Little Game

Chapter 22

Isabella wanted to swallow a lump in her throat when he mentioned Rafael because she didn't expect him mention her family. Or Rafael. She hadn't seen Rafael ever since that day. She was supposed to talk to him, to apologize to him, but he left her. He left her with thousands of questions with no answers.

Did he abandon her?

Does he hate her now?

What if he does?

"R-Raffy—— Rafael..." Isabella muttered, wanting to disappear at that moment because she hates the conversation. She hates how the doctor prods around her mind like its some sort of game.

"Uh-huh." He said, nodding, putting back his glasses to where it belongs. "Did you talk to him?"

Isabella shook her head, wanting her session to be over. She doesn't want to talk about him. She doesn't want to talk about this.

"Why's that?"

"B-Because I can't f-find Raffy." Isabella breathed out shakily. She can't find him and whenever she thinks of a reason why Rafael is gone, she'd go back to thinking that it's her fault.

He leaned forward, intertwining his hands together. "And why so?"

Isabella shrugged, angry at the uncontrollable tears that were starting to form in her eyes. She hates it. She hate the fact that when the name 'Rafael' pops up, the word disappointment comes to repeatedly play in her mind. Rafael's words were hurtful but she still felt like it was her fault for not apologizing.

And then, there was that creepy guy in that motel.

She still wonders that creepy man's fate. If he's still alive and well or maybe he's dead somewhere. Cold and rotting.

And, what about Romeo?

What happened to poor Romeo?

Then, there's her father. Her papa just suddenly disappeared too, not leaving any trace of him in the mansion. She tried searching for him though, she looked for every nook and cranny of her home but she still couldn't find him. She still couldn't find her papa.

But, why's that?

Does he hate her now?

All of it felt like it was her fault.

"M-Maybe because he thinks that I'm a big disappointment..." Isabella said honestly, clenching her fist at the thought of it.

"Well, do you think you are?" He asks, sounding intrigued by her answer. He was  probably intrigued since her answer was the only real answer that he'd got from weeks of trying to get her to open up to him.

"Maybe I am."

"Then, you're saying that you're disappointed at yourself for trying to protect a friend from a bully?"

Isabella looked up in shock. She didn't mean it to be that way. But, it sounds like he's right.  Still, she shakes her head in panic. "N-No...! I-I didn't mean——Bella didn't mean it t-that——"

"What do you think your friend will say to you when she hears young Sofia regrets protecting her from the big bad bully, hmm? What do you think will happen? What do you think she'll say to you?"

Isabella stayed silent but her eyes were filled with raw fear that couldn't be hidden in the mask that she had created. The shrink's words were painful like a sharp knife and that's because his words were the truth.

Isabella suddenly felt shame rising up in her stomach.

"Do you think that you're a disappointment for hiding when there was an intruder barging in your room?"