Page 27 of Isabelle & Jason
Jason itched to reach for her, to pull her back into the bubble they’d only moments ago been living in, but it was too late.
Mark glanced from Jason to Isabelle and back. He jutted his chin toward the kitchen where they worked. “I’m gonna get started on breakfast.”
“And I’m going to get a shower,” Isabelle said quietly.
Jason didn’t have a chance to say another word to her before she took off. Then he scowled at Mark.
His friend shrugged, then chuckled. “Looks like the winds are changing. Congrats, man.” He clapped Jason on the shoulder, then headed off.
10
Isabelle
Aface cast in shadow, with only his mouth aglow, smirked at her. Isabelle couldn’t move. She was paralyzed, pressed up against a hard surface. She could smell alcohol on his breath, and the impending terror that came with this particular set of memories had Isabelle thrashing, but to no avail.
Isabelle struggled in the blankets of her bed, panting, lungs burning. She blinked several times, realizing her lashes were wet with tears. The nightmare wasn’t the worst of them. She’d had so many since that night that went further.
There was little solace in knowing that nothing beyond bruising and getting drugged had taken place.
Because it could have been so, so much worse.
She wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face in her knees. Why couldn’t she remember the details of that night? She knew who had accosted her. His face had long since beenburned into her memory, even though she’d only known him for a short while.
What bothered her was the fact that she couldn’t remember what he did or who had helped her. She had to believe that some of her nightmares would give her some clues, despite them being the one reason she avoided sleep.
The tears came harder. She was exhausted. All the signs were there. Tonight or the next, she’d likely pass out and sleep all day.
Isabelle flung the covers aside. Until that happened, she wasn’t going to allow herself to sleep. The clock on her bedside table glowed one in the morning. She grimaced. When she’d gone to bed, it had been eleven. She’d tried to read to stave off the impending exhaustion. Right now, her body was in that space between tired enough to only land herself in nightmares and all-out sleep like the dead.
One more day.
Maybe two.
Then she’d be able to escape into total and utter darkness.
Without thinking, she reached for her phone and sent a message. It wasn’t until a minute later that she realized he was probably asleep.
Pressing the heel of her hand to her eye, she groaned. Jason had been such a good sport in keeping her company. She shouldn’t be expecting him to go for a middle-of-the-night run with her.
With a huff of frustration, she tossed her phone onto the bed and got ready. It wasn’t like she didn’t go on runs by herself—at least before Jason offered to tag along. She needed to release this pent-up energy. The anguish that refused to dissipate needed an outlet.
Isabelle poked her head out of her bedroom and strained her ears for any movement in the house. When she heard nothing, she scurried down the stairs and headed straight for the frontdoor. With shaking fingers, she turned the knob and slipped outside, then she closed the door behind her.
Turning around, Isabelle flung a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that threatened to wake the entire ranch when she came face-to-face with Jason.
Her heart all but beat out of her chest, and all she could do was give him a disgruntled shove.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed.
His hair was beautifully mussed, and it looked like he’d gotten dressed in the dark based on the fact that his shirt was on backwards. She might have laughed if she wasn’t currently weighed down by suffocating anxiety and exhaustion.
Jason flashed her a smile. “You invited me.”
He wasn’t wrong. But he also hadn’t texted her back. She hadn’t known he’d be here. Isabelle gave him another shove, though this time there was less force behind it. “You scared me.”
At that, he frowned.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, come on, then.” Pushing past him, she nearly smiled. He’d come. He was there for her. Jason probably wasn’t even remotely aware of how much it meant to her that he’d shown up. “Your shirt is on backwards, by the way. And inside out.” She didn’t look over her shoulder to see him fix it. The last thing she needed was to get an eyeful of his toned body.
