He didn’t know what to think. All he really knew was tonight had turned out to be one of the worst nights of his life. And it had been a long life. He needed to get some sleep.
Marie would be going home tomorrow. He’d use that as an excuse to go see Sabrina. And maybe he would talk to her.
But, truth be told, he dreaded what she had to say to him.
***
Sabrina couldn’t believe it. He’d left her. And maybe not for just the night, but forever. She didn’t cry, but instead watched the scene unfolding in a nonstop reel in her head. Her head had gotten stuck in replay mode, leaving no breaks in between.
Maybe he hadn’t believed her? That hurt less than the possibility of him not wanting her love anymore. A shadow fell over her face, and her heart leapt. He’d come back—he did still care.
No, no he didn’t. Not Isaac. Elijah had returned.
The despair clawed its way over her once more, but she attempted to hold it at bay. She wouldn’t break down. Not in front of him. She closed her eyes tight, shutting out his concerned face. She clutched her stomach, mentally steadying herself before she opened her eyes and met his gaze defiantly. She searched for her knife, before realizing that Isaac had run off with it.
Son-of-a-bitch.
“What are you doing here? Haven’t you done enough damage as it is? Haven’t we both?” she asked petulantly.
He squatted next to her and brushed her hair back. “You shouldn’t be out here alone at night. There are things much scarier than me out there.” He motioned toward the dark woods behind them by tilting his head. “Did Isaac leave you out here, alone? Or is he hiding somewhere, ready to pounce on me again?”
“Yes, he left. Big surprise, he didn’t exactly want to talk to me after we left you,” she said sarcastically. She latched onto the anger: it felt far better than desolation. “Thanks for that, by the way. He now thinks I betrayed him, just like her. I hate her.”
Rage crossed his expression before he looked away from her. Sabrina seemed to have found a sensitive area even where she was concerned. He didn’t like her insulting his Amelia. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on her. “I’m sorry for the trouble I caused. But no matter how angry he felt, he should have seen you safely inside before he left. He does claim to love you, after all.”
She inhaled deeply at his words, and her tenuous hold on control slipped. Tears blurred her vision, and she bit her quivering lip as she choked on a sob.
“I’m not so sure he does anymore,” she whispered and burst into tears.
Elijah stared at her in horror, unsure of what to do. Or say.
“Oh, good God, don’t cry!” he exclaimed in horror. He reached out to pull her in his arms, but hesitated at the glare she shot him. He cursed and yanked her into his arms anyway.
She didn’t have the energy to fight him, so she let him smooth the damp hair off her face and kiss her temple. She knew she should protest at the familiarity, but didn’t bother. Who cared any more, anyway?
He carried her inside and went into the living room. It probably should have surprised her he knew where she slept, but it didn’t. Nothing surprised her anymore.
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning, floorboards creaked overhead and Sabrina groaned to herself. Marie woke up already? Did the sun even come up yet? The creaking continued toward the stairs as Marie began to descend them.
Oh, crap. Do I look like hell?
In a flurry of sudden activity, she ran her fingers through her hair to remove any twigs and rocks that would make it obvious she’d been outside last night. After removing all the debris she managed to get her fingers on, she lay back down on the couch to pull the blanket over her head.
Please think I’m sleeping. Please think I’m—
The scratchy wool blanket tickled her nose, and she scrunched it in an attempt to ease the itch. Marie ripped the covers off of her head, down to her hips. Forgetting to look freshly awoken, she glowered at her sister in resentment.
“You never were capable of faking sleep. Give it up, already,” she said smugly. She placed her hands on her hips.
“That was rude, even for you,” Sabrina grumbled.
“Well, I do have a plane to catch today….”
Sabrina sat upright and gasped. “Oh my God, already? What time, again?”
“We have to leave in an hour,” Marie responded in a slow voice.
“Crap. Let me go hop in the shower.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yup, I just forgot. I’ll get ready real fast so we can spend some time together before you go. All I need is five minutes.”
