Page 62 of Sophie's Ruin
Isabelle shot me an annoyed look from where she sat by Henry’s bed.
“Pull yourself together. He’s alive. He’s healing.”
Hewashealing, thanks to her. She’d made sure he’d gotten enough blood in his system to speed up his stuttering heart to a steady rhythm. She’d also cleaned him up and put him in his bed. While she’d nursed Henry, Amelie had nursed me. She’d helped me get up off the floor, shower, and change. She’d also brewed some herbs to help soothe my nerves. The concoction was supposed to help me sleep, but it hadn’t worked so far. So, I’d stumbled on weak legs to Henry’s bedroom. To my surprise, Isabelle had let me in and let me stay.
“I should leave,” I rasped, wiping away the tears that had never stopped streaming down my face.
I sat on a chair by the wall as far away from Henry’s bed as I could possibly get without leaving the bedroom.
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’d want you here,” Isabelle said in a clipped tone.
“Would he? Still want me here? After what I’d done?—”
“Yes,” she cut me off. “He would. I have no doubt in my mind. He loves you, Sophie. Deeply, madly. Everyone can see it.”
“I love him, too,” I said in a hoarse voice. It felt wrong saying the words after what I’d done.
“I know. Everyone can see that, too. And it was because of that love that you went unhinged,” she said simply. “Look, I’m not going to excuse your behavior, but I know one thing for certain—what happened is not going to change Henry’s feelings for you.”
“It’s not?” I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper.
“No. Don’t be silly. Now, I am still very much furious with you. I wanted to rip out your throat in the cellar…” Her big eyes fastened on me. Staring back, I swallowed thickly. “But I knew if I killed you, I would incur his wrath after he’d healed.”
Without saying another word, she turned back to Henry, and we sat in silence for a few minutes as the tears gliding down my cheeks slowed. I hoped Isabelle was right, and that what I’d done wouldn’t change Henry’s feelings for me. When I’d almost killed him, something inside me had snapped, like a lid shutting closed on a chest, locking the darkness away. There was no room for it inside me anymore. There was no room for anything but despair and utter desolation because I’d thought I’d lost him. It was because of the darkness that I’d hurt him. The shadows were not my allies. They were evil—the darkest, vilest type. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen that before. I’d been blind, but I could see clearly now. I just prayed it wasn’t too late.
The bedroom door creaked open, pulling me from my thoughts, and a second later, Wren walked in. His pale-blue eyes immediately locked on Isabelle.
“Do you need anything?” he asked her. When she gave a small shake of her head, his gaze slid to Henry, and his jaw tightened.
Slowly, he turned his head to look at me.
“How are you holding up? Do you need anything?” he asked low.
“A way to turn back time,” I said quietly.
Wren’s gaze softened.
“I know a thing or two about wishing you could change the past,” he told me with a wistful smile. And I supposed hedidknow. I’d been so eager to condemn him in the past. Now, I was the one who deserved condemnation. Yet, he was choosing a different way—compassion. “We can’t go back and change the past. We can only hope for redemption.”
I stared at him, speechless. It seemed he didn’t expect me to say anything anyway, because with one last glance at Isabelle, he slipped out of the bedroom.
Isabelle’s gaze lingered on the door long after it had closed behind Wren.
“You and Wren…” I started, if only to distract myself from the thoughts of what might happen when Henry woke up.
“Are doomed,” Isabelle interjected, her gaze fixing on me.
“What?” My brows wrinkled.
“Rule number one of being a vampire. Don’t get close to anyone, because time will take them away,” Isabelle said, matter-of-fact.
I stared at her in disbelief. Was that why she was so cold? She couldn’t get hurt if she never let anyone get close.
She rolled her eyes. “I know you think that I’m heartless.”
“I don’t?—”
She arched a brow with a skeptical look.
