Twice The Trouble Book 2 of 2: Twice The Love

Chapter 45: Trouble Afoot

Sophia

It was only after we finished eating did I thank Lucas for the bouquet.

"Hey." I nudged his elbow with mine. "Thanks for the roses."

A crease formed between his brows. "Roses? What roses?"

I picked up the flowers and brandished it near his face. "These ones," I explained. "Weren't they from you? A delivery man just gave them to me out of the blue."

Lucas stared at the bouquet in my arms, his brown eyes intent. "But I didn't send.."

My heart raced wildly. They weren't from him? Who could have given me flowers? I rewound my memory to the words on the card: 'Thank you for making me laugh -L'

Laurence? Could he have been the one to send me flowers? But why would he do that? Were we even labeled as friends close enough to give the other floral tokens?

An unfathomable look passed over Lucas's face. "Sophia," he said, gazing at my bouquet. "Was there any card among the roses? Do you have any idea who could have sent you these?"

My cheek burned with hot shame. "There was a card but I misplaced it. The card was signed with the letter L. Just that initial."

Lucas nodded his head. Somehow, the fact that he didn't say anything else frightened me more than if he had continued to speak.

How did one Lucas De Los Reyes get jealous?

I felt a sudden foreboding that I would soon find out.

Stacy

Long blonde hair. Sky blue eyes. Pink lips. Full lashes. I wished I was staring into a mirror but I was literally standing in front of my co-worker, Felicia Aquino.

"You got colored contacts," I observed in what I hoped was a normal tone.

"Totally," affirmed Felicia while her fingertips grazed the skin under her light blue eyes.

Never in my life had I experienced this kind of exasperation. I mean, sure, when I was in high school, girls would copy my sense of style, and some would even imitate the way I moved or walked in the hallway, but to steal my hair color, my hairdo, and my eye color down to the last detail? What was Felicia trying to prove? What did she have to gain by mimicking my looks?

Felicia noticed my expression. She smiled broadly. "Isn't this awesome? We're like clones!"

Admission. That was a sign of progress. My gaze met hers. "So.. you wanted us to match?"

"Of course I did," she answered in a haughty voice. "You and I are best friends,  so it's only natural that we start resembling one another."

Best friend? Best friend? Was she insane? She barely knows me!

If I had to call someone my best friend, it would be-- "Ace! How's it going?" said a girl's voice.

The corners of my pink lips tugged up when I saw a long-haired brunette come up to my part of the long counter. The girl, tall and slim, wore her silky bronze hair in a low ponytail resting on one side of her neck. She was dressed in a simple maroon shirt tucked into high-waist denim shorts ending below her knees. She wore a pair of striped flip flops as if she were at the beach and not the mall.

Selena Castro, my best friend since high school.

"Welcome to Snack Attack!" I chirped at her. "What would you like to order?"

"One large cup of iced chocolate and two boxes of Snack Nuggets, with extra gravy."

I rang up her order, after which she handed me exact payment. She knew I was too lazy to count the change.