She sprinted up the wooden steps to the bathroom, and made quick work of brushing her teeth and showering. She threw her hair in a messy ponytail and dressed in a black shirt and black yoga pants. It suited her today. It matched her dark mood, she concluded, as she nodded in the mirror.
Miss Daisy Sunshine, I am.
She ran downstairs and accepted the coffee her sister held out to her. “Thanks,” she mumbled. “Do I look as tired as I feel?”
“Worse, probably. You had quite the nightmare, huh? I thought someone was killing you.”
She cringed and cursed herself for mentioning her lack of sleep. “Sorry, I have nightmares when I’m writing. I should have warned you. I tend to blend my book into real life. After you went to bed, I calmed down,” she lied. “I wrote down the scene, and went back to sleep.”
Marie raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is Isaac in your book? And who, exactly, is Elijah?”
“No, Isaac isn’t in it. But Elijah is a character in my book. In my dream, Elijah tried to kill Isaac, and it upset me. It’s all silly, in the light of day.” She plastered as much of a smile as she could manage on her face. Hopefully, she didn’t look demented. Now she’d have to add an Elijah to her book, or tell Marie she’d changed the name.
Great.
“Yeah…silly,” Marie agreed. Sabrina could hear the confusion in her sister’s voice, but also knew that though her story didn’t quite add up, Marie couldn’t guess the truth. It was too damn unbelievable. “Really, do you think I’m an idiot? What’s going on?”
She groaned and buried her head in her hands. “Please, for once can you just let it be?”
Some of the desperation in her voice must have gotten to Marie, for she floundered for a good ten seconds, opening her mouth and closing it as she shook her head. Sabrina watched as her sister battled every instinct that screamed at her to question Sabrina further, and won.
“Fine,” Marie griped. “But this is not over.”
Her sister’s eyes probed hers, silently asking to be told of the secrets she kept. Sabrina returned the stare, content in the knowledge she would not find the answers she sought.
“Fine. Question me all you want tomorrow when you’re home. But for now, please, just enjoy the last few minutes we have?” Deciding upon a quick change of subject, Sabrina asked, “So, are you all packed?”
“Yeah, I woke up early. I miss Sam. And my husband, of course.” Excitement shone in her sister’s eyes, and Sabrina fought back the pain that coursed through her. She had nothing to be excited about any longer. “But I miss my baby more.”
“I bet. She’s growing so big. Those pictures you showed me are adorable. I’ll have to come out to visit, once my nephew makes an appearance.” She reached out a hand and rubbed Marie’s protruding stomach. She gasped in awe when she got kicked in her palm. She laughed and forgot for a brief moment about Isaac.
Very brief.
“You made him excited, see? He can’t wait for his favorite aunt to come visit him.”
“I’m his only aunt,” Sabrina teased.
“Inconsequential.”
She met Marie’s eyes, and they each smiled. A knock on the door caused them both to jump in alarm and grin at the other’s show of surprise.
Sabrina trudged to the door with a racing heart and trembling legs. She couldn’t help but feel lik
e a prisoner walking to her execution. She feared it was him, and yet dreaded that it wouldn’t be. Wiping her sweaty palms on her pants, she took a deep breath and opened the door.
Isaac’s lips were compressed, and his brow furrowed, but damn it, he looked as gorgeous as ever. His searching gaze roamed over her face, seemingly taking in every little detail, until she glared at him in frustration. He flushed and shifted on his feet. He looked away from her to focus upon Marie, who had come up behind her.
What the hell was he thinking? Why did it have to be so hard to figure out his feelings? Was he mad? Angry? Betrayed? Or did he not care anymore?
He hid them too damn well.
Anger flowed through her blood like a drug.
Well, screw him.
“I came to say goodbye. I knew you were leaving early. I hope I’m not intruding.” His voice sounded warm, but Sabrina noticed his clenched fist and his hard eyes.
“No, it’s good to see you again,” Marie reassured him. “Thanks for coming.”
