She has been on my mind the entire time. Now I might have to really see her.
“Hold on, let me just check in on Is. See how she’s doing.”
Olivia doesn’t even get to her feet. Isabella staggers into the living room, rubbing her eyes like she’s been sleeping for hours. I can see now why Olivia has been so worried about her. She’s pale, and sickly looking.
Bless Isabella, if this is sadness then I am an asshole.
“Oh, Is, my dad is here. I was just talking to him about…”
Isabella doesn’t say a word. She doesn’t even look at either of us. She tries to see Olivia but there is a blankness to her gaze. She’s not really seeing her. That should be a red flag, but neither me or my daughter seem to pick up on that. Not until Isabella’s weight seems to become too much for her, and she starts to fall forwards, losing control of herself.
“Oh fuck, she’s passing out! Is…”
I’m faster than Olivia. She cries out in shock while I grab Isabella so she doesn’t hit the floor because she’s looking so sickly that she might just crumble and fall apart.
“We definitely need to get Isabella to the hospital,” I tell Olivia firmly. “Let’s get her out of here and into the car, okay? I will sort out all the money.”
Olivia nods and snaps into action, following my instructions. Since I’m pretty confident this has nothing to do with heartbreak, I know we need to get her looked at properly.
I’m worried, seriously freaked out, and won’t be able to relax until I know that Isabella will be okay. I whisper words of comfort to her as I lift her up to carry her. I don’t know if my words are welcome or not, I have no idea what’s going to happen with this, but I’m certain that Isabella and I are going to have to spend some more time together after all.
I can’t leave her until I know she is okay, my heart won’t let me.
We get in the car, somehow, it’s all a bit of a blur actually, but at least I’m aware enough to start driving, to make sure that we get there. Right now, in the midst of everything, Ihaveto make sure that we get Isabella there.
That’s my main priority.
“Do you think she’s going to be alright, Dad?” Olivia asks as we move seamlessly through the roads. “Isabella has done so much for me. I don’t want anything bad to happen to her…”
I gulp audibly, but I push my own worries aside because Olivia needs me to be strong for her. Right now I can see her crying out for me to be a shoulder for her to cry on, a rock to support her through this terrible time.
“Yeah, she’s going to be fine. As soon as we get the doctors to help us then it’ll be fine. Everything is going to be fine.”
God, I hope my words are true.
I don’t want to lie to Olivia, and more than that I can’t stand the idea of something bad happening to Isabella. I care about her more than I have been allowing myself to believe.
But now all those emotions flood to the surface.
I can’t push my feelings to one side anymore.
I might really be in trouble here.
ChapterTwenty-Eight
ISABELLA
What is happening?
I feel like there is something big happening around me, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. I know the moment I open my eyes everything will become clear, but I’m not quite ready to yet.
I’m tired, absolutely exhausted, on another level actually.
I have been that way ever since we got back from the island. At first I thought it was my sadness crushing down on me, pain because I had to hide everything that had been happening to me. I just assumed that I would get over it, the same way Olivia has been easily getting over everything that happened with Leon.
But I suppose she had a holiday fling to distract her, and now Leon is locked up, so she hasn’t had to face her sadness.
But now I’m a little worried that it’s more. There is something else happening.