The words Ray spat at me were like a hot metal fist through my heart. It all first felt hot, but after he left, the pain started to set in. The immense amount of pain makes my head spin and the tears forming in my eyes sting. I said some things myself that I definitely regret, but Ray's words actually ripped me up inside.
I want to scream, cry, and just tear up everything in sight. I don't let myself do that. My feet stay planted to the floor, with my breathing getting intense. The thought of getting out of here intrudes my mind,and I whip out my phone to call someone.
I search through my phone and open my Lyft app. With the tears blurring my vision, I schedule my ride with a female driver. I feel like I'm about to faint because of all the emotions surging through me. I feel angry, sad, frustrated, and guilty. Guilt is a surprising emotion that runs through my veins, but it's true. I said things to Ray that I shouldn't have. I angered him, and it caused this whole mess of an argument.
While the emotions are mixing into a deadly potion, I check my Lyft app, and the driver is nearly here. I drearily pick up my feet and I carry myself downstairs. When I make my way to the front door, I turn my head to face the eerie silence. No one is really here in this part of the house, because the family room is next to the dining room. They're both on the upper level.
"Bye everyone. Nice seeing you all," I call, with my voice breaking. I trudge outside, where the car is patiently waiting for my arrival. I pull open the door and sit inside.
"Good evening, dear. Where to?" she asks. I tell her my address, and she starts to drive. I look out the window, and I'm processing everything that's happened. It feels like too much to absorb. I feel dizzy and a little nauseous. I don't know if I can even make it the whole ride.
"You okay, hun?" the driver asks, and I look at her through the rearview mirror. I gulp, and I nod.
"I'm fine," I lie through my teeth. The driver shoots me a suspicious look.
"Sweetheart, you don't look fine. I can tell when someone is in ruins and they're pretending to play it off. You can tell me what's going on. I won't judge you," she assures me. I wipe the stinging tears from my eyes and tell the story.
"My boyfriend and I got into a nasty fight. Now, I don't even know what we are anymore," I say, and the driver looks at me with sympathy.
"Sweetie, if you really are confused and frustrated, then you should take a break. If you really need it," she says, as we pull up to my house.
"Thank you for the ride and advice," I say as I get out of the car.
"No problem, lovely. Take care," she tells me, and I return her gesture. I shakily make my way to the front door of my house and let myself in. The house is dimly lit, and the usually comforting scent of hot food is absent. My parents are not home, probably with their friends or enjoying themselves. Anthony probably locked himself in his room, blasting music through his headphones.
However, when I close the door, I hear a door upstairs open, and the clatter of footsteps make their way downstairs. Anthony catches sight of me at the base of the steps, with a big smile on his face. "Sophia! How was Danicka's house?" he asks.
Tears start to fill my eyes yet again. I look down, as I can't bear to look at Anthony at this moment. The "brother sensor" in Anthony immediately starts to go off. Without another word, he comes up to me and wraps his arms around me. I bury my face in his neck and sob, while Anthony strokes my hair and back.
"Shh. It'll be okay," he soothes, as he walks me up to my bedroom. When he reaches there, he lifts up the sheets and beckons for me to get inside. I throw myself in my bed while Anthony gently drapes the sheets over me.
"Do you need anything, Sophia?" he asks.
"C-Call Sonia," I tell him, while I'm engulfed in comfort and warmth. Anthony waltzes out of there while I lay in bed, miserable from everything that's happened. After some time, I feel a hand on my hair, and my trance is broken.
"Sophia," a familiar voice says. I sit up, with tears streaking my face, and throw myself into Sonia's arms. Sonia wraps her arms around me tightly, while I sob into her shoulder.
"I'm here for you. It's okay. I've got you," she says comfortingly.
"It hurts, Sonia. We've never had a fight this bad," I tell her, while she continues to comfort me.
"Sophia, you guys can get through this. It's you and Ray. I'm sure that you will get through this, like any other couple. You guys are so strong," she soothes, while tears flow onto Sonia's shoulder. She lifts my head out of her shoulder and wipes my tears.
"Sophia, I think you need a rest. And not just a physical rest. You guys should probably take a small break. You're obviously drained, and I'd imagine Ray to feel the exact same way. Take a break for now, so that you can recharge.You guys need it, desperately," she says, and I nod.
"Not even lying there. I feel so drained. I need a good nap, with some good food, and a good movie," I say, while Sonia chuckles a little bit.