“Well, I’ll leave you girls alone, but I’ll talk to you later, Sabrina?”
She stared at him in stubborn silence, unsure how to answer. Why did he want to talk to her, anyway? She didn’t plan on agreeing to anything right now, thank you very much.
“I’m sure she’d like that, right, Sabrina?” Marie nudged Sabrina’s calf using the tip of her foot. Sabrina glared at her sister wordlessly, who shrugged in confusion, and turned to Isaac to explain further. “She had a rough night last night. She isn’t herself. Don’t mind her.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, she had a bad dream,” she stated. “You don’t know anything about that, though, do you, Isaac?” she asked slyly.
Isaac looked from Marie to Sabrina in confusion, and Sabrina lifted a shoulder in response. She had no idea what her sister had gotten into now. And she didn’t give a damn either.
“Um, no I didn’t,” he stammered. Shifting on his feet, he looked at Sabrina for help. She frowned in return and sighed in irritation.
“Let’s go, Marie. I could use some more coffee on the way,” she said before stomping out the door and holding it open for her sister. Isaac motioned Marie forward, collected her bags, and followed her out the door. Glaring at his retreating figure, she barely resisted the urge to throw her keys at his head.
But…maybe she had a better punishment. Biting her lip to hide her pleasure, she followed Isaac and Marie to her car. She waited as he said his goodbyes, speaking only when he started to climb into his car.
“Isaac, could you drive us to the airport? The traffic will be horrendous, and it will take forever. Hours, I’m sure. I’m too tired to concentrate.” She added a big, loud yawn for Marie’s benefit. It didn’t take much effort to bring one on. Her body barely had the energy to move, yet alone think.
But if Isaac hated anything more he despised than cars, it would be traffic. She almost cackled in glee at his disgruntled expression. He glared at her before forcing a polite smile to his face.
“Certainly, Sabrina. Anything for you.”
He slammed his car door shut, stalked back to her side, and snatched the keys out of her hand.
Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad.
***
The silence in the car on the way to the airport sounded louder than a gunshot…and just as uncomfortable. Isaac and Marie chatted occasionally, but Sabrina remained silent in the back seat, quietly basking in her revenge. The ride proved to be as long as she’d suspected because they hit rush-hour traffic. Sabrina could practically feel the impatience flowing off Isaac’s tense shoulders. She chose not to dwell upon the fact that his anger stemmed from finding her kissing Elijah. She much preferred to focus on her anger at his treatment of her last night.
Marie glanced over her shoulder and Sabrina forced a tight smile. Obviously, her sister sensed the tension in the air. She kept glancing between Sabrina and Isaac, as if trying to see some sort of invisible sign on their foreheads that blinked, we fought, and here’s why.
Eventually, even Marie fell silent.
Arriving at the airport came as a bit of a relief to all of them, Sabrina suspected. They exited the car, collected the luggage, and her and her sister walked side by side while Isaac followed with the bags. She felt Isaac’s eyes glaring at her from behind and resisted the urge to look his way. The anger that kept her going all morning no longer held her up. The pain had returned. She didn’t want to look at him, terrified of what was—or wasn’t—in his eyes.
Lost in thought, she got taken off guard when Marie turned and said, “Okay, this is where you leave me. Security and all.”
“But we need to check your luggage!” Sabrina cried, causing Marie to stare at her in confusion.
“We just did,” she said slowly, as if she were talking to Sam, her two-year-old daughter.
“You must have been so distracted over your sister leaving, you were in a daze,” Isaac said sympathetically. His face softened, and he put a hand on her shoulder. She almost cried at the tender gesture. Almost.
Get a hold of yourself, Sabrina.
“I’ll miss you so much,” she vowed. She shrugged Isaac’s hand off her shoulder under the guise of pulling her sister into her arms for a tight hug.
“I’ll miss you, too, Bree,” Marie whispered, tears in her voice.
