-Nathan Blake-
“Watch her head” Caroline screech at me, while I carried Isabelle’s limp body. I was carrying her body out of the limo, but her frilly dress didn’t make it easier. One arm around my neck and her face nestling in my chest. She looked peaceful while sleeping.
I got out and the driver shut my door, Caroline ran ahead of us, while I carefully watched Isabelle, silently breathe.
She had collapsed at the Ball and had too much champagne that we had to leave early. I didn’t mind leaving so quickly, I just wanted Isabelle to get home safely. People stared at us, the drunk girl and the Millionaire’s son, but that was the least of my worries.
“What happened to her?” interrogated Alison as soon as I walked into the house. Her eyes fell on Isabelle and she looked disgusted and hatred pulsed through me towards Alison.
“Nothing, she just collapsed after drinking.” I said through gritted teeth., but I knew tomorrow morning it wouldn’t be fun for Isabelle. She started to mutter in her sleep and shifted a little. I helplessly smiled.
“Get her to her room.” ordered Alison and I obeyed, walking up the spiral staircase while Caroline chased after us. I had no idea how I was walking without looking because I couldn’t tear my gaze away from Isabelle, curled up and fast asleep, like a tired child.
“Caroline, can you please open the door?” We’d reached her room and Caroline speeded to let me enter. The room was a mess, probably from getting ready before the party.
I walk over to the double bed and lay her down gently. She gave a little snore and I laugh under my breath, because she was just too cute.
***
-Isabelle Quinn-
I woke to a painful headache. I held onto my heavy head and felt sick come up my throat. Low snores issuing from the end of my bed told me that Caroline fell asleep there, and I knew when I saw a thin figure in a blue dress, hair messed and in every direction, that Caroline feel asleep without getting changed. I could hardly remember the day before, and to my surprise I realised that I was still in my dress. I got up and went to the balcony to open it up and let fresh air in. I did so and a deep voice behind me called my name.
“Isabelle?”
I spun and caught Nathan’s blue eyes, he was wearing a white v-neck to shirt that showed his chest. I turn my eyes back to the garden. The sun is up, and it’s a beautiful warm summer’s day. Birds are chirping merrily, the trickling of the fountain water is cool and tranquil. I close my eyes to the soothing sound. It really is a lovely day. I turn back around again but this time Nathan is much closer to me.
He smiled, gracefully. “You passed out last night.” He said, breaking the horrid silence between us.
“Oh” I replied, slightly embarrassed. I’d never got drunk before and the first time I do, it’s at a formal party. Well, isn’t that great.
“I’m sorry” I apologise because I must have embarrassed him and me a lot last night.
“Don’t worry about it.” he reassures me, and slowly reaches towards my tangled hair. It was all scruffy and very unappealing, but he brushed his fingers slowly through it and I shuddered at the pleasant feeling. It’s amazing how easily he managed to run his fingers through my knotted hair. I shut my eyes as his hand trails down my cheek and cups my face. My eyes are still shut, was I scared to look at him? But I felt him come closer, his cheek brushing against my ear and his low whisper, giving me chills on this sweltering day.
“Isabelle,” he calls with a low grumble. I feel his hands slowly begin to wrap around my waist but I don’t wait any further because I can see a sneaky Caroline peeking at us. My best friend was spying on me. I shake Nathan away unexpectedly and clear my throat.
“I have to get changed out of my dress.” I explain and walk towards my walk-in wardrobe but I look back and regret it. He looked so hurt despite the brave face he put on.
“Then maybe I’ll give you a tour of the back garden later?” He suggests and I nod. “There’s more to see than just the view.” He smirks and in seconds he’s gone from the room. I loudly exhale and take off my dress, grabbing one of my old t-shirts while I looks for something suitable to wear.
“What happened?” I saw Caroline walk in behind me, taking her blue dress of too.
“What do you mean?” I asked, innocently like I had no idea what happened only moments ago, when I was really fully aware that Nathan was in my room, and so close to me.
“Nathan was there, with you an-“
I interject and pull on a light blue t-shirt and grab some denim shorts and my converse.
“And…it’s not big deal, Caroline and I’m honestly having second thoughts about this wedding.”
“Don’t” she yelped and I walked out of my wardrobe to scrub off all the make up off my face.
“Do you know how many girls would die to marry Nathan Blake?” She asks but I shake my head. “Well, I’m not one of them.”
I take off the scarlet lipstick and the eye shadow, but reapply my mascara and brush my wild blond hair.
“You have serious problems, Isabelle. He wanted to kiss you.” She crosses her arms and jumps onto the bed.
“And I didn’t, trust me, I’m trying to save him.” I stand up and walk up to the balcony that I was so in love with. I think it was one of the best things about this place.
“Save him?” Caroline asks and join me out in the open air. I can see the gardener and Nathan walking with his mother.
“From what? You don’t make any sense.” Caroline exclaims and tries to catch a butterfly flying past.
“I don’t like Nathan, and I can tell he likes me.” I explain, because I did realise the way Nathan looks at me but I just couldn’t like the millionaire playboy I’d seen on magazine covers countless time. He must be a sweet person, because I can see it. But I know for a fact that I don’t belong with him. “What could hurt more that liking someone who doesn’t like you back? It’d kill him.”
“You’re right, there really is no point of this wedding if you hate him.” She implied and I shot her a look.
“I don’t hate him. I just don’t feel that way about him.” I stared at my new converse that Nathan had kindly bought for me.
“So, Mr. Blake’s death wish?” she asks and looks at me while squinting from the bright sun. “Didn’t your parents get married on a death wish?”
