Forgetting Love

8

"Who are you?" I ask. My voice is hoarse and croaky.

"Isabel," she says. That's not what I meant, and she knows it.

"Why are you here?"

"Honey, I live here." She still won't answer correctly and it's starting to anger me.

"Don't call me that," I say harshly. "Now tell me, who are you?"

"Chris was right about you being feisty that's for sure," she mumbles. I glare at her, then she finally says, "I'm Joseph's wife."

"What are you doing here?" I asked confused. I'm not so hostile anymore, she's trapped just like me. "Why aren't you with your family? Joseph is in jail."

She sighs, and sits down on the edge if the bed. "He was never caught. We couldn't make it to the wedding because my daughters were sick, and no one turned us in. Besides, this is my family now. I'd never want to leave them."

"But you were kidnapped!" I sputter.

"I'm a little different than you, but I don't have time for stories right now."

"Then why are you in here?" I ask cautiously. I'm not so trusting of her anymore, she seems quite secretive. She also treats me like a child.

"To make sure you're ready," she says happily.

"Ready for what?" My heart starts pounding. What is she talking about?

She laughs, "Don't worry so much. It's just dinner."

"Then why am I dressed up so nice? Who put me in this?" I still have my arms crossed over my chest. I hate this dress.

"Oh, that was me. Chris wanted you to wear it."

Of course he did. "I don't want to go to it," I look away from her. "I can't stand the thought of having to look at him."

"You have to. You're going to see his face for the rest of your life, you may as well get used to it."

I burst in to tears. She's right, I am stuck here forever. "You don't understand," I cry. "I can't look at him him. He killed my boyfriend and my best friend. How could I ever look at that monster!"

She starts rubbing my back. "It gets better, you just have to give him a chance. He really does love you."

"He has a funny way if showing it," I mumble.

"You'll start to see he does once you love him."

This makes me crack. The thin wire of sensibility has broken. "I could never love him! I will never get the picture of Ryan's face when he was shot out if my head. Matt's blood as it soaked in to the white carpet. They're paling faces as I was ripped away from them. I never will, so I will never forgive him."

She looks at me with pity, "Come on, let's get you ready." She tries to take me towards the bathroom but I yank my arm away.

"What? Am I not pretty enough for him already?" I stand up knowing I will have to go to this dinner. But since I do, I'm going on my own terms. I walk to one of the dressers and find it full of men's clothes. So Chris is sleeping in here, great. I go to the next and pull out a white hoodie and slip it on to cover the top of the dress. "Ok, I'm ready." I probably look like complete crap, but I couldn't care less.

Isabel looks at me with amusement in her eyes. "You are something else, aren't you?" But she doesn't say it mean. I take it as a compliment and smile. She leads me out of the room and down a hall. Once again, there is a hardwood floor. The rocking that woke me is still happening. What is that?