“And I absolutely, positively love you, too,” she responded with a kiss.
CHAPTER 10
“I’m surprised that you were able to make time for me, Miss Heart-Struck,” Demi joked, but Isabelle knew she was slightly serious.
Isabelle valued her friendship with Demi and she was grateful for it because she didn’t have many friends, but she was hooked on Noah. She didn’t want to neglect Demi, but spending any of her free time away from Noah felt like time wasted.
“Well you know I had to make time for you, girl. You’re really the only friend I have here,” Isabelle sighed.
“You’d have more friends if you made time for things other than Noah. I’ve been there and it’s not worth it, girl. What if you two break up tomorrow and you don’t have a life outside of him? You still have to remember who you are and maintain an identity,” Demi reminded her.
“I do a lot other than hang with Noah.” Isabelle mouth spoke the words, but her heart and mind knew they weren’t true.
“Well, just be careful. My ex was a total slob and he practically lived a double life. I thought he loved me just as much as I loved him, but that wasn’t true. Everything that he was telling me, he was telling other girls. I stopped hanging out with friends, shopping with my mom, going to family gatherings and everything over him. After we broke up I didn’t even have a life to revert back to because I’d lost all ties with anyone that mattered to me. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I do care about you and I want to make sure you don’t make the same mistake I made all over some guy. I mean you act like a 40 year old housewife or something, live a little because college doesn’t last forever.”
As much as the words her hurt her, she knew Demi was telling the truth. She didn’t do any extracurricular activities and she hadn’t graced a dance floor since she’d been at school, which was nearly three months already.
“I know, I know and I’m sorry. The last thing I want to do is neglect our friendship. When’s the next big party?” Isabelle asked while she motioned her head from side to side.
“Why? You’re not going to be there.”
“Tell me when and I’m definitely going to come!”
Isabelle wanted to have a life outside of Noah even though it didn’t appear that way. Yes, she loved him deeply and whenever she wasn’t around him, she wished that she was. Isabelle did want a social life however, she’d never really been the partying type, but this was college and partying is a part of the four-year plan.
“Alright, next Friday there’s a mid year jamboree that everyone is going to. We can go together; it’ll be fun.”
“I’m there!” Isabelle grinned and patted Demi on the back.
“I’ll believe it when I see it, girl,” Demi responded passively.
Normally on a Friday night she’d be cuddled up with Noah letting a Netflix movie watch them, but she was determined to live a little at this party.
“You’ll see!”
The girls walked out of the library so that they could walk to class. Isabelle had missed Professor Craven’s class last week and she felt bad about it, but Noah was available so she had to take him up on his offer for lunch.
“I have something I need to tend to so I’m not coming to class today, girl,” Demi said before they reached Crosby Hall. She looked a bit nervous, but Isabelle didn’t want to pry.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I just have a few things I need to do, so I’ll get the notes from you later,” she assured her.
“Sounds good. I’ll hit you up later on then.”
“See ya, chick.”
Demi walked off in the direction of Jameson Hall, which was the all boys sports dorm. She’d never heard Demi mention a guy that lived there before, but Isabelle knew that Demi met new guys all the time that she didn’t deem worth a conversation.
Isabelle took a deep sigh before she entered Crosby Hall because she’d just remembered that she forgot to complete an assignment due for Professor Craven’s class.
CHAPTER 11
“Isabelle, you’re struggling in my class. Is there anything distracting you or taking your focus off of your studies?” Professor Craven inquired with concern.
The last few weeks had been magical and Isabelle had forgotten about several assignments in multiple classes, but particularly in Professor Craven’s class.
“I’m sorry, but I have been slightly distracted and I plan to do better with that,” Isabelle smiled as she quickly gathered her bags and tried to head for the door.
“Hold it! ‘Sorry’ and ‘plan to do better’ will not do you any good. You’re failing this class and it will take a perfect score on the mid-term to even pull your grade up to a ‘C’.”
Isabelle’s heart dropped. She knew she’d missed a few homework assignments and maybe a quiz or two, but not to the point of failing. She was such a good student throughout high school and she never failed a class. Isabelle was stunned at how she’d let her grades slip in such a short amount of time. Spending every waking moment with Noah didn’t help her case either.
“Look, I have a new boyfriend and maybe it’s been distracting me. I’ve had a very hard past and having him around just makes life a lot better for me. I didn’t realize that I was failing, but I will do whatever it takes to pull my grade up because I need this class,” Isabelle begged.
“Okay, Isabelle. I’ll meet with you twice a week until the midterm, which is just three weeks away. If you can show me that you are dedicated to learning the material then I’ll show you mercy on the exam,” she sighed.
“Thank you so much, Professor Craven! You don’t know how much this means to me,” Isabelle exclaimed while embracing her tightly.
“That will be enough, but you’re welcome,” she smiled.
“I’m going to show you just how serious I really am,” Isabelle grinned.
“I hope so,” Professor Craven replied solemnly.
Isabelle grabbed her bags and ran into the hall delighted that she would be able to prove herself and her abilities.
