Twice The Trouble Book 2 of 2: Twice The Love

Chapter 72: Getting Answers

Stacy

"I should have known," I sobbed. "I should have known she was hiding it again. There were days she was shivering more than normal, her skin seemed a sickly pallor, and every now and then, she wouldn't eat dinner." I felt something wet and salty slide down my left cheek.

We were all at the hospital on Christmas day, exactly like last year when Sophia underwent a heart transplant. Most of our friends were already away on holiday vacation, but when they heard that Sophia had collapsed, everyone moved mountains just to rush to her hospital room.

There were nearly thirty visitors, but only a few were allowed to occupy the patient's bedroom so the others waited outside while the rest were stress-eating in the hospital's canteen.

"This is all my fault," said Lucas, who was sitting by Sophia's bed. "This is karma.. I hurt a lot of people in the past.. now I'm finally getting recompense."

Noah approached his sorrowful friend. "Don't blame yourself--"

I roughly slapped Noah's hand from comforting Lucas's shoulder. "No, he should blame himself," I snapped, daring anyone in the room to contradict me. When nobody did, I viciously glared at Lucas, who kept his head bowed in between his hands. "All Sophia wanted to do was help. And if you expect anyone to console you and make you feel better, you've got another thing coming, Lucas De Los Reyes."

The target of my tirade lifted his head slightly to peer up at me. "I'm.. I'm sorry."

"You expect me to accept your apology when you couldn't even do the same to my sister?" I gritted my teeth when I glanced at the unconscious 19-year-old in her hospital bed. "You can talk yourself dry but I will always take Sophia's side."

I crossed my arms then scowled at Lucas. "Did you think it was fun for her to endure everything just for the sake of your happiness?" I dug my fingernails into my upper arms. "All the lies and secrecy.. I know you didn't ask her to help you but she did it anyway because she loves you. She would do anything for someone she loves even if it means she would get hurt in the end. Knowing my twin, she gave you a choice, didn't she?"

When Lucas slowly nodded, I continued. "Sophia would never be so selfish as to force anybody to fix their problems. All she wanted was to give you the chance to decide, because she believed you cared enough for her to at least try."

Just then, the male doctor arrived. He had graying black hair, a kind, round face, and the usual getup of a white coat and a stethoscope draped around his neck.

Dr. Yon explained that Sophia had been experiencing the side-effects of her cardio transplant, namely: chills,redness, trouble breathing, excessive fatigue, and low blood pressure. The symptoms only occurred more than one year after the operation because her heart pains were triggered by emotional stress. When the doctor asked if she'd been taking the proper medicines which prevented rejection, nobody could give an answer. Not even Liam knew about it, and he used to be Sophia's personal nurse.

The doctor wrote down a list of prescriptions, which he handed over to Mama May and Papa Ben, who headed out of the room to buy the anti-rejection medicines.

A blanket of uncomfortable silence fell over the hospital room. After what felt like an hour, Lucas stood up--no one stopped him--then quietly left. Minutes later, Noah and Jerry followed him.

Bryce

The next day, Sophia was discharged from the hospital and Lucas was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, my girlfriend was giving me the cold shoulder because she suspected I was on my brother's side, which, technically, is correct.

Although Stacy never directly said it, her eyes spoke volumes, and I knew she also wanted me to make amends with my parents.

Not a chance in hell.

And yet my feet brought me to De Los Reyes Enterprises just after Sophia's fainting spell.

"Never thought I would see the day that you'd step foot in this building," crowed Brent De Los Reyes, who rose from behind his office desk.

I smiled mockingly. "Can't a son visit his own father?"

The CEO tucked his hands into the pockets of his expensive suit. "Couldn't have swung by on Christmas day, huh."

"Let's cut the pleasantries and get this over with," I said dismissively, looking around the office.

"So eager to get rid of me, eh?"  asked Brent De Los Reyes. He stood facing me, his presence radiating dominance and power. Well, too bad. I kind of inherited those traits from him. With experience living in this generation, I could do better. As if purposefully toying with my patience, he continued. "How are you?"

"If you're asking about my well-being, I'm fine, thank you. And if you mean the accident, I think you're two months late, thank you," I said, each word dripping with disdain.

Thrusting my hands into my own pockets, I took a few steps towards the exit when he spoke again. "So. Stacy Sta. Ana. Huh." I froze at his words. I'd forgotten. He was Brent De Los Reyes. Of course he'd know who I was seeing.

I didn't want to give my father the sight of fear or weakness in me. He loathed it. "What about her?" I crossed my arms and leaned on the door-frame.

"Let's not act like idiots, Bryce. We both know what your real purpose is with her," he said without any malice.

"I'm dating her. It's getting kinda serious, actually.."

"I can see that. You got into an accident while trying to protect her from a stalker."

"So you flew from Europe back to the Philippines because I got amnesia? If that was all it took to get you to visit me, I would have dated Stacy a long time ago--or fell off a flight of stairs to ram my head in myself."

"Spare me the attitude and your daddy issues. Just tell me if it's true."

"So what if it's true?" I countered, not waiting for his reply. "Don't tell me you'll forbid me from dating someone you don't approve of."

"You better stop watching chick flicks, Bryce. I actually don't mind you dating Stacy Sta. Ana."

"You don't?" I was surprised. I'd already decided to tell him where to stick it, assuming he'd try to stop me from dating Stacy.

"Why would I? Just keep doing whatever it is you're doing." He walked toward me, patted my shoulder, and walked out with that stupid smirk plastered on his face.

How come he didn't object to me seeing Stacy? Normal people would have been relieved but as the son of Brent De Los Reyes, I had learned long ago to be cautious. He'd never paid attention to the girls I'd dated before.

Something was going on.

I had to figure out what.

Courtney

"Alright, Mrs. Courtney Bernardo. I have a lot of questions and I intend to get answers," hissed Stacy Eris Sta. Ana when I opened the door that Tuesday morning. "I'm not leaving until you tell us absolutely everything we want to know, and you better not spare one single detail because I've dealt with dozens of people feeding me bullshit over several years."

Her crystal blue eyes could shoot lasers, and she wore a pink headband, pink blouse, blue miniskirt, and open-toed sandals. Behind her was Sophia, smiling apologetically, her long brown hair in a high ponytail, her rimless eyeglasses in place, and she wore a simple white t-shirt, black leggings, and black ballet flats.

I swallowed hard when Stacy continued to send me scornful glares. "Okay," I conceded, opening the door wider and letting them inside.

Once the Sta. Ana sisters were seated on the living room sofa, Stacy wasted no time. She pinned me down with a heavy stare as she commanded imperiously: "Tell us everything that happened with Lucas in high school."

I drew in a sharp intake of oxygen, then breathed out:

"It all started when we were fourteen years old..."