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Chapter Seventeen
ISABEL
I drop Tristan off at work on our way back from the Alexanders’ house. He’s putting on a brave front, but I can tell he’s scared as well. Maybe he was more pessimistic than I was about the meeting, but he must have had some hope it would end better than it did.
I understand Kyle’s stance, and it even makes sense. I just hate that it makes sense. I hate that we live in a world where this situation even exists. I especially hate that Tristan will never play his trump card and tell Kyle he’s innocent. I know in my gut if the others knew the truth, we would’ve left with a different outcome. Maybe the cautious element wouldn’t have changed, but the urgency certainly would have. Instead, all we can do is wait for the incredibly busy man to pencil in a ten-minute chat with his lawyers at some point in the next month. By then, it’ll be too late.
Tristan reaches for the door handle, and I grab his sleeve to stop him. He turns back, his expression softening when it lands on me.
“It’s going to be okay,” he says with a weak smile.
My fingers tighten on his jacket. My lungs feel heavy as I hold onto him, suddenly afraid to let go. Dread seeps through me, and I don’t know why. It starts in my chest and oozes to every extremity. It’s not just worry, it’scertaintythat I’m about to lose him. That if I let him leave this car, he won’t be coming back. It’s ridiculous, and I know it’s my anxiety getting the best of me, but I can’t let go.
“Hey, we’ll figure it out. I promise,” he says, brushing my cheek with his thumb.
I stare into his beautiful brown eyes, paralyzed by fear. My throat closes up when I try to speak, and I don’t know what else to do except pull him toward me and wrap my arms around him. I bury my face in his neck, wishing we could disappear to some other time and place where no one could ever take him from me.
He sighs and tangles his fingers in my hair as he tucks me against him.
“I’m going to lose you.” My voice is a broken whisper, and his hold tightens.
He doesn’t even lie to me and make promises we both know he can’t make. He just runs his fingers through my hair as silent tears burn in my eyes.
“I love you,” I breathe out. “I know you don’t want to hear that, but I do. I always have.”
“I know,” he whispers back, kissing my hair. “I love you too, Iz. I always have.”
A choked sob rushes from my throat as I hold on. It’s so unfair. All of it. The past, present, future—life itself. It’s all a warped travesty that should have been different. Our epic love story has been a horror show instead, and just when we glimpse the smallest sliver of light, we have to live with the constant fear that it will be snuffed out.
“I have to go,” he says gently.
“I don’t want you to go. Something’s going to happen,” I say, gripping harder. My heart is racing.Please, please. I can’t lose him. I can’t!
“It won’t. I’ll be at work all night and go straight home, okay?”
I shake my head against his shoulder. I know I’m being irrational. I can’t explain it, I just…
He pulls back and cups my face. “I’m coming home tonight. I promise.”
His eyes search mine, and I try so hard to believe him. I want to. Have to.
He leans in, and I dissolve into the kiss. Something between a whimper and sob escapes me as I slide my hands behind his head to hold him to me. Our kiss deepens, and my blood pounds with a mix of passion and panic.
He pulls back too soon, his gaze soft with everything I know he feels but rarely says. It’s the love I’ve been waiting a lifetime to see in his eyes. He brushes my cheek, and with another quick kiss, pushes open the car door before I can stop him again.
“Tristan, wait!” I call after he steps out.
He leans back in, and I ignore the rapid pound of my pulse. “I will wait for you. I willalwayswait for you no matter what. I need you to know that.”
His sad smile hurts. “I know, but we’re not saying goodbye, okay?”
I bite my lip and nod.We’re not saying goodbye.
We didn’t say goodbye last time either.
He starts toward the building and turns with a final wave. My heart sinks into my stomach when he opens the door and disappears.
With all the recent drama, I’m way behind on my schoolwork. It’s Sunday night, which means back to work tomorrow and even less time to catch up. I need the distraction anyway and pour myself into my studies. I still have a lot to do for my capstone project and a huge mid-term coming up in a couple of weeks.