“Hey, babe. I just found out that I’m doing terrible in one of my classes! Can you believe it? Well she’s going to meet with me one on one so that we can ensure I pass the midterm and the class. That’s so sweet of you to say, baby.” Isabelle was laughing and smiling like a young schoolgirl while she talking on the phone with Noah as she walked out of the English building.
“Yeah, we’re still on for tonight and I can’t wait to see you.”
Isabelle smiled so hard that she couldn’t even close her mouth. Noah’s voice like was music to her ears and she could talk to him on the phone for hours just to hear him speak.
“Um, excuse me, are you Isabelle Harper?”
“Yes, are those for me?” Isabelle grinned.
A flower carrier had stopped Isabelle on her walk to Starbucks for a coffee. At first Isabelle thought the carrier would walk past her, but she didn’t.
“Yes ma’am. You must have a honey dip that really cares,” the carrier said in a southern accent similar to Isabelle’s own mother.
She handed Isabelle the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers that she’d ever seen filled with roses, daffodils, and tulips. The flowers were a rainbow of beauty and she was delighted that Noah had gone through so much trouble just to put a smile on her face. There was a small card attached that Isabelle was anxious to open. She knew it would be filled with sweet nothings signed by the love of her life.
“These flowers could never match your beauty. I love you and there is nothing that you could ever do about that. Love, Brian.”
Isabelle was stunned that Brian had sent her the flowers. She couldn’t believe that Brian was actually going to attempt to get her back after he broke her heart.
How could he send me these when I told him that I wasn’t interested? He knows that when my mind is made up that there is no going back, she thought. Even though Isabelle was upset that the flowers weren’t from Noah, she was a little excited about the attention s
he was receiving. She knew that it wasn’t a good idea to lead people on or play with anyone’s heart, but this attention gave her a boost of confidence.
Her heart was with Noah of course, but how could a girl resist two men who are crazy about her? She threw the flowers away in a garbage can before heading into Starbucks. She felt bad for throwing them away, however she couldn’t let Noah see them in her room so she knew it was the best choice.
“I’ll have a tall caramel macchiato and a brownie cake pop.”
Isabelle went to Starbucks just about every day since she started at Abernathy. Before college she never went because she thought they were too expensive, but now she felt more sophisticated. She was dating an older guy and he made her feel put together like she never had before. She didn’t feel like her life was all over the place for once and it felt great.
“Hey, babe!”
Demi decided to meet Isabelle today even though she still disagreed with the prices of Starbucks.
“Hi, Demi! How’s it going, chick?”
“Girl, you know, another day another guy, but I really like this one surprisingly. He isn’t from this area and he’s really handsome. We just met, but I feel like he already cares about me,” she blushed.
“I know this isn’t coming from the anti-love chick? You’ve been against anything more than a date or two and that’s it. What’s the deal because he must be one hell of a guy?” Isabelle curiously asked with a gaped open mouth in disbelief.
“That was until I met Brian!” she smiled.
Isabelle’s heart dropped at that very moment. She knew Brian loved her, but she didn’t know he would ever try to win her back by going through a friend. He was always a control-freak, but not to this extent.
“Brian who?” Isabelle asked casually.
“I think his name is Brian Hamilton,” she responded. “No, not your psycho ex,” she laughed. “I try to avoid those.”
Isabelle slid down in her seat with relief. As much as she enjoyed the attention of two men, she knew how sour it could go real fast if Brian was trying to reach her through friends.
“Oh great!” Isabelle exclaimed loudly.
“I’m glad you’re so happy for me!” Demi gaily grinned.
CHAPTER 12
Isabelle sucked her bottom lip with delight. Noah was once again working his magical hands on her back. He was the best at giving full body massages and Isabelle loved receiving them.
“Why do you treat me so well?” she moaned.
“Because you deserve it,” he assured her while he tenderly swept his hands across her back in long strokes. Noah’s massages had become a regular for the two and Isabelle looked forward to them. His touch made her feel safe and she loved that security. His hands were large and they swallowed her back in his gentle caresses. Isabelle felt like she was living in a fairytale and Noah was her Prince Charming. All of her sexual needs were exceeded as well as her mental needs satisfied. She didn’t even feel like a first year college student anymore, but more like a slave to Noah’s love and attention.
Of course she wanted to finish school and hang her accomplishments on the wall, but she was addicted to the love she shared with Noah. After such a damaging past, this was a godsend. When Noah touched her body and spoke to her in his honey smooth voice, nothing else mattered. Her drug addict mother vanished, her depressing childhood vanished, and even her current issues with school vanished. She didn’t know how she would ever live her life happy without him, so she made sure she wouldn’t have to.
“Baby,” she turned around to lay on her back and face him.
“Hey, I wasn’t finished,” he laughed.
“I know, but I need to talk to you about something,” she demanded.
“What is it, sweetheart?” he asked with concern.
“When I’m with you all of my doubts and fears escape my mind and you know that. Nothing else matters when I’m cuddled up with you at night and I yearn for that feeling when I’m not around you, but there’s an issue I feel you need to be aware of.” Her voice drifted off with the last few words because she didn’t want to ruin their night, but she knew she had to bring this up.
