Maybe this time I won’t fail someone I love.
Maybe this time I won’t fail you.
“You love me...” Ilse was laughing as she said the words, and it was a heartbreaking sound. “Youloveme, and Iloveyou. These were supposed to be magic words for the two of us, r-remember? If we s-said these words...everything would be okay. So why isn’t it?” Her voice shook and rose. “Why isn’t it?”
The billionaire didn’t answer, knowing that there was no need to.
They both knew love had never been the problem between them.
THE DAYS THAT THE BILLIONAIREremained away continued to pass, but this time Ilse didn’t let it get to her. She was done being weak. She was done lying. She was done pretending. She loved the billionaire, and he loved her. To leave was to lie about her own feelings, to pretend she no longer cared. To leave was to succumb to weakness once more, and she didn’t want that.
To leave was to become weak again, and she didn’t want that.
In an effort to keep busy, Ilse started studying Braille, hoping that in time she would become sufficiently skilled at it to find herself some kind of job. Ever since the accident, she had been living off the billionaire’s money and even though she knew he could more than afford it, she also knew she would lose all self-respect if she allowed herself to be completely dependent on him.
Ilse also started going out, meeting up to have lunch with Gloria and the other girls. Erik and Serenity also frequently visited her at home, and sometimes, even Willem and Jaak’s other siblings would drop by.
All this made her happy, all this helped ease the pain just a little, but even so, Ilse knew she was living in a fragile bubble that could burst any moment.
And it did.
The first crack appeared when Gloria suddenly stopped updating Ilse on every gossip item she read about the billionaire. When she remarked about it to Erik, her friend had only laughed nervously while saying nothing at all, and more cracks appeared. The last straw was when she had met up with Serenity and asked her about Jaak. The younger girl had changed the subject rather abruptly, and the act of rudeness was so unexpected from someone considered as a role model for propriety and good etiquette—-
The last cracks destroyed the bubble she had done her best to survive in for the past weeks, and she knew that something had changed.
Chapter Twenty
For a while, it was almost like old times, and it allowed both of them to forget. Issac had suggested that they meet at their favorite bowling place, and although Ilse had certain misgivings about it, she had agreed. It wasn’t like she had any choice anyway.
When Issac arrived, she hadn’t been quite sure how to start, and as if sensing her unease, Issac suggested that they warm up with a game. It had been so outrageous that she couldn’t help asking incredulously, “Have you forgotten I’m blind?”
“Of course I haven’t,’ Issac had retorted. “But just because you’re blind doesn’t mean you can no longer play. I just need to help you.”
And it actually worked.
Issac would start by guiding her to the lane, and during the first throw, she didn’t need his help at all. She could easily picture the way the pins were arranged in her mind, and she only had to keep the image in her mind when throwing the ball. 3 times out of 10 she had actually managed to get a strike, and it had given Ilse such an incredible feeling of accomplishment that she couldn’t stop herself from jumping up and down while yelling with excitement.
“I did it! I did it!”
“You did.” Issac was laughing.
She turned to his voice, saying with a grin, “Give me a high-five.” She put her hand out, his hand slapped hers, and it was really just like old times.
On the instances she didn’t hit a strike, Issac would tell her how the pins were positioned, and again she would recreate it in her mind before throwing. The first few times, her ball went straight to the gutter, but as Ilse’s accuracy in visualizing the arrangement improved, so did her throw.
When their game finally ended, she had managed a more than a respectable score that was only two strikes away from Issac’s, and she called out impulsively, “Issac?”
“What is it?”
“Come closer.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Issac stepped forward. “Here.” He watched tensely as she slowly reached out for him, and he couldn’t help stiffening even more when her hands touched his chest.
“Ilse—-” He broke off when she suddenly threw her arms around his neck.
“Thank you, Issac.” Her arms around him tightened. “Thank you for making me feel normal.”
Ah.His arms slowly closed around her. “I’m all for making you happy,” he muttered under his breath, “but I can’t lie.”
