Isabella (The Mitchell/Healy Family #2)(17)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Mascara was running down both of her cheeks. “Isabella, please get out of the car.”

“What are you doin’ here? Did you follow me?” I could tell she was both frantic and pissed off.

“Does it matter? I can’t let you do this, and I’m not leaving here unless you’re coming with me.”

“Who are you to tell me what to do with my life? This is my decision. Don’t you get that? Stop trying to fix my problems, Rusty. I don’t want to be helped. You obviously either spied on me or followed me. Both are appalling to me. How could you invade my privacy, after you of all people know what I’m already goin’ through? What is with you? Just get out of here and leave me alone!”

“I’m not who you think I am, Iz.”

“Don’t call me that. Do you hear me? Don’t you dare call me that.”

She was offended, and it hurt my feelings. Sure, I’d overstepped boundaries, but only because she was making a terrible mistake. I couldn’t sit around at the ranch knowing what she was about to do. I couldn’t let her make a mistake that she’d carry for the rest of her life. “I’m sorry you’re pissed. It’s not what you think. I would never hurt you.”

She began to sob, making it hard for me to understand her words. “You’re hurtin’ me now. Don’t you get that? I just want it to be over. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t ruin my life.”

Her anger was only making her communicate with me, and I was almost happy about that. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Get out of your car. I need to show you something. You need to know why I’m not going to let you go inside of this building.”

She laid her head on the steering wheel, exhausted and furious. I waited, and when she realized that I wasn’t going to leave, she finally climbed out of her car.

After grabbing her purse and locking the door, I drug her gently by her arm to my truck and helped her inside. “Where are you takin’ me? Hopefully it’s to kill me, so I don’t have to deal with this anymore. Maybe if I’m gone they’ll never know what a disappointment I am to them.”

Once I had her inside of the truck, I walked to my side and entered the vehicle. I closed the driver’s side door and looked at her before turning on the ignition. “Look here. Nothing about your life is a mistake. Your family ain’t going to disown you, and they sure as hell don’t want you dead. Buckle up. It’s a long drive.”

I didn’t tell her where we were going, even after we crossed state lines and hours started to pass. While Isabella cried to herself, I thought about what I was about to do. This wasn’t something I ever thought I’d be able to tell someone. This pain that I’d felt for so long was about to get worse.

I couldn’t let her give up on her baby, or her life, not when it meant so much to so many, especially me. She needed to know she was worth something.

The sun was starting to set when we made it to the destination. My hands clenched the steering wheel as the sleeping companion next to me opened her eyes and looked around. Even though I was having second thoughts, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to turn around without seeing this through. If I could save a life because of this, it was worth the pain.

She was about to see the real me.

She’d know my secrets.

She’d know my pain.

And she’d know why I had to leave it all behind.

This hardheaded woman, that kept rejecting me in every way, was about to find out that I wasn’t at all who she thought I was. She could take my new life away from me if she wanted to. This could all backfire in my face.

I had to risk it.

She was worth it.

Chapter 11

Isabella

To be honest, I had no idea what I was thinking when I got into the truck with this guy. He was obviously stalking me, and now we were in a different state, too far from anyone that would be able to save me when he started murdering me, and cutting me into a million pieces. In all of the times that he’d offered to be a friend, I’d never felt so uncomfortable as I did now.

The long drive to wherever he was taking me gave me time to think. It made me realize that no matter what happened with my family, I’d never be able to get rid of my baby. He or she was mine. I could do it without ever telling Tate and deal with the consequences, even if they were too harsh to imagine.

A part of me couldn’t stop thinking about my mom and dad, and the look on their faces when they learned the news. They’d be so hurt, and I feared seeing that.

More than twenty years ago my mother was in this same situation. She prided herself on letting us kids know what it was like to go through, and that she’d never want us to have to do it. Here I was repeating history. The only difference was that I didn’t have someone that was going to sweep me off my feet and show me what real love feels like. I was in this alone, and I was so afraid.

When we first pulled to make a stop in front of an old church, I wondered how far I could get before he caught up to me. I looked around at the landscape wondering if there was something I could pick up and hit him with if I needed to.

It was horrible, but in my head, I was considering that this might be a fight to stay alive.

Rusty remained quiet in the seat next to me. I finally got up the nerve to turn and look at him and noticed that his eyes were already on me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Are you goin’ to kill me? I read somewhere that a cemetery is the perfect place to hide a body.” Why was I feeding him with ideas? He already had a plan for me. I wondered if there was a shovel in the back of the truck.

He didn’t move his head from the steering wheel. “I told you before that I wasn’t going to hurt you. Is that what you think of me? You think I’m a murderer? I’ve done nothing but been nice to you, and still you think I’m a terrible person. What do I have to do to prove that I’m not?”

“What am I supposed to think? You just drove me to Bumfuck. There ain’t a house around within yellin’ distance. Just so you know, my family will find out. They’ll kill you if you harm me in any way.”

He started to laugh at me and shook his head. “You’re hopeless, Iz.”

“Isabella,” I corrected.

“Whatever. Get out of the truck. There’s something I need to show you.”

I was reluctant, but had a feeling he was going to force me if I didn’t. Just because he was saying he wasn’t going to harm me didn’t mean it wasn’t going to happen. I hopped down from the truck, and watched him start walking way from me.