“You know that you can talk to me about anything, Isabelle. I’m your man and I’m here for you no matter what,” he assured her.
Isabelle knew that Noah would perceive this information well because that was the type of man he was. He wasn’t hostile or jealous, but caring and understanding. The only reason she hesitated was because she hated it was even an issue in the first place and it was out of her control.
“Well I never really told you much about my ex, Brian, but we ended really bad and I had to rebuild myself after he left. My whole life was centered on him even though I found out he saw me as more of a charity case than a girlfriend. Anyways, he came here a few weeks ago and he tried to get back with me, but of course I declined. I thought it was over and he understood that I wasn’t interested, but today I got flowers from him and he told me that he wasn’t going to let me go that easily. I didn’t want any secrets between us so I wanted to tell you everything.”
Isabelle felt like a load was lifted from her shoulders with each word she spoke. Telling Noah about Brian made her feel good because she didn’t want anything hidden in their relationship.
“I’m glad you were honest and told me about this guy. Has he tried to call you or text you?” he asked calmly while he rolled over to lie next to her in the bed.
“No, which is weird because he has my number. Look, babe I’m not sure what he’s trying to do or why, but you don’t have anything to worry about because I’m all yours.”
Noah leaned in to kiss Isabelle, but she was interested in much more than that. She pulled away from him so that she could pull up his t-shit to reveal the most perfect abs to ever grace Abernathy University. Isabelle was convinced that his body was hand-chiseled by the Lord himself. She threw the dingy t-shirt across the room and turned to face Noah with lust blazing in her eyes. She wanted to devour his body until there was none left. She pulled him into her bosom and embraced his body fully against her own, while he shoved his tongue down her throat violently.
Isabelle’s face was painted with a devilish grin before she returned the favor and kissed him back. Noah climbed on top of her while their lips were still intertwined and never missing a beat. Isabelle wrapped her legs around his waist as Noah’s lips left hers and navigated south to her neck, sucking voraciously like his life depended on it. Isabelle was in ecstasy as she bent her head backward into her soft pillow. Noah knew exactly what to do and just how to do it to drive her wild.
His lips slowly moved to the left side of her neck, handling her with the care of a newborn baby. Noah treasured any time he could satisfy Isabelle and she appreciated the satisfaction and knew it would be guaranteed.
His French kisses on her neck were so passionate and sensual that they sent chills up Isabelle’s spine and she couldn’t remain still.
“You like that huh?” he asked in the sexiest voice she’d ever heard.
“You know I do,” she moaned.
His lips were once again on their voyage to explore her body and moving slowly south down past her breasts and on to her navel. Noah penetrated his tongue in and out of her navel while he looked up to see her smile. He knew she would laugh and enjoy this gesture.
Noah sat up before Isabelle and looked over her bare body. He loved everything about her from her crooked long toes to her nose and he would take great pride in making love to her that night.
CHAPTER 13
10 Years Ago
“I hope you feel at home here. I wanted you to have your own room so I cleared out my sewing room just for you! I love you, Isabelle, and I’m so happy to have you here with me,” her grandmother smiled warmly.
“Thanks, grandma.”
Isabelle was so excited about living with her grandmother. She didn’t have much, but anything was more than what her mother had and more than anything she felt loved there. Her gr
andmother actually wanted her around and enjoyed having her there.
“She’ll be in good hands, Sharon. I love her to pieces,” she laughed.
“Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you don’t call me when you get tired of her because I know you will,” Sharon warned.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun so I know I wont get tired of my grandbaby,” she grinned and winked at Isabelle.
Isabelle loved her room. It was painted lavender with a full sized bed and a chest in the corner with gorgeous fabrics that her grandmother used to make garments with. There were also beautiful paintings that filled the wall that her bedpost rested upon. Isabelle was certain that those paintings were her mother’s creations and every time she looked at one of them she wondered. She would wonder about the type of woman her mother was before she was born. Her paintings were so striking and magnificent, they were like nothing she’d ever seen before so it was hard to believe that her mother created them.
This was the same woman that beat her, starved her, and verbally abused her daily, so she couldn’t believe her mother could paint something so pure and lovely. The paintings were the exact opposite of her mother; they were lovable and calming, while Sharon was hateful and rigid.
“I love it here already,” Isabelle screeched as she ran to her grandmother and nearly knocked her over with force.
Ella, Isabelle’s grandmother, was fragile and petite, but she was tough when she needed to be. Age had gotten ahold of her, but she had the spirit of a 21 year old and Isabelle loved that about her. Even though she was only 56, she appeared much older to a 10 year old Isabelle.
“I’m glad that you do, sweetie,” Ella smiled. She was so excited to have Isabelle there, maybe more excited than Isabelle. Ever since her husband died two years prior, she’d felt lonely.
Ella didn’t work because she was injured on the job as an LPN at a local rest home, so now she just collected a small disability check because she couldn’t fully use her left hand. Her check wasn’t a lot and sometimes she could hardly pay the bills, but she made it work.
Deceived (The Captured Hearts Trilogy #1) Page 4