Isabelle hung her headasshame and despair rushedthrough her. She recalled the things she had said, the things that she had done, and she truly hated herself. She was beginning to realize that she may have been completely wrong. That she had completely misjudged the entire situation. She had said that she would never forgive Stefan, now she was beginning to wonder if he would ever forgiveher. But he had lied to her, he had deliberately kept his past from her, she clung to that fact as a last, desperate line,for her rapidly fading anger.
“You trust him?” she asked in a choked voice.
“I do.”
Tears flowed down her face. If her mother trusted him, and Stefan had told her everything, then shewascompletely wrong. Oh God, he must hate her! She hated herself. “Why didn’t he tell me whatever it was that he told you?”
“Did you give him a chance?”
Isabelle shook her head as tears streaked down her face and she began to sob. “He must hate me!” she almost wailed.
“He could never hate you Isabelle.”
“I told him I hated him!”
Her mother sighed loudly and came to sit beside her;sherestedher hand gently on her shoulder. “You were angry at him, confused, and blindsided. He’ll understand.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“He will. He loves you Isabelle, he knows all your faults, and all of your good points already. He knows that you anger quickly, and that you just as quickly get over it. Hewillunderstand Isabelle.”
“I don’tunderstand,” she whispered. “I love him with everything that I have.Yet I was so quick to throw that all aside when I thought that he had lied to me, and in a way hedidlie to me. He kept a lot hidden from me.”
“Isabelle, you need to talk to him. Sometimes the past is just something that people only want to forget. You need to put your judgments aside, and realize that everyone has faults, even you.”
“I know I do,” she whispered miserably.
“And you have many wonderful qualities too, don’t ever forget that. Stefan loves you for all of them. Just like you love him for all of his faults and qualities, and I’m sure that he has many too.”
“He is bossy, and arrogant, and highhanded, and commanding,” she mumbled. “He didn’t even consider letting me stay at home.”
“Of course not,” her mother replied laughingly. “Your father had my bag packed before I could count to ten. In this situation Isabelle, it’s not even worth putting up a fight. They’re main concern is our safety. You would have better luck talking to a wallthan you would of changing their minds. You have to pick your battles, this is not oneyou will win, trust me on that fact.”
“And apparently neither was my last one,” she whispered.
Her mother sighed as she brushed Isabelle’s hair off her forehead. “No, but we all make mistakes. Everything will be all right, you’ll see.”
“I have to go talk to him. I need to see him.”She suddenly needed him with an intensity that shook her.
“You can’t go tonight Isabelle, but you can go tomorrow, okay?”her mom said gently.
Isabelle glanced out at the dark sky. “What if they come tonightthough?”
“Then we can all return home tomorrow.”
“What if something happens to him?” she whispered. “What if I lose him and one of the last things I ever told him was that I hated him?” she sobbed.
“Nothing will happen to him Isabelle, he’s stronger than most.”
“What about the others?”
Her mom sighed, her hand tightenedon Isabelle’s shoulder.“They won’t interfere, not unless they have too. They know their limits, besides your father knows I’ll kill him if he gets himself hurt,” she added forcefully. Isabelle laughed softly as she dropped her head to her mother’s shoulder. “It will be all right,” she promised gently.
Isabelle prayed that she was right. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to reach out to Stefan. If she couldn’t see him, than she could at leastconnect withhim,lethimknowthat she was sorry. She felt the brush of his presence, but that was all. He still had her shut out. Tears streaked down her face as she tried to figure out why he wouldn’t let her back in. She feared that her mother was wrong, that he would never forgive her.
CHAPTER 22
Stefan stood silently on the porch, his arms crossed firmly over his chest as he rapidly scanned the horizon. They were coming, he could feel it, and they were near. He turned to the people gathered behind him. “They’re strong,”Liamsaid softly.
