We meet in words | Draco Malfoy

39.

Isabella

Isabella looked in the mirror at herself.

Her hands were fidgeting by her side as the anxiety she had worked herself into since waking up began to manifest physically. She winced as the pain brought her back to reality, biting her lip a little too hard.

"It's alright." she muttered to herself.

"Everything will be fine. This isn't the first time we've gone through it. I'm going to be fine."

"That's correct, babe. Don't be concerned!" Isabella jerked her gaze to Lily, who was propped up in her bed with only the most unhealthy food to keep her company.

"You realise you're speaking to someone who is extremely anxious? Shouldn't you, as someone who suffers from anxiety, understand that telling me not to be nervous is the worst thing you could say?" Lily shook her head.

"Yeah, but sometimes my brain is too tired to say the wise thing." she admitted as she slid back into the comfortable bed.

Isabella sneered.

"How often do you say the wise thing?"

"Um, excuse me." Lily interrupted again.

"I'll let you in on a little secret: I have a schedule. Between the hours of 8 and 5, you can count on me to say wise things. But after 5 p.m., I'm done. You gotta give me time to recharge for the next day, you know?"

"I believe you require more recharging than that." Isabella found herself being pelted with popcorn pellets as she laughed at her snarky remark.

"Stop being such a jerk, Isabella." Isabella smiled cheekily at Lily, who couldn't take her own smile off her face.

However, as the reality of the evening set in, both of them quickly awoke. Lily sighed and sat up on the bed again, this time studying Isabella's slightly panicked expression.

"Look, Isabella." she began.

"I understand how frightening it is. I know it'll be different because you're starting on different terms, but that doesn't mean you'll end on the same terms. Don't think about the future; think about the here and now. The more you freak yourself out by worrying about the future, the more you risk jeopardising your relationship with him." She paused to take a deep breath before smiling reassuringly at Isabella.

"He's not going to run. Not right now. Never, ever." Looking up from her hands, Isabella smiled graciously at Lily before shaking her head and rising.

She came to a halt as her hand reached the doorknob in the bedroom. She returned her attention to Lily before turning the knob and allowing the cool air from the hallway to enter the room.

"Wish me luck." she squealed before stepping out and into what would be her second date with Draco Malfoy.

—❀—

"Can you tell me where you're taking me?" Isabella's curiosity was piqued by Draco's knowing smile, and she begged him to tell her where they were going.

"You'll have to wait and see." He said while she grumbled angrily.

They were starting from scratch. And that meant from the start.

That apparently included the whole 'surprise me' scenario at the end of a date. She forgot to mention how tired she was of that. Isabella's limited Spanish was playing over and over in her head.

Ay caramba.

What if Maddox decides to take her out into the woods and murder her in cold blood? What if he hired someone to do it?