by A. J. Briar
“Go on Nathan. Tell her all along that you knew I was there that night on the pier.” Noah’s snarky voice breaks through everything else and I don’t even need to see Isabella to know that she’s breaking apart in front of us all. Letting my fists fly, I smash one into Noah’s nose and the other into his sternum, knocking him backwards to the floor. The screams of Isabella or Isla, I’m not sure, ring out in my ears, the noise grounding my anger. I drop my shaking hands and fix my gaze upon Isabella.
I’ve never seen her so broken in my life, and that includes the night I dragged her body from the sea. What makes it worse is knowing that I’m the reason she feels like that; it absolutely ruins me. Her whole-body wracks with unshed sobs, while her expression morphs into one I know will haunt me in my nightmares.
“Tell me you didn’t know.” Her whispers slice my heart up even more. I know I can’t lie to her. She needs the truth. She deserves the truth. I shake my head in defeat, knowing that anything I say, she’s going to hate me for. Isla interrupts before I can speak.
“It was my fault.” Isla trembles but continues to explain. “Shortly after the accident, I received a picture. At first I didn’t even look at it, I wasn’t even sure why someone would be sick enough to send me a picture of you after you’d been pulled from the ocean.” Isabella pales as she hears the story for the first time. “If I’m honest, I’d completely forgotten about the picture, until I stumbled across it a few months ago. At first glance, I hadn’t noticed Noah, but there he was, lurking in the background. Fuck.” Isla rubs her temples and carries on the sordid tale. “I had no idea what to do. I knew you hadn’t remembered anything, and I wasn’t about to cause you unnecessary pain by dredging up the past. My gut said something was seriously up, so I showed Nathan. I’m the one who convinced him that Noah had something to do with it.” Isla nods to me, allowing me to take over telling Isabella. My stomach churns and bile threatens to rise up my throat when I begin to speak.
“Coincidence or not, that night Isla came to me, we were playing Noah’s team in the play offs. After the game, I cornered him and questioned him, but he swore he had nothing to do with it. I wasn’t sure whether to believe him, but he sprouted some shit about you, and I saw red. You can probably guess how that night turned out.” I glance at my bloody knuckles giving her the answer she needs.
My eyes track Isabella noticing her breath coming out in stutters, she squeezes her eyes closed, blocking us all out. When her eyes open, I study them looking for something, anything. I sense the walls being erected around her as she takes a step away from us.
“Isabella…” Her name is a whisper in the wind before she’s spinning on her heels and sprinting down the alleyway, leaving us all in the dirt. I’m about to chase after her when Isla grabs a hold of my shoulder. She motions towards Noah who has somehow propped himself up against the wall, staring at us all through blood shot eyes.
“One of us needs to stay with him and call the cops.” I know Isla is talking reasonably but all I can think about is Isabella’s fleeting form. That’s the second time she’s ran tonight and the first-time ended shit, I dread to think how the second time can pan out.
“She’ll have gone home. I’ll go and make sure she’s safe.” Isla’s words do little to reassure me, but I don’t have the strength to argue. Out of the two of us, I feel that Isabella will be more likely to listen to Isla than me, sisterly bond, and all that. I nod, unable to speak. Isla’s eyes flick from Noah to me.
“Try not to kill him. He’s not worth it.” Isla kicks Noah’s outstretched leg then strides past him, heading down the route Isabella just took. My mind reels trying to come up with a plausible explanation as I call the cops on auto pilot. I should be worried that Noah will turn me in for the beating both that night and tonight, but he obviously didn’t go to the cops after the game. The dick probably realizes his sins are a lot more fucked up than mine.
It’s only when I click off the phone that I realize that Noah has stood up. His strength is visibly coming back to him, enough to get himself off the floor at least. He takes a step towards me but surprisingly his walk isn’t meant to intimidate.
“You need to go and find her.” His words catch me off guard.
“What?” I allow the confusion to seep into my tone, not even caring that I’m being entirely transparent with him.