Sabrina turned to hurry away. She became forced to stop, however, when she realized Isaac didn’t follow her. A glance over her shoulder revealed he’d been held back by Marie’s hand on his arm.
“Go ahead, Sabrina. I just want to ask Isaac a quick question.”
She groaned, immediately on guard. What now? “Marie, you promised to behave.”
“I am. I want to ask him something. I’m being good, I swear.” Marie smiled at her and motioned for her to walk away. Sabrina stomped away and leaned on a nearby pillar. She glared at the pair and crossed her arms over her chest. Though she’d give them privacy, she’d be damned if she wouldn’t watch.
Isaac watched Sabrina retreat to glare off in the distance before turning to Marie. What happened now? Another interrogation?
He hoped not, because he didn’t bloody feel in the mood. She smiled at him, and he returned the gesture in an attempt to look relaxed. When he was anything but.
“Okay, what happened last night? You guys have a fight when you came over?” she inquired.
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Confusion made his voice sharp as he reminded her, “We didn’t fight at dinner.”
What the bloody hell is she talking about, anyway?
“Last night, Sabrina had a nightmare. She kept screaming in her sleep, yelling your name, and sometimes the name ‘Elijah.’ He’s a character in her novel she’s working on. When I finally woke her up, she was still crying her eyes out, and kept repeating ‘No.’”
“Hmm, sounds like a bad night. No wonder she looks so tired.” He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in an attempt to stay calm.
Fucking Elijah again. God, he hated him sometimes, brother or no. He forced himself to focus on Marie’s words and to push down the anger for later. Much, much later.
“Well, after she put me back to bed like a child, she ran outside. She doesn’t know I saw her, but she took off like a fire chased at her heels. I wanted to go after her, but I had no idea what direction she’d gone. So I sat in the kitchen and waited for her to return. I figured a pregnant woman wondering around in dark, unfamiliar woods isn’t the best idea.
“It must have been a while, because at some point I fell asleep leaning on the island. When I woke up, you were carrying her inside. I waved to you, but I figured you didn’t see me since you didn’t wave back. You took her to the couch and held her.”
His whole body clenched in fury, agony, betrayal. She’d spent the night with Elijah. After he’d been up all night stressing over his words, and his actions, she’d spent the night in his brother’s arms.
Doing what, exactly?
The thought proved too m
uch to bear, and he bit back a curse. Marie stepped back as if she feared him. Well, hell, he probably looked pretty bloody scary to her. He felt manic. A loud bang of thunder shook the airport, and she ripped her eyes from his livid face to gape outside. It had been cloudy, but dry, earlier; now a storm gathered outside. Seeing Marie’s distress forced him to take a deep breath as he plastered the most sincere smile he could manage on his face.
He had a feeling he seemed less happy…and more maniacal.
Isaac held his pleasant expression for Marie’s sake, but not easily. His whole body ached to be released from this sham—to howl in his fury. Elijah had brought Sabrina into her home? Had held her? What, had he waited for him to leave before swooping in and bringing Sabrina inside? Had they kissed—or worse, made love?
He’d gone to sleep last night feeling ashamed, as if he had wronged Sabrina in his anger. But he hadn’t misunderstood the situation after all.
She’d chosen Elijah.
He ground his teeth behind his smile and tightened his fists into balls.
I’ll kill him.
“Oh, no,” she groaned. “I hope they don’t delay my flight.”
Across the room, Sabrina’s eyes widened in horror as she hurried toward them, pushing her way through the crowd of worried travelers, eyeing the sudden change of weather. If she so much as opened her mouth, he’d snap. Time to end this conversation—now.
“Yeah, I left my windows open at home. Didn’t realize a storm would be coming,” he muttered. “Sabrina and I are fine. I feel bad I appeared in her nightmare. I’d hate to cause her to lose sleep.” He gestured outside using his hand. The rain had stopped. He glared at Sabrina over Marie’s head as she approached, and smiled when she faltered in step and paled.
Yeah, your secret is out, my love.
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