owe! I'm just asking."
"Keep your nit witty comments to yourself next time!"
"Or else you'll have watch Nathan freak out on you. Which actually would be pretty entertaining." Madeline pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose.
"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you? You little brat.. get out of my face before I freak out on you!" Kaitlyn shoved Maddy towards the door.
"Girls...shut up?" Derek huffed in annoyance as he continued texting.
"Put that thing away... you're being completely rude." Leighton stomped toward Derek and grabbed his phone away.
"You're being a completely annoying bi!ch!"
"Don't swear." Madeline interjected.
"Didn't I tell you to get out?" Kate pointed towards the door.
Clarabelle began to cry loudly at all the ruckus. She held tightly onto her blankee as she wondered around the room hoping someone would care about her and the fact that she's now upset.
Mathew looked at his little sister and whispered, "shhh. shhhh! The monsters gonna get you if you don't stop."
Claire whimpered. "Monsta? oh no."
"Yeah. so shh! Now come. I'll give you chocolate. I found it." Mathew smiled with all teeth.
"Okay." The two ran out the door, while all the others were too occupied with their own arguments to notice.
"Everyone get out! Sophie's not feeling well, and all of you are acting like a bunch animals." Marie turned around to face her kids. "I didn't expect this kind of behavior from you, especially when there's a guest here. All of you get out right now."
One by one they all walked out.
"Nathan. Honey, where are you going? When I meant everyone... I meant everyone except you. It's your wife here, you're at least allowed to be around her." Marie nodded towards her son, who was following the rest out the door.
"Oh yeah. And mom, it's fiancée." Nathan rolled his eyes.
"Yes, I know but she's going to be your wife soon. Well after she's better from this broken leg, you guys are going to get married. I planned everything." Marie gave an honest, happy smile.
"Mom don't get too excited. I'm not even thinking about the date yet."
"I know and you don't need to think about the date. I've already thought of one."
"Mom, don't go through all this trouble. Sophie and I will arrange everything ourselves." Nathan was getting frustrated.
"Oh it's no trouble. I want to make my son's wedding amazing... I want to do at least this much for you two."
Nathan sat at the end of the bed, and held his mother's hand. "Mom..."
"Nathan...please let me do this." Marie pleaded and Nate felt obliged to nod. "Thank you. I won't dissapoint my beautiful daughter-in-law, if that's what your afraid of." She chuckled softly.
Sophie couldn't do this. Her silence was going to get her in some deep shit. "Marie..."
"Oh Sophie dear. Are you alright?"
Sophie slowly looked up. Straight into the green,warm eyes of a mother. "Yes. I'm fine."
"Thank god." Marie breathed out in relief.
"Marie...ask her why she was climbing over the gate." Steve stood at the corner of the room.
"Yes hun...why?" Marie asked feeling pressured from her husband's demanding tone.
Sophie gulped. The man scared the gutts out of her. "I...uh..." She looked at Nathan who only huffed in annoyance. "well...the gate wouldn't open."
"Ask her why she needed to go outside."
"Sir... I...uhm..." Sophie looked at Nate, asking for help. He responded by looking away. "I have this...uh...it's a thing where I need medication...my throat feels clogged...and...I uhh....went to go buy it...it was an emergency...didn't want to wake anyone and the gate was.. uhh... closed."
"Ask her why-"
"Steve, let her rest. Honey, we'll get the medicine for you. Stay in bed, the doctor said you're leg is fractured and keeping it still will help heal it faster." Marie looked towards her husband. "We better leave these two alone." She stood up and walked out, while Steve stifly followed his wife.
Sophie tried to sit up but the pain forced her to lay back down. She grimmaced as her leg felt like it was being torn in half. Sophie put on a brave front while Nathan lingered around the room and as soon as he left, she broke into tears. She let it all drain out... the pain in her leg, the feeling that she's stuck here now, and the fact that she was now fully depended on someone else because of this stupid accident.
"Sophie... I can hear you crying." Nathan backed in to the room like he was standing in the hall this whole time.
"So? This is just another reason for you to make fun of me! Go ahead do it... im all ears!" Sophie sniffed.
Nathan rubbed his forehead. "I could complain about how your crying irritates me...or how you messed this up so bad... or how I knew you broke the vase and faked sleeping this entire time... or how it's your fault my mom is planning our wedding... But I wont, because inside all this is not a bad guy."
Sophie made a noise in the back of her throut in disgust. "I'll believe that the day I become a billionare!" She wiped the wet tears away from her face.
"You'd be one if you married me... which is not happening."
"Exactly. You tell your mom that." Sophie rolled her eyes.
"I'll try." Nathan looked down at his feet.
