Strings Attached

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

I glanced at the book in her hands and twisted my lips into a faint smile. "What are you reading?"

Isabelle gave no reaction. Instead, her mind seemed to have wandered off somewhere vacant as though she tried to make sense of something incredulous.

"Isabelle?" I raised my voice just above a whisper, seeking her attention.

She blinked and gasped softly, as if snapping from a trance. "Huh?"

"I asked what you were reading," I repeated, trying to appear as relaxed as possible and making sure I kept that smile glued to my face. "You seem to be lost in thought."

"Oh." Her gaze froze on my lips, and she drew in a shallow breath, lifting the book toward me. "Wuthering Heights."

I peeked at the cover and caught the sight of a golden ring on her finger. Some kind of powerful feeling spread through my entire system and I succumbed to it, blurting out, "Do you have any plans for tonight?"

Isabelle stared at me as if she thought she misinterpreted my question. It was a chance to reconsider what I was doing, but I was past the point of no return. Perhaps it was too soon, but I needed to spend some time with her or I'd go insane.

"I would like to take you on a date," I explained and she just gaped at me, appearing even more taken aback. Back off, Sebastian. She's not ready for this.

"You want to take me on... on a date?" she breathed, a deep blush covering her face.

Her timid reaction reminded me of her sheltered upbringing and the extent of her inexperience. In all probability, Isabelle had hardly ever talked to a boy, let alone went on a date. What I'd seen in her home in Rosemont and heard from her sister only strengthened that conviction. Suddenly, my chest swelled with a sense of immense compassion and I smiled yet again, reminding myself I had to tread carefully.

"Yes," I muttered softly, holding her mesmerizing gaze. "I would like to take you out. You're spending way too much time inside. I thought that we could go to the movies. Helen told me you liked it when you went together."

Once again, her expression turned dreamy and distant.

"Isabelle?" I called her in a measured tone, probing for a reaction.

Slowly, her eyes levelled with mine and I was confronted with shadows of vigilance in those dark brown irises. Do something.

"What do you say? I promise I'll be on my best behavior," I promised, doing my utter best to sound as harmless and reassuring as possible.

Isabelle's eyes flashed with surprise I deciphered in an instant. To my great misfortune, my little wife knew me all too well. She'd witnessed my self-entitled outbursts on more than one occasion and was aware this kind of behavior didn't come naturally to me. When I wanted something, I went in for the kill and wouldn't let go until I got it. While this was still true in every other aspect of my life, I was adamant to keep that harsh side of my character out of my marriage and treat Isabelle as my equal. I silently urged her with my gaze to take a chance on me. Sweetheart, I'm trying...

"Yes, I would like to go to the movies tonight," she replied in a quiet voice, responding to my silent pleas.

I released a sigh of relief and grinned. "Great. I'll pick you up at, say, six?"

"Six is fine," she whispered, and a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

Beautiful. It was so fucking beautiful. Wanting to memorize this moment, I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. When I peered up at her again, the smile was still there and she seemed to have relaxed. For the first time, Isabelle let me see what laid buried underneath those thick layers of sadness and vulnerability. This was who she truly was...an innocent artistic soul with a captivating smile and a deep sense of compassion. The proof of her kind forgiving nature was right in front of me, and it was beyond confronting. I was the bastard who'd made her life a living hell and she ignored every warning sign in her head and made the effort to let me in. The thought of how much strength it took for her to bare herself in front of me like this left me breathless with guilt. Why? Why the fuck did it take me ages to see she was like this?

"I never thought..." I began and swallowed the words. I never thought your smile could hurt more than your tears. Drawing in a chunk of air, I did my best to compose myself and muttered, "I'll see you at six."

***

Hi loves,

Please don't kill me. I know it's a short chapter, but it's all I have at the moment so I wanted to share. I'll be back with more chapters as soon as I can. Have a lovely day. <3 :)

Lots of love,

Astrid