Page 80 of Isabelle & Jason
Jason chuckled, shaking his head. This walk was a good sign. It had to be.
The first couple of minutes went by in excruciating silence, but then Isabelle stopped. No one was close enough to overhear them, and he figured that was her reason for stopping in this particular space.
She wrung her hands in front of her, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m seeing a therapist.”
He had to remind himself to look surprised. “That’s great.”
Isabelle nodded and smiled softly. “It really is, and I wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for you.” She dropped her eyes to her hands. “I filed a report about Dillan, too. I’m not sure if anything will come of it, but I figured something is better than nothing.Told Ash, too, and he’s been fired.” Her voice was shaking now. “I don’t know if I would have been brave enough if?—”
“Hey,” he said, gently tilting her chin upward so he could look into her eyes. “You’re braver than you give yourself credit for. Don’t ever put yourself down. At least not in front of me.”
She blinked several times and emotion filled her eyes. Then she swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry, Jason,” she whispered weakly. “For the way everything went. I never meant to…” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
He knew better than to tell her not to apologize. She needed this. So he framed her face with both of his hands and stared deep into her eyes. “Isabelle, I know you were going through some heavy stuff. I only care that you’re getting better. Nothing you could have done would ever be enough to push me away.”
Isabelle’s lower lip wobbled, and she let out a sad laugh. “I can’t believe I let you slip through my fingers. I don’t think I even realized I loved you until I lost you.” She shut her eyes tight, and more tears tumbled down her cheeks. “You were honestly the best thing that ever happened to me. I just wanted to…” She stepped back, forcing him to drop his hands as he tried to come to terms with what she’d just said. “I wanted you to know.” She gave him a watery smile. “And thank you for everything.” Then with that, she spun on her heel and took off.
Just like that.
What the…
Jason stared after her. Did she just confess to loving him and run? Geez, the girl must not know the power her words had on him.
He darted after her, having no intention of letting her escape him. Not now. Not ever.
“Isabelle!”
She slowed, her shoulders stiffening. But then she stopped short when he darted in front of her. Her cheeks were stillstained with tears, and she sniffled when she looked up at him. With a brisk motion, she brushed the tears free and forced a smile.
Jason shook his head. “You can’t do that.”
“Do what?”
He laughed, and it probably sounded manic. “You can’t just drop a love bomb and expect it not to completely level my world.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Isabelle,” he breathed, reaching for her face again. He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes as he willed his heart to slow. “I’ve never stopped loving you. I don’t think I ever could. But it was too hard to see you sabotage your happiness and health. I had to let you figure things out or risk ending us both.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, and he pulled back to search her eyes.
“I love you, Isabelle. And I will love you until my last breath. I love your strength. Your courage.Everythingabout you, Isabelle.”
Fresh tears escaped down her cheeks, and she let out a surprised laugh. “Really?”
“Really,” he whispered. “I might have even started loving you five years ago when I first saw you.”
She gave him a disbelieving look.
“You remember that night now, right?”
Slowly, she nodded. “I remember.”
“Do you remember what I said to you?”
Her brows scrunched into the most adorable furrow. “No.”
He laughed, proud of the fact that he remembered exactly what he’d said, not because he said it to anyone else, but because she’d been impressed by his pickup line. “Before that night, I would have never believed someone like you existed.”