“Isabella… She’s not…” He coughs and spits blood to the side then speaks again. “She’s not safe…”
Sirens wail in the background causing Noah’s gaze to stray away from mine, his eyes widening by the second. I’m about to ask what the fuck he means by that, when he takes off in a dead sprint away from me. I should’ve known that the little fucker would be a coward as well as a dick. Part of me wants to go after him but the bigger part of me needs Isabella. Fuck Noah. The cops will catch up with him eventually.
I hightail it away from the bar, back to my truck, before they show up asking questions that I honestly don’t have the answers for. An eerie feeling skirts through my bones, recalling Noah’s chilling voice telling me Isabella’s not safe. The guys a grade A asshole, but the honesty that I felt in his voice has my foot hit the gas pedal speeding through town. I don’t even know how I manage to get myself to Isabella’s house but when I find Isla slumped outside, tears spilling from her eyes, I know something is seriously wrong. The world falls out from underneath me as I imagine the world without Isabella James in it.
21
Isabella
Have you ever had one of those out of body experiences, where you feel so much that it overwhelms every sense in your body, so you struggle to feel anything? Darkness creeps around your mind and body, spreading like poison to every fiber of your being, closing it off from the outside world and numbing all of your senses. It renders you completely useless to everything and anything and stops you from regaining any sort of composure. Yeah, that’s where I’m at right now.
I don’t know what I’m more upset about, the fact that my ex knowingly pushed me into oblivion, or the fact that the love of my life knew about it. Convulsions wrack my body, forcing bile to rise up my throat, threatening to make an appearance. The acidic taste forces me back to reality as I stumble against a boarded-up shop window.
My eyes blink open, trying to survey my surroundings. Streetlamps stand few and far between, casting dim shadows periodically. Houses and shops line both sides of the street but most have boards up, shielded away from the outside.
I probably should have paid attention to where the fuck my legs were taking me, but I don’t recognize anything. Is it bad that I want everything to just end? I can’t remember ever feeling this desolate even after I’ve been through.
Stealing a huge breath in, I try and recollect something to hold onto. Something to anchor me in the storm of emotions. Fucking ironic that my mind takes me to Nathan’s baby blue eyes staring at me. A smile so wide on his face, that it makes my cheeks ache, the kissable dimple on his cheek luring me in. His face transforms in the blink of an eye, guilt filling his eyes turning them a deeper shade of blue, the smile flips into a frown, losing the dimple in the process. He knew, he god damn knew and didn’t tell me.
A frenzied laugh works its way out. Now I know why he didn’t want me snooping around his past, considering it had everything to do with my own. The wind bites against my cheeks, stinging slightly, reminding me that I’m leaning against a shop window on a pretty much deserted street, in the dead of the night.
Pulling my phone out, I order an uber, finding one that isn’t too far away. I have five missed calls, as well as three texts. All of which are being left on unread as I slip my phone back into my bag. There’s no way I can deal with Isla or Nathan right now.
By the time, the uber arrives, the cold has worked its way into my veins, forcing my movements to become robotic. The dude behind the wheel gives me a once over when I slide in the back seat, but I’m too numb to care. I rattle off my address but stop myself halfway. Can I really go home? Hell fucking no
. My brain works overtime to recall a place I know, the beach coming to the fore point. It’s better than nothing and maybe going back to the scene of the crime will give me some sort of sick closure.
Twenty minutes later, the dude pulls into the deserted car park, obviously confused why I’ve decided to come to the beach at this time. I don’t even warrant his look with a response, instead, I just slither out of the car and down towards the sea. My body slumps to the sand, my legs giving out from underneath me.
Drawing my legs to my body, I tuck my knees under my chin and stare out into the darkness ahead. The sea laps gently against the shore, a complete contradiction to how the waves crashed against the rocks all of them years ago.
At one point in my life, the beach gave me security and serenity yet now, nothing. The pier looms innocently in the distance, calling me in like a siren to a sailor. Am I a glutton for punishment? Clearly.