"You'll try? Say you will!" Sophie got up to shake some sense into Nathan, but literally screamed at the pain.
"Sophie!" Nathan was by her side now. "Here... let me help you up." He held on to her back and lifted her so she was leaning against the bed frame.
"I don't need your help." Sophie pushed him away, but after realizing it hurt too much to do it on her own, she was the one the hold on the his hand. "Thanks, I guess."
"Yeah. Guess now you know not to jump off of gates right?"
"Life lesson learn." Sophie said bluntly.
"We learn something new everyday. Even if it's something stupid." Nathan went around and sat on the other side of the bed.
"It's not stupid. It makes complete sense, if you were in my position."
"Oh yes. Makes complete sense." Nathan nodded sarcastically.
"It does! You wouldn't understand...it's not like you'd ever need to run from a house where your pretending to be their fiancée."
"True. But if I were... then I'd just use the door at the corner of the gate, and then walk away."
"What? There's a door? Noway!"
"Want me to show? There actually is." Nathan smiled.
"When I can walk... then I'll go see myself. If there actually is then that's so embarassing!" Sophie began to laugh at her stupidity.
Soon enough they were both laughing at the entire situation.
Nathan's phone on the bed side began to vibrate and he excused himself to answer. When he looked down at the caller ID you knew it couldn't be ignored.
"Hi baby..." Nathan's voice was sweet as he spoke into the phone.
A smile spread across his face when his girlfriend replied. "Nathan.. hi. How are you?"
"I'm fine. It's so nice to hear your voice again. I miss you."
"I miss you too."
Nathan glanced at Sophie who was sitting on the bed making sarcastic kissing noises to intimidate him. She fluttered her eyes continuously and was about to speak when Nathan quickly put his hand on her mouth. "I oot!" Sophie screamed under his hand's pressure.
"What was that?" Alexis asked on the other line.
"Nothing... just one of my sisters." Nathan clenched his teeth together and got off the bed, not before giving Sophie a dirty 'shut up' kind of stare.
"Ok... I can't wait to meet her. Well, I can't wait to meet your whole family that is. You should have took me with you."
Nathan placed his phone on his other ear. Now she decides to meet the family. Only if Alexis had told him this earlier, things would have been different. Way different. "I know. When the time is right... I'll bring you here."
"I'll be waiting."
"Ok Alexis. I love-" Nathan was interrupted by an obnoxious noise. Sophie's voice.
"Nathan! Come on... i'm getting bored. Let's get this party started already!" Sophie teased as loud as possible so Alexis could hear. In the end, she added a flirty laugh.
"Who's that?" Alexis's voice sounded worried. "hello?"
Nathan looked at Sophie and brought his hand to his neck, making 'your dead' gestures.
Sophie laughed loudly and said, "bring it on baby." She was having way to much fun.
"Nathan...Let's get to the point. Are you cheating on me?" Alexis had this sturdy, demanding tone.
"Alexis... calm down. I'm not cheating on you, I never would." Nathan spoke tenderly.
"Ok... but-"
"I'll talk to you later. There's something I have to do." Nathan turned off his phone and placed it on the side table. He looked up and found Sophie sitting patiently, and the terror was so visible in her eyes.
"Hi." Sophie waved. "Nice weather we're having."
"Sophie... skip the bullshit. We all know you're gonna die today... whether you talk about the weather or not." Nathan cracked his knuckles.
"I know. It's really sunny." She tried to change the topic in order to save her butt.
Nathan moved closer to the bed, closing the gap between both of them.
"Let's get real...you wouldn't hit a girl." Sophie winced. and when the hand came flying forward in full speed she literally screamed.
Instead of actually hitting her, Nathan hit to bed frame inches beside her head. She was right...he wouldn't hit a girl. This was just a stunt to scare her. "Do something like that again, and this fists gonna kiss your forehead."
Sophie stared with shock. "Got it."
Nathan brushed his fingers through his hair and went to the other side of the room. There he got a bunch of clothes from the closet walked into the washroom. After a few minutes he was dressed and ready to go out on a skiing trip.
"You look fat." After Sophie had said it.. she regretted her words thinking a punch was on the way.
"I'm going skiing. I'm wearing clothes to keep me warm.. what you're wearing is body fat." Nathan replied smoothly.
"I'm not fat!" Sophie looked down at her belly just to make sure.
"Well you will be if you keep eating the way you do...like a pig."
Sophie sunk under the covers. Nathan saw the way she ate yesterday, maybe others saw as well.
Nathan waited a couple of minutes for her reply, but then he realized she had nothing to say. Instead of standing there awkwardly, he walked out of the room.
As soon as Nathan left, a head peered through the door. "Hi. Can I come in? I saw what just happened."