Sia bashed her misty eyes around, staring at everyone that clustered around her. Her breath seized, teeth jiggling and lips quivering. All Sia could think is fire, how it damaged her mother, how it rendered her homeless years ago, and how it almost turned her to ashes moments ago.
“Pills…pills…” She cried out as the doctors and Michelle tried to hold her in place as she tried to wrestle out of their grip.
“Pills…” she yelped again, her anxiety getting the best of her. She wants to take her pills before any other thing.
“What pills, Mrs. Monson?” Michelle asked. No one knows Sia suffers from panic attacks only she does but now it won’t be a secret again.
“It’s in my room…check my drawer…hurry…” She let the words trail from her lips and Michelle hastened to the stairs and into her room in search of the drugs.
By the time she crept back into the living room, the doctors already began addressing Sia and Liam’s wounds.
Michelle heard Liam grimacing in pain as the doctor removed the glasses stuck in his palms.
Michelle handed Sia the pills along with a glass of water and Sia stuffed the pills into her mouth and chased it down with the water.
After downing the pills, her vision cleared, and slowly the tremors of fear that blinded her lessened. This time around Sia traveled her eyes around the room in search of Liam and when she saw him grimacing in pain, she pitied him.
Sia then did what not only surprised her but also everyone in the room. She instructed the servants to fetch her another glass of water.
When they brought the glass of water she took it and handed it to Liam along with her anti-anxiety pills.
Liam looked at her, shocked. He wondered how Sia knew he suffers from the same attacks but instead of wallowing in his ‘how did’ thoughts, he took the pills and downed them immediately, then recollected his features.
“Thank you, ma’am.” He hummed and Sia nodded.
The doctor then began addressing her wounds, wiping the blood on her face with antiseptic and wrapping it up with gauze. The gash on Sia’s face too was band-aided.
She has about five gashes on her cheeks and two on her nose and having it wrapped with a band-aid made Sia look creepy.
“I’m sorry about what happened, Mrs. Monson. I’m glad it’s only a few wounds you sustained.” The doctor said while treating her wound with utmost care.
Sia nodded not working up the strength to utter a word. She heard her phone ringing and she gestured for Michelle to take the call.
“Yes she’s here…” Sia heard Michelle mutter to the person on the other end of the line.
“Okay…” Michelle lastly said and hung up the call, facing Sia.
Sia didn’t spill a word but her eyes held questions and Michelle instantaneously answered Sia’s unspoken questions.
“That’s Ms. Estrella…she heard about the news and is worried about you,” Michelle said, taking a gulping breath. “She said she’s coming over.” She mused, earning a head shake from Sia.
When the doctor finished addressing Liam’s wound, he stood up and strolled a bit closer to the exit.
“I should get going, ma’am…” He murmured.
However, it pained Michelle and some servants there to see him leave in his condition. Let for Michelle, she’d ask him to stay for the night.
However, Sia and Michelle’s thoughts are in sync because Sia did exactly what Michelle was thinking.
“Stay back…stay for the night…” Was all she could say and Liam paused in his stead.
He whirled around facing Sia before wording, ” I should stay?”
Sia locked eyes with him and he saw the look in her eyes which apparently answered his question. Without another word or order from Sia, Michelle guided Liam to the dining to nip some food and regain his strength.
However, the doctor finished wrapping Sia’s wound and helped her lay her head on the armrest of the seethe before leaving.
Sia huddled on the couch, sucking breath slowly as the events hours ago danced in her mind. She thought she wouldn’t come out alive again which made her splay her arms for that night to take over but Liam saved her life.
Liam risked his life to save her.
Liam sustained streaks of wounds to pull her out from that night.
Sia’s trust in Liam has elevated.
She likes Liam all the more now.
She wants to help Liam as he helped her.
She wants to know who Liam really is.
As she lay there, she heard the servants ushering Liam to the guest room down the hallway but she didn’t budge.