I stand shaking the sand from my dress, then walk – or rather stagger – to the pier. The earlier alcohol buzz is long gone as each step takes me closer to the edge. There’s no twinkly lights or petals like last time, no warmth from Nathan’s touch or words. The old wooden railing that was once there, has been replaced by a new metal one.
Leaning out over the barrier, my mind fights the memory. Almost as if I’m back there, I hear footsteps on the wooden flooring behind me. The feeling of de ja vu is overpowering though I manage to turn on my heels slowly; dreading who I might find.
Calculated hazel eyes meet mine, and for the millionth time tonight, I’m speechless. Standing staring at me is one person I never imagined seeing again.
Brooke.
My mind recalls every evil thing this girl unleashed on me and my body begins to shake. It’s clear as fuck that she still harbors some serious hatred for me, not that I can blame her, considering I feel the same way. Her head cocks to the side taking in my appearance, her eyebrow furrowing together in a creepy way. I do the same to her, the situation becoming a whole lot worse when I realize what she’s holding in her left hand.
Shivers break out as I eye the gun tightly wrapped in her fingers, pointing at the ground. Holy fuck. My heartbeat speeds up threatening to jump out of my chest, my breathing coming out in sharp breaths. It’s only then that I notice how disheveled she actually looks. Her makeup is smeared, like she got ready in the dark, while the navy-blue trench coat she’s wearing, looks like it’s seen better days. Fishnet tights cover her legs leading down to some serious stripper heels. Her hair is down but matted at the ends and greasy at her roots. Definitely a far cry from the prim and proper Brooke who spent months terrorizing me.
A gasp escapes from me when she takes a tiny step towards me. Her eyes narrow and an evil smirk forms on her lips chilling me to my core. I don’t dare move but the silence that spans between us is suffocating.
“Brooke, what are you doing here?” The words are quiet, but I know she hears them. A manic laugh fills the silence and I shudder inside.
“Oh, Isabella. I don’t really think you’re in a position to be asking me the questions.” She sneers when saying my name and I recoil. I have to bite my tongue and stop myself from saying something that will piss her off. Of course, she has the upper hand here. I could try and run but she’s blocking my exit and the only way out would be behind me, into the blackness below. Neither of which are really feasible. I can only hope that I can talk her out of doing something ridiculous or someone is around to help. Almost like she senses where my mind is taking me, she takes another step towards me, the distance between us closing.
“You know how easy it was to seduce him? I mean, he practically begged me to jump into bed with him.” My heart stops while I try and figure out who the fuck she is talking about. Despite hoping that she can’t be talking about Nathan, my head still comes to that conclusion. Thank fuck for the railing behind me, otherwise I’d be in a heap on the floor. I will the tears not to fall, desperate for her not to see that my weakness is Nathan.
“I have to hand it to you; I’m quite surprised you left him in the dust to come to Grove Hill. I mean he was great in the sack. Not quite Nathan level, but still a good fuck.” My jaw drops, but the relief I feel is instantaneous. She’s not talking about Nathan; she’s talking about Noah. That sick feeling settles in the pit of my stomach when I try and school my features to give nothing away. Her manipulative eyes settle on my face, but she’s obviously not as switched on as she used to be, seeing nothing but the mask I’ve put in place.
“He was all for it you know. It didn’t take much persuasion to convince him that we needed you out of the picture. Of course, he didn’t know my intentions had everything to do with Nathan and little to do with him. He actually thought that I cared for him.” Her mouth curls in disgust while my brain tries to piece together what she’s talking about.
“After I’d overheard what Nathan was planning for you, there was no way I was letting you get my happy ending. Noah was all too willing, but Nathan just had to go and play hero and save you. It was pure luck that you fucked up your own relationship with him by forgetting him.” Fear slams into me like a tornado twisting my insides as I realize what she’s telling me. She’d planned and schemed my demise, all to be with Nathan. The girl is more psychotic than I ever imagined.