"I didn't bring food. Wait, is Anthony cooking food for you?" she asks. I shudder at the thought. Anthony cooking food is like trying to rob a bank with a straw. Granted, he's not as bad as Ray, but I still shudder when I think of him cooking.
"Gosh, I hope not. I don't want my parents to go bankrupt because of reconstruction fees," I tell her, and before she can reply, a knock comes at the door.
"Well, I didn't burn down the house. But I brought you a little bit of food," Anthony's voice says at the door.
"Thanks, man. What did you bring?" I ask. Anthony sets the plate of food right on my lap.
"Just a little bit of pasta with some pesto in it. And some warmed milk to help you relax," he says. I smile.
"Thanks. But I don't know if I'm that hungry. I don't have much of an appetite," I say, while Anthony frowns.
"Sophia, you do realize I'm going to make you eat, right? So you better eat that food otherwise I'll feed you as if you were two years old again," Anthony mildly threatens, and I immediately pick up my fork and knife.
"Yes, your majesty. I bow down to you," I say sarcastically, while I pick up some noodles and shove them in my mouth. Anthony smiles.
"That's the spirit. I'll do some dishes. Sonia, do you want anything?" Anthony asks. Sonia shakes her head.
"No, thanks. I'm not hungry," Sonia assures, but Anthony can see right through Sonia like he can see through me.
"We both know that's a big fat lie. I'll be back with some chiaciccere, because everyone on this planet knows your love for them," Anthony calls, while Sonia chuckles.
"He knows me really well. That's impressive," Sonia says, while I slurp more noodles into my mouth.
"Well, he can read a lot of people, I guess," I say, as I gently sip my milk. Then, there's another knock at my door. I expect it to be Anthony, with something else to tell me.
"Come in, Anthony," I say, and he comes in. However, it's not Anthony. It's actually someone that I didn't expect to see.
"Randy? What are you doing here?" I ask. Randy nervously smiles, and taps his foot on the ground.
"Hey, Sophia. I know that I'm probably the last person that you want to see, but here I am. Is that okay?" he asks innocently, while I nod.
"You're good. What's up?" I ask, while idly sipping my milk. Randy gulps a little bit.
"I heard about what Ray said to you," he says, and my face falls. Randy looks guilty for bringing up that subject.
"Did he tell you?" I ask. Randy shakes his head.
"Technically, no. He came back from Aunt Danicka's house, looking like he was wrongly convicted in a robbery gone wrong, and then I heard my mom kinda scolding him a little bit. I connected the dots because I heard, 'Sophia, Basia, fight, and you shouldn't have said that to her,' all in the same sentence. It's a game of connect the dots," he says, and I nod.
"That's good. I'm glad you came," I say, and Randy smiles.
"I noticed that he looked kind of drained when he came back from Aunt Danicka's house. I decided not to bother him too much, as I guessed what had happened. But it took a toll on him. I think he needs a break," Randy says. I immediately feel sad again.
"Well, I guess I caused some more trouble in your family. I feel bad now," I say, feeling truly sad. "It's all good. I'm trying to be a better brother. Plus, you're like the sister that I desperately wished for at Christmastime, so you're pretty much family. And not only that, I wanted to see how you were doing," he says. I nod.
"Well, I appreciate that you care. Means a lot," I say, as I sip the last of my milk.
"No problem. I'm off now, but I'll drop by later. See you," he says, and he turns swiftly on his heel to leave.
Before he leaves, he adds on, "Oh, and I think that Ray is actually sorry for what he said. If my mom didn't yell at him to give you space, then he'd be over here, apologizing, quicker than you can say, 'fighting.' Not lying," Randy says, and I wave goodbye.
Now I have two things that broke my heart today. I guess time will be the weak glue that will patch up my heart over the next few days.
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I'm not even going to lie with this one. It hurt writing this one, and it hurt so much more than I expected. Do you think that Randy did the right thing by showing up to Sophia's house? Let me know in the comments.
Hey everyone! How are you all doing? Oh man, 7 more chapters left! I'm so excited for the end, but sad too. Are you guys excited for the ending? Let me know.
Also, another side note, if you didn't see my announcement, then I'll say it again. Thank you guys for voting for I Never Imagined in the Hot Chocolate Awards, because it won 3rd place in the whole contest, out of over 200 entries. That's something so surreal to me, and I can't believe it. You guys have no idea how thankful I am for you guys. You're seriously the best Wattpad family I could ask for.
That's pretty much it. Hope you all liked this chapter!
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Love you guys,
Shree