She wants to let him rest.
While Sia cozied up on the couch Estrella stormed into the house, hooting.
“Sia…Sia where are you!?” The worry in Estrella’s voice is unmistakable. Sia has been her friend way too long but now Sia is more than a friend to her. Sia has become her sister.
“Sia!” She called again, eyes roving around in search of Sia until Michelle pranced toward her.
“Good evening, Ms. Estrella. Mrs. Monson is in the living room…” before Michelle could finish spluttering, Estrella stormed toward the living room.
She saw Sia huddled on the couch with gauze wrapped around her face and head and a strangled hoot left her lips.
She dropped her bag on the floor with a loud thud and closed in on Sia.
“Oh my God, Sia…” She bellowed, trailing her hands around Sia. “Jesus…thank goodness you didn’t get a serious injury. I’m so glad…” She said, squashing Sia in her arms.
Her rough movements made Sia writhe in pain but smiles played on her lips at Estrella’s drama.
She knows for real Estrella isn’t putting up a stunt ’cause Estrella is worried about her in actuality.
Sia hoisted her hand and placed it on Estrella’s back, caressing it.
“I’m fine…girlfriend. I’m good. Nothing happened.” Sia murmured into the crook of Estrella’s neck.
Estrella broke the hug but muffled sobs left her lips. She affixed her hand on Sia’s neck, boring her eyes into Sia’s as worry gnawed her heart.
“I was so apprehensive when I saw the news on TV…” She said in between sobs. “I thought maybe it’s not your own Mrs. Monson…’cause there’s another Mrs. Monson right?” She asked, peering at Sia.
Sia nodded in confirmation, not uttering a word.
“So, I thought it was the other Mrs. Monson. But when I checked my social media feed I was beyond shocked. I saw your Bentley and the comments from the netizens saying something about the… widow’s death. Then realization dawned on me it’s you that got into an accident. Jesus…” She spewed, wiping her dampened cheeks.
“I wasn’t myself again and the only thing that crossed my mind was to call you…” Sia then interrupted Estrella with her question.
“Did you say my death?” She asked, gaping. Estrella nodded.
“That’s the false alarm the reporters raised. Now the whole states assume you’re dead, Sia…” Estrella rambled.
Sia cracked her parched lips in a smile…then it turned to derisive laughter.
“Jesus…these reporters are crazy. How can they say a such thing when the doctor has not yet confirmed if I’m alive?” She asked, rhetorically but earned a shrug from Estrella.
“That’s the internet for you…people are always willing to spread rumor. Always.” Estrella said, shrugging.
“That’s pathetic. I’m sure many now believe I’m dead…” Sia trailed off.
“Of course. Well, you have to work on squelching the rumor so people will know you’re alive.” She suggested.
They both dived into deeper conversation and when Estrella looked at the time she gasped.
“12:30 am!?” She gaped and Sia shrugged.
“Yes, why?” Sia asked.
“I forgot to call Ethan. I’m sure he must be worried sick about me…” Estrella murmured, raking for her phone. When she wriggled it out of her bag she discovered she left it on Silent and has about twenty missed calls from Ethan.
Estrella wasted no time to speed-dial him.
“Babe…I’m so sorry. I’m with Sia…she’s a little bit sick and I want to sleep over for tonight only.” Estrella rambled. She mused a few things into the phone before hanging up and facing Sia.
“Issues settled. Come I need to shower Sia…” She said to Sia.
“Then let’s head to my room…care for some midnight dessert?” Sia asked as she stood up from her seat and Estrella nodded without hesitation.
They, first of all, strolled into the kitchen and grabbed Pizza from the refrigerator and a juice before making a beeline to Sia’s room.
Estrella swiftly stormed into the bathroom and showered. When done Sia went in for hers too. After a while, she walked back into the room but was startled by Estrella’s question.
“You take these!?” Estrella asked and Sia’s eyes dilated.