Page 80 of Isabella and the Slipper

How could she say no to that? She blew out a breath. “Okay. Our regular time.”

A foreboding feeling crept into her chest, but she ignored it.

Nothing would happen. No one knew where they met. And Chase was too hard to say no to.

He leaned over and gave her a kiss. “See you in physics.”

Her heart stuttered as she watched him walk down the hallway. He really didn’t care who saw them together. He didn’t mind committing social suicide. She liked that about him. He wasn’t concerned with his status, like so many others. But that ominous feeling in her grew as the day progressed.

When she finally met him in the park, she’d convinced herself it was just silly worries.

He pulled her close and gave her a long, slow kiss. Then he put his forehead against hers. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

She grinned up at him. “I won’t complain if you want to do it again.”

He chuckled and hugged her tight. “How are things at home? Your stepmother say anything?”

“No. And it’s a little weird. Normally, when Delilah complains about something, she’ll tear into me and make me rearrange the gallery or something. But she was eerily silent this morning.”

“Maybe Delilah didn’t say anything since she didn’t actually see me.”

Wishful thinking. “Maybe.” The foreboding feeling crept back over her, but she pushed it down and snuggled into his chest. “Let’s talk about something else.”

They settled on the bench, and Isabella leaned against him, his arm around her shoulders. “How’s college hunting going?” she asked.

“I didn’t want to say anything until I got the application done, but now that it’s off and into the mail, I’ll spill it.”

She glanced up at him. “Yes?”

“I applied to UNH Manchester.”

She turned and threw her arms around him. “Are you serious? We could both be going to college in Manchester?” Warmth enveloped her. This was too good to be true. She half expected to wake up at any moment to her real senior year.

“I don’t know if I’ll get in,” he said, chuckling.

“But you want to be near me. That means a lot.”

They talked for another half hour before Isabella started feeling anxious. “I should get going.”

“Okay.” He kissed her nose. “See you tomorrow.”

She stood, hugged him one last time, then said, “If my stepmother doesn’t lock me in the attic and throw away the key.”

She meant it jokingly, but he frowned and squeezed her tight. “Be careful.”

She waved to him and walked the short distance to her house. The lights were off, except for her bedroom light shining onto her balcony. She climbed the lattice and slid the glass door open.

Elenore stood in her bedroom, her arms folded, her blood-red nails digging into her own flesh. Isabella flinched, and fear snaked its way through her.

“Where have you been sneaking off to?”

She couldn’t tell the truth. “I took a walk.”

“At eleven o’clock at night?”

“I wanted to see the stars.” Lame excuse. You couldn’t see the stars unless you drove out of town.

Elenore removed something from her pocket. A piece of folded paper. She handed it to Isabella. Panic flooded her as she recognized one of Chase’s notes.

---