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"Hey little lady, my name’s Tony. I work with your grandpa. I'm gonna take you to your grandma. Why don't you hop in the car?" the man says with a strange southern accent.
I grab Bella by the arm and ask, "Who is he? Do you know him? Are you safe? Do you need me to come with you? Are you sure he's a good guy?" Demanding to know, I shoot her question after question as I give the strange man my bestdon't mess with melook. The one I've seen so many times from Gabe and my dad. I am scared to let her go. I don't know this man. She doesn't know this man, and he seems creepy to me. I push down the bile that is edging into my throat and try to tame the butterflies in my stomach.
"It's alright, Nathaniel. Pops said his friend Johnny was coming. Don't worry so much," she says calmly and hugs me. "I'll be back tomorrow, same time, same place ... Probably," she says, sticking her tongue out at me cheekily as she gets in the truck and closes the door.
I just stand there and stare as he drives away. Once the car is out of sight, I walk around, kicking rocks and trees, just hoping and praying she's okay. If this man does anything to hurt her, I'll hunt him down and kill him somehow.Well, maybe I'll ask Gabe to kill him, since he's stronger than me.But either way, this man is dead if he hurts my Bella. Only then do I notice that both my fists are clenched at my sides and my nails have left small, crescent-shaped cuts in my palm.
CHAPTER FIVE
ISABELLA
By the time the alarm rings, I’ve been up for an hour and am showered and dressed. I've been up and down with excitement all night. Nana is taking me to see Nathaniel around nine on her way to the bake sale at church. I offered to help her set it up, but I think she saw straight through me and knew I was only doing it to be polite. I can't wait to spend the day with my one and only true friend, especially considering our plans were unexpectedly cut short yesterday. We barely managed to spend three hours together, but today we’ve got the whole day. I jump in the shower, take out the French braids Nana put in for me last night to give my hair those pretty beach waves, and change before heading downstairs for breakfast.
"Looks like someone got up bright and early," Pops says as he sits down with his newspaper.
"I couldn't sleep," I admit, fiddling with the hem of my t-shirt.
"I can't imagine why," Nana and Pops say in unison, grinning at each other as they both take a sip of their coffee. I stand there blushing before turning around, making a bowl of cereal, and pouring myself a glass of juice.
"I just have a few little things to do, and then we can go. Let’s say in about thirty minutes, okay?" Nana says, looking at her watch.
"Perfect! Anything you want me to do in the meantime?" I murmur with a mouthful of Captain Crunch.
"Actually, if you wouldn't mind getting the pies and cakes out of the fridge and putting them in the cooler for me, that would help me immensely."
"Of course, Nana. Would you like me to put them in the car, too?" I ask as I push away my empty bowl and slide off my seat, making my way to the fridge, getting the items out and putting them into little containers.
"Oh yes, please. How did I ever get such a sweet, caring granddaughter?" Nana smiles as she leans over and pinches my cheeks.God, I wish everyone would stop pinching my cheeks. I have chubby cheeks; I get it.
Before I know it, the cakes are in the car, as well as the stuff for drinks and some soft pillows because Nana says she gets hemorrhoids from the chairs at church.I have no idea what hemorrhoids are, but it doesn't sound good.
We drive out of town and down towards the wooded area near the cabin, which is near where Nathaniel lives. We don't know exactly which house is his, but we know it's through the clearing. It's only about fifteen minutes away, but it's like being immersed in another part of the world. Where Nana lives, there are lots of big houses, parks, and even a mall, although it's a small town. But where Nathaniel lives, it’s basically the wilderness. It's right next to a big forest where there are hardly any houses. The one belonging to Nathaniel's family is at the end of the clearing. A cluster of trees hides the path from view, making it appear there are no longer any houses in that vicinity, unless you are aware of someone living there.
Nana stops the car on the side of the main road as she gets a bit worried about driving on the dirt roads. She walks with me to the clearing with the big oak tree because we both know my sense of direction still sucks. Before I get there, I see Nathaniel running over to us like an excited puppy with his hair blowing in the breeze.
"Morning, Mrs. Williams. This is for you," he says, opening his hand. His big smile fades, and his face drops as he hands her some crumpled looking daisies. "Oops, sorry, I think I squished them," Nathaniel adds, looking nervously at the ground.
Nana takes them from him, making a big deal about smelling them before responding kindly. "They smell wonderful, Nathaniel. Thank you very much."
Nathaniel lifts his head and gives her a big, cheesy grin. "I'm glad you like them," he says cheerfully.
"Yes, I do. They're beautiful, thank you. Have fun, kids. I'll pick you up when I'm done with the bake sale. Maybe I'll save you both a cupcake if you're lucky," Nana says sweetly, hugging us both.
"So, what are we doing today?" I ask, looking at Nathaniel.
"We could play soccer. Gabe found a ball at school we can use."
"You're both welcome to come to church with me and help me raise money. There will be some games, food, and plenty of people to talk to," Nana offers.
"I don't have any money," Nathaniel says shyly.
"You don't need money, dear; it's all for a good cause. Help me set up the tables and do some small chores. That's payment enough," Nana says kindly.
"Alright, then yes, please, ma'am."
We get into Nana's car and have to squeeze into the back seat because it's full of supplies. When we arrive, Nathaniel takes his task very seriously and immediately goes into work mode. He sets up the tables, lays out the tablecloths, fills up the drink containers, and sets up the chairs. He's so busy that I can barely get a word out during the first hour we're there.
I spot the twins, Harper and Riley. Their grandparents live down the road from Nana and Pops’ house, so we’ve played together a few times, but since they’re so close, I always end up being left out. Either way, I still like them, and it's better than standing here alone, so I decide to head over.