“Yeah, my grandmother’s. She wanted them to get married, it was already partially arranged though. And I’m sure they liked each other before they got married.”
“I still think you should give Nathan a chance.” She skips away, putting on a vest shirt and some light blue skinny jeans.
“Give the playboy Millionaire a chance? Hmm, maybe.” I smile at her.
“Well, get lost. He invited you to a tour of the garden, and I need to call my parents, so bye” and she pushes me out of my own room.
***
-Nathan Blake-
“Isabelle!” I yell, I wave and call her over, I see her nervously wave back at me.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” My mother smirks, picks a rose from the near by bush and hands it to me. “Give it to her.” And she strolls away.
“Hi” she says and sit down at the fountain edge. I do the same and look at her shading her eyes from the blazing sun that was giving off pleasant heat.
I remembered the rose in my hand and quickly gave it to her. “For you.” Could I have sounded more nervous? The over confident, playboy was finally nervous at approaching a girl.
“Thank you,” she says sweetly and sniffs the rose. “It’s lovely.”
I can still see her squinting in the sun light.
“Here, take my sunglasses.” I take them off my head and give them to her.
“No, it’s ok.”
“No, it’s fine.” I slide them gently on her face, until I can no longer see her dazzling blue eyes. I can only see myself staring back at me. Stupidly I feel like the sunglasses are shutting me away from her by not being able to look into her eyes.
“Thank you, so you said a tour?” She asks and I nod. “Yeah, a tour, come on.” I offer my hand and she takes it. We walk around the bushes that provide us with a shade. I jump over a little stream and come across some rabbits, hopping merrily. I hear Isabelle squeal and go over to pick one up.
“These are adorable.” She exclaims, I wonder if she knew that she was adorable, plus the rabbit.
“They’re all yours.” I say, running my fingers through my own hair and watching her smile at the hopping white rabbits.
“This place is like an enchanted forest. I love it.” She gracefully grins at me and a smile curls on the side of my lips.
“There’s more to see.” I grab her hand and lead her deeper into the forest.
“There this well, said to have magical water.” We keep running when we end up in a circle where sits the well in the centre.
“Magical water?” she finds it hard to believe and to be honest it is silly, but her puzzled look was so cute while I watched her look down into the depths of the well.
“Looks like ordinary water.” She says and smirks at me.
“Tastes like it too, but it has magical properties. If you drink it, you fall hopelessly in love.” I claim, but after a few moments of silence, her laughs echo around the forest.
“That’s ridiculous.” She giggles.
“Really?” I ask. “I thought you were into fairytales and enchanting forests. I assumed you’d find it interesting.”
“Maybe, but it still sounds silly. Can we drink it?”
“I wouldn’t advise it, I did try some once, it wasn’t a good experience.” I tell her and from the disgusted look on my face, she laughs again.
“Let’s go back” again I take her hand and run back, passing the rabbits. (Where Isabelle wanted to stop again and stroke them.) and passing the small stream. We were back into the main garden and I gave her a tour of the fountains, the pond that had multicoloured fishes and the rose bushes she was entranced in.
“This garden is so beautiful.” She breaths and sits down near the pond. “Whose idea was it for the garden?”
I sit by her and move in closer, she doesn’t move away, instead she looks at me and hugs her knees.
“My mum’s, she loves gardens and roses. It was all her idea and my father let her have it.” I tell her.
She leans her head on her knees and watches me. But it was a comforting gaze. I subconsciously reach for her hand and hold it, our fingers lock but I feel her muscles tense up.
“You’re different, Isabelle.” I whisper and take her hands to my lips and gently kiss it. “So different from any other girl, I’ve ever met.”
She pulls her hand away and shuffles restlessly. I stare down at my shoes. It was wrong and I’d moved in too fast. I breathed heavily and cursed myself at my mistake.
“Miss.” Me and Isabelle jumped at the same time. We didn’t see the elderly servant approach us.
“Hello, Jeff.” I say and receive a curt nod.
“Hello, sir. And Miss, Your friend said that she is going to her parent’s house and will soon return this afternoon.” He informs her and she nods.
“Thank you for telling me.” And she stands up and walks away without another word.
“Anything you’d like for me to do, sir?” the servant asks but I shook my head. Unless he could get Isabelle to like me then he was no help.
***
-Isabelle Quinn-
Mmm, pancakes. I got the cook to make me 12 pancakes covered in chocolate, strawberries and syrup. It was the best breakfast I’d had in a long time. I scoffed most of it down but no-one can eat the whole 12 pancakes.
“Thank you, very much. It was delicious.” I compliment the cook and he smiles kindly at me.
Nathan appears from nowhere into the kitchen.
“Would you like anything, sir?” the cook asks him politely as he had done with me, in his delightful Italian accent.
“No, it’s ok.” He says extracting a bottle of water from the fridge.
“I’m busy with your wedding cake, sir.” He exclaims proudly, happy to be in charge of the food on the ‘special’ occasion.
“That’s good.” Nathan replies without any enthusiasm in his voice. Was he angry at me for walking away. It wasn’t intentional. Ok maybe it was, I was nervous and a little uncomfortable, but I was hungry too. (But the pancakes have done the job).
We looked directly at each other, like we always did. As nervous as I usually get when we lock eyes it was still comforting, but he was upset and I could tell. His eyes weren’t shining as brightly. But he walks away like nothing had happened. I breathe into my hands, internally swearing at myself. In the space of a couple of days, I’d already hurt him so much.
____________________________________________________________________________
Next chapter, much longer and more Isabelle and Nathan! Isabelle is still in denial and she's horrible for hurting Nathan! Bleaughh!
Please comment and vote! And I love you guys so much for reading my story!!! x Thank you!