“You did us all a favor by running away yet here you are. Back in my town, with my boyfriend. Although there’s obviously trouble in paradise considering your earlier argument.” My eyes narrow on their own accord, she’s been watching – stalking – us and we never even realized. All those times I felt eyes watching me, and I thought I was being crazy, I wasn’t. It was her lurking around, spying on us both. If I’m honest, Brooke hadn’t even been in my thoughts. Partially because most of the memories I had of her, I’d forgotten. But even when I remembered, they seemed insignificant compared to the bigger picture. I wasn’t going to let her dictate the life I created away from Grove Hill.
Our eyes meet in a silent stand-off, the tension between us hiking up a notch. I’m barely able to control myself from losing my shit, yet I know that would be a stupid move. She’s holding all the cards; I’m just playing the game.
“So, what do you want Brooke?” Her response is sudden and knocks me off balance.
“I want Nathan.” Of course, she wants him, who wouldn’t. Though she’s asking for something that I can’t give her. Surely she must know I don’t own the guy, especially if she’s been watching us run circles around each other.
“And in order for me to have Nathan, you need to be out of the picture.” She emphasizes the word you and I shiver at the threat that laces in her words. My mouth tries to reason with her, but she holds the gun toting hand up in a warning. Instantly, my throat dries, and my body trembles. This is it. Everything else pales into insignificance. I let my eyes track Brooke and the gun she’s holding before closing them, not wanting her to see me break. Nathan’s beautiful face appears, sending a wave of calm over me. Even knowing everything that he withheld from me, all I can think is how much my heart hurts at the thought of never seeing him again.
Time stands still as I pop my eyes open, ready to accept my fate, when a flash of something catches my eye over Brooke’s shoulder. My heart rate picks up trying to figure out if my mind is playing tricks on me.
Even in the dark, I sense the pull that Nathan has on me, offering me a reprieve from the train wreck that is standing in front of me. Brooke apparently doesn’t realize that Nathan is approaching like a ninja in the night, and I find myself stumbling over my words trying to garner her attention.
“W-why? What did I do to you to deserve all this?” The question is burning inside, and I have to know her reasons. The way the night is going, this might be my last chance to get the truth out of her.
“You stole the only light in my life.” The honesty in her voice stuns me into silence. I’m barely able to speak but I know that I have to keep her talking. I can see the silhouette of Nathan but he’s still pretty far away.
&nb
sp; “But you cheated on him…” As I call her out on her past, she takes a menacing step towards me, the gun now firmly pointing at my head. Fuck fuck fuck. I can’t even speak, and even if I wanted to, I sense her resolve hanging by the thinnest of threads.
“And you forgot about him. How does that make you any better than me? How does that allow you a second chance when he wouldn’t even give me the time of day? Tell me Isabella. What is so special about you that has Nathan willing to kiss the ground you walk on? Willing to beat guys to near death over you? Willing to follow you across country and be with you?” Her words strike me, like she’s already shot me and the hurt that weaves around my body, rivals any pain I’ve ever felt. I want to shut my eyes and block it all out, but they refuse to close. Instead, I cast my eyes to the ground, not sure how I can claw any of this back.
“Look at me.” She screams at me, forcing my gaze to her. Both hands are now shaking, almost as if she’s struggling with her own internal battle. Like Jekyll and Hyde, she’s flipping between the two, only, I have no idea which one she’ll land on.
“Say goodbye Isabella.” Everything happens so fast; I can barely process Brooke’s words before a deafening gunshot pierces the air. At the same time, a force pushes me backwards, my body hits the planked floor. I gasp when the wind gets knocked out of me and my head ricochets off the wood. Every fiber of my body goes numb, and I struggle to breathe. I lie motionless, only able to sneak my head to the side.
Tears flow from my eyes as I come face to face with Nathan on his back, his hand clutching the side of his torso, blood seeping through his fingers. My vision becomes blurred, but I shake it off, crawling towards him.
Fucking Nathan.
He must have pushed me out of the way. That stupid son of a bitch always protecting me. Being my constant hero.
I look around trying to place Brooke but she’s still standing, where she was when she fired the gun. Shock fills her expression as she takes a step towards Nathan. Fire burns through my body, spurring my body into action. Nathan protected me, now I need to protect him.