“There are forty victims lying at the hospital now and twenty lost their lives. According to the investigation the police conducted, it was a gasoline that exploded leading to such a horrific event at the Monson Group’s centennial party.”
“The widow was last seen unconscious in the arms of Mr. Evangelista, however, no update has been given to the press about her current situation and chances of survival.”
The cacophony of noise streaming from the television was the first thing Sia noticed when she regained consciousness and cracked her eye open. In front of the TV, she sighted a picture of Lucas carrying her unconscious self in his arms, and when he fell to the ground unwilling to let her go.
The smell of antiseptics curtained her nostrils, making her want to register her environment. Wincing, Sia propped up from the bed only to take cognizance of the IV in her hand.
Her eyes flit around the room and she noticed it’s a private room in a hospital. Things weren’t making absolute sense at the moment until her eyes traveled back to the TV screen.
Carefully, she watched the picture of her and Lucas again before her mind processed last night’s event.
“The explosion!” She whisper-yelled.
Fidgeting, Sia hunted for the remote control and zapped through different news channels to grasp the situation of things now.
The new TV channel also said the same thing the first one announced. There were forty victims and twenty deaths. The pictures of the dead people were displayed on the TV and to Sia’s astonishment, Rebekah was one of those that died.
A gasp rolled off her lips the moment they flashed Rebekah’s picture on the screen.
“Omigod! Rebekah!” She murmured, her eyes began to water. She can’t believe it. She can’t believe the fact that Rebekah is gone because of her.
Rebekah died because of the trap her unknown foe set to kill her. Not just that forty people were hurt because of her and twenty died. It’s a pang of guilt she’ll carry for the rest of her life.
The guilt of being the reason innocent souls got wounded and died.
Who is the actual person behind this?
Why don’t they face her head-on? Sia asked herself.
It’s better to die and die once and for all than to be stabbed a million times without actually ending her life.
It hurts.
Sia’s worry heightened when thoughts about Liam raced through her mind. She wonders where he is and if he’s among the said victims since his pictures weren’t displayed among the dead people.
While choking on her own thoughts, the door creaked open and Estrella poked her head inside to see if Sia had woken up.
Upon seeing the drip of tears on her face, Estrella dashed into the room, racing toward her.
“Hey, girl. Why are you crying?” She said, stroking Sia’s back as they cuddled.
Sia was trembling, unable to get the words out.
“Shhh…. It’s okay, Sia.” She cajoled but Sia didn’t say anything. She wants to let her emotions out. She’s tired of trying to be strong, trying to keep her fears to herself.
She wants to talk but with the tears choking her and lump clogging her throat, words couldn’t gush out, only tears.
“Sia, I’m here for you. Don’t weigh these pains and thoughts and fears on yourself alone. I’m here to help carry this cross, to help lessen this anguish and misery you feel.” Estrella said, trying to placate Sia.
“They died…” She murmured in between tears. “Because of me…” Her tremoring body made Estrella intensely scared.
“Sia, listen. I should call the doctor…wait here.” She extracted herself from Sia and hurried outside to find the doctor.
Sia’s panic attacks started, her body convulsed, hands shaking, breath hitching.
She wasn’t able to look up when the door fluttered open again to see who it was. She was just lost in her own world of pain and misery.
“Sia.” The voice like arrows lanced through her ears.
Sia managed to plod her eyes to the direction it streamed from. Five feet away from her stands Lucas.
They traded glances and his gaze held her prisoner.
“Lucas!” She called, voice muffled, tears smeared across her face.
Lucas broke into a painful stride and assembled in front of her.
Sia took him in. She saw the gauze wrapped around his head, the gash at the corner of his mouth, the ink poured on his left arm. She was only able to see these ones and wondered if there are more wounds he sustained.
Bringing her eyes back up at his, she swallowed, tears relentlessly raining down her face.
Lucas sighed, before settling beside her on the bed. In one fluid motion, Sia encircled her arms around his neck, sobbing into his chest.
Lucas was surprised by her actions. He didn’t expect this but then again, he knows Sia needs this comfort and reassurance that everything will be okay.
Hence, Lucas chained his arms around her waist, cocooning her in his embrace and mouthed some comforting words to her.
“It’s okay, Sia. You’ll be fine. Things will be fine.” He muttered, sniffling her antiseptic scent which blended with her wildflower scent.
“Lucas they died because of me…” She exclaimed, hitting her hand on his back.
Tightening his hold around her, Lucas said, “No, you’re not the cause of their death nor the one that killed them. That was just a mere explosion.” He said but Lucas didn’t fix the missing parts of the puzzle.
Sia extricated from his embrace and smiled, a dull smile, a smile full of sorrow before enlightening him.
“I wish that’s the only excuse I could peg this horrific event with but no. It’s more than it meets the eye. Someone wants me dead. To die like my mother and brother, Lucas. That’s the reason they set the place on fire. Same as six years ago, they want to tag it as an explosion but it’s not. It’s arson.” Saying this left more tears in its wake.
Lucas was short of words. He remembered the biker who wanted to run into Sia and wonders if that same person has a hand in this arson.
Without any shadow of doubt, this person wants Sia dead but comes with different tactics. Though the one they should peg him or her with is arson.
That person is an arsonist.
Lucas ruffled the hair that fell on Sia’s cheeks and cupped her face, his breath slapped her face.
Sia’s eyes were half-closed, her cheeks red and lips cushioned with water.
“Nothing will happen to you. Sia, no one can take you from me. You’ll live. We’ll find this person…”
“We?” Sia asked, looking into his coffee brown eyes, butterflies knots in the pit of her stomach.
“Sia…” Lucas sighed. “I…”
Before he could finish, Sia threw her arms around him again, flushing her body into him. The wordless gesture is enough proof to Lucas that Sia is ready to hear him out.
Basking in the comfort of their embrace, the door opened, revealing Estrella and the doctor.
The scene before her made Estrella happy. When Lucas peered at her she nodded, smiling faintly.
Lucas broke Sia’s heart when she most needed comfort from him after the death of her mother. And right now, under the same circumstances, Lucas is providing her the comfort she needs.
That’s fate playing its game.