Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
ADAM
W hy did I tell her to wait?
What exactly is she waiting for?
I’m not sure, but now that I see Isabelle in front of me, all I know is that I want to be near her. After speaking with Lionel, realizing how much she affects and challenges me, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this beautiful woman.
She’s wearing Lily’s pajamas, which are understandably short on her, and a pair of bunny slippers. My mother always loved wearing them and kept a full stash in all sizes for guests here at the castle. Isabelle’s attire is slightly ridiculous but also endearing.
Her eyes are tired, though. I thought Lily’s bed was comfortable, but perhaps she’s nervous about being here. I’ll have to ask Brigette to check on that later.
“Where…are you going?” I finally ask.
“To the library,” Theodore says, still with his hand firmly in Isabelle’s. “She’s bored.”
Isabelle shrugs. “No cell service, no Internet, so I need something to do while I’m here.”
“Hmm.” I’m not sure how to ask if I can come along without seeming strange. After all, I was exceedingly rude to her last night. But I want to know more and learn more about her, the woman who dared to tell me off and refused to be in a movie with me. I should hate her, shouldn’t I? Instead, I want to be with her even more.
“Do you want to come with us?” Theodore asks.
Bless him. “I suppose so,” I say, feigning nonchalance. I fall into step behind the unlikely duo. They say nothing as they walk, but I’m sure I heard them speaking when they were first walking down the hall. My presence must be a conversation stopper.
I tend to have that effect on people.
After another minute of walking and turning through the corridor, we arrive at the double doors of the library.
Theodore stands in front of us, his back to the doors. “Are you ready?” he asks Isabelle with a wide grin.
She smiles good-naturedly and nods. “I think so!”
With a flourish, Theodore opens the door and sweeps his arms wide. “Here we are, the library!”
I hear Isabelle take a sharp inhale. I try to see the library through her eyes, as if it were my first time here. At approximately two thousand square feet, it’s a marvel to behold. My father loves to read and made sure to fill each of the shelves with books for education, entertainment, and everything in between. Ornate white shelves line the walls, along with matching white shelves creating aisles through the room. In the center are three couches with enough pillows and blankets to create forts and read books in for days.
It’s been many years since I’ve built forts here with my siblings. I’m hit with a hard wave of nostalgia but swallow it deep, deep down where Isabelle won’t be able to see.
“This is incredible,” she breathes.
“Are you much of a reader?” I ask .
She chances a glance at me, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Not really. I was already weird enough as the girl who was super into musicals.”
My traitorous heart leaps at that commonality. Not that I want to share.
She sighs. “But if I’m stuck here with nothing else to do, I might as well read.”
“A noble way to pass the time,” I agree.
She nods, her fingers brushing the spines of the books as she walks down the aisle. “What about you? Do you read much?”
My eyes drift back to the couches, a memory of an evening here with my siblings when we first moved in. I tried to organize them into re-enacting a movie—I believe it was Transformers. As usual, my brothers were not cooperating. Henry wanted to play video games, not act out a scene. Peter insisted on being the dashing hero, instead of the minion I had assigned him to be. But little Lily, with her long, golden blonde hair…sweet Lily would do whatever I asked.
Father was on one couch, immersed in a book about business and marketing. And our mother sat on the other couch, a blanket wrapped around her legs and bunny slippers on her feet, pretending to read a book about ocean life. But I knew she was watching us with a small smile.
“Why don’t you read?” I asked her.
“I’m watching my whole world,” she said with a wink.
Back in the present, I snap my attention back to Isabelle, feeling my expression turn stony. “No. I don’t read.”
I turn away from her and walk toward the window. This is why I don’t come inside the library often. Too many memories of better times. It’s not the most painful room in the castle, but it’s bad enough .
“Isabelle, come read me a story,” Theodore says, returning to her side and pulling on her hand.
“Are there any superhero stories here?” she asks, following him to the small section of children’s books. And for some reason, I follow along behind them.
He shakes his head sadly. “It’s all girl books. Princesses and fairies.”
“Well, a lot of times there’s a dashing prince who saves the princess,” she says. “I think you might find some inspiration there.”
“But sometimes the princess just saves herself,” Theodore complains. “Those ones are boring.”
I snort a laugh despite myself. Isabelle catches the sound and chances a look over at me, and I don’t change my expression quickly enough. We end up sharing a smile at Theodore’s antics.
“Why are there only ‘girl’ books?” she asks, even using her fingers to put air-quotes around the word.
Theodore shrugs, starting to look through the options for Isabelle to read to him.
“Lily was the only one who was at the age of picture books here,” I answer. “She was born right after the castle was built. Peter was already eight by then.”
“So Lily is the youngest,” Isabelle says, “then Peter?”
“Yes. I’m the oldest, then Henry, Peter, and Lily.”
“What do they all do?” she asks.
“Henry is training to replace my father as CEO of Stone Technologies. He recently started up the gaming division of the company, which led to his engagement with Luna Jones. Peter is…off traveling the world, creating some app I don’t even understand. And Lily has just been at home ever since?—”
I catch myself before I can finish that sentence. I nearly said, “Ever since Tristan Jackson ruined her life,” but thankfully, I had enough sense to stop myself.
I haven’t come that close to disclosing Lily’s secret since…well, ever.
The enormity of what just happened hits me like a ton of bricks. What am I doing? Why am I sharing pieces of myself and my family with this stranger? What’s wrong with me?
I swallow hard and clench my jaw. Isabelle tilts her head, unaware of the change within me.
“Ever since what?” she asks.
“Nothing.” I turn on my heel and storm toward the exit. Before I leave the room, I turn back to her. “Dinner will be at six p.m. Don’t be late.”
I can’t believe I lost my head. Something about Isabelle keeps drawing me in, but I’m determined to keep her away. From now until she leaves the castle, I won’t speak to her. Not a single word. What difference would it make, anyway? She already said she won’t do the movie with me. At this point, the only thing that will happen is an accidental slip of my tongue, giving her ammunition to use against me in the press.
I won’t give her the chance.