Stefan fought back the turmoil of emotions clawing to break free as he turned back to them. They met his gaze, anger evident in every inch of their bodies. “Now I’m going to talk toLiamand Sera. I would suggest that you rethink staying here, and leave with Isabelle.”
“We’re not going,” Jack replied coldly.
He nodded briskly as he turned away from them. Brian moved quickly away from the door. “Stefan.” He turned back to meet Ethan’s steady stare. “When this is over, you’re leaving.”
He showed no sign ofthe hurt those words caused as he kept his face completely impassive.“Isabelle will have to come with me.”
Ethan’s eyes flashed as his jaw clenched. “You son of a bitch,” he hissed. “Why didn’t you stay the hell away from her?”
Stefanflung the door open, slamming it so hard against the wall that the glass shattered from the window, and the plaster cracked and broke. He didn’t bother to close it as he strode down the steps and into the field.
CHAPTER 21
The door swung open but Isabelle didn’t bother to look at him as she threw the last of her clothes into a backpack. He hadn’t come back to the room last night, a fact she was extremely grateful for. She didn’t want to talk to himnow;she didn’t want to see him now. Most of her anger hadfaded;all she had left was a sense of loss, hurt, and betrayal. If he had just told her the truth, just told her about his past, then maybe she could understand. All she knew now was that he had been a killer, and judging by the amount of power that he possessed, he must have enjoyed it, and done a lotof it.
She couldn’t forgive herself, or him, for the fact that she had given everything to a man that she didn’t even know. The worst part of it was that there was nothing she could do about it. They were bound together now, without him she would die. She couldn’t even leave, couldn’t go anywhere without him. Her life was irrevocablytiedto his.
“You’re mother has rented hotel rooms for you, and your younger siblings,” heinformed hercoldly.
She didn’t answer him as she moved to the bathroom to finish packing the rest of her things. She didn’t know how to fight against the hopelessness that she felt. Didn’t know how to fight against him, and what he was to her. Didn’t know how to change what had become her future. She still loved him, she truly did, but she could never trust him, never put her faith in him again. She didn’t want to live the rest of her life like that. It was far too long of a time to be with someone that she didn’t trust, and that had hurt her this badly. It was so very unfair.
She had never wanted this to begin with, and now, when she had surrendered everything to him, she was acutely reminded of all the reasons that she hadn’t wantedthis to begin with. She cursed fate, and the world, for throwing her together with someone like him. Why couldn’t she have been stuck with someone who was honest, and good, and caring, instead of a liar and a killer?
Tears filled her eyes as she threw her toothbrush and hairbrush into a plastic zip case before heading into the bedroom. He had closed the door, and wasnowleaning against it, his eyes hooded as he watched her. She threw the bag into the bottom pocket of her bag and closed it tight. She lifted it up and finally turned to face him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked coldly.
“You didn’t need to know.” She snorted as she shook her head and turned to gaze out the window. No, he wouldn’t think that she would need to know. “It would have made no difference anyway. You are mine Isabelle, for better or worse. We will always be together. I tried to leave you, but I couldn’t, andwe will die without each other. Would it have made a difference if I had told you?”
She turned back to him. “Yes. At least you would have been honest with me, now...”
“Now nothing,” he interrupted coldly. “It makes no difference.”
“You hurt me!” she cried before she could stop herself. Isabelle closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself. She didn’t want him to know how badly he had hurt her. “That is the difference,” she whispered in a strangled voice.
Stefan closed his eyes against the pain that flooded him. He had stayed away from herlast nightbecause he didn’t want to see her hatred, but the hatred seemed to be gone now, and in its place was something even more painful to him. However, there was nothing that he could do to stop it, or change it. He had tried to distance himself from hispast;he should have known that it would be impossible, that it would catch up with him. There was nothing that he could do to change it though, nothing he could do to change what was happening now.
“I cannot change anything.”
“No you can’t, and unfortunately neither can I.” She met his gaze, struggling to keep herself under control. “I wish that you had never comehereand yet...”
Her voice trailed off as she lowered her head. “So do I Isabelle, so do I.”
She rapidly fought back the tears that wanted to fall, but she couldn’t allowthem. His words hurt her more than she had ever thought they would. She had found such happiness with him, had known a moment of true contentment, and nowit was all gone. She wasn’t entirely sure that she would change him coming here.Until he had arrived,she hadn’t knownjusthow lonely shewas,but never had shebeen thishurt before. She had fought his arrival everyday of her life, but when he had arrived she’drealized just how much she needed him to bring her to life.
“I will do everything I can to keep you safe. I never thought that this would happen, but there is nothing that I can do about it now, and for that I am truly sorry. You will never know how sorry.”
She snorted slightly as she shook her head. “No, I suppose I won’t.”
“After this is over we’re leaving Isabelle.”
“What?” Her head shot up, her eyes wide with panic as her mouth dropped open. “I’m not leaving my home!”
“I’m no longer welcome here.”
“But...” Tears spilled down her cheeks as her words trailed off. It didn’t matter, if he didn’t stay than she couldn’t. The overwhelming sense of loss that descended upon her nearly threatened to swallow her whole. She’d lost everything that she cared about in less than a day, and she couldn’t help but blame him for everything that he had robbedher of.
He couldn’t stay away from her any longer;the pain that she radiated was more than he couldbear. He reached out to grab her, but she instantly backed away, shaking her head violently. “Don’t touch me!” she cried. “Don’t ever touch me again!”
