Chapter 8
Chapter eight
Izzy
It’s Via’s birthday. Ander surprised her by coming down and taking her to the island alone. Jett surprised me by showing up with Ander… and Abbie, his little sister.
Little does he know, she has a tighter grip on my heart than he does. Too bad she almost broke it when she asked to go with Ander and Via, not wanting to be stuck with us, “the spit swappers.”
"I can’t believe Abbie walks around calling us spit swappers," I snort out with a laugh, sitting on my chair by the window with my sketchpad in hand.
"She does,” Jett says from my bed, “and I'd love to prove her point. Now, give me those lips. I've missed you."
"Oh, is that so, Big Guy?"
"Yeah, it is. Now, carry your pretty ass over here. Don't make me beg." Jett bats his long, dark eyelashes at me.
"Hm, I actually prefer you begging. It makes me feel superior. You may proceed," I tease with a giggle.
Jett's self-restraint snaps, letting out a dark chuckle. He stomps over to me, throws me over his shoulder, and carries me back to my bed, where he tosses me down.
It's been three weeks since I last saw him in person. The last time I snuck off without anyone knowing to see him at his family's ranch, he professed his love.
Needless to say, it didn't end well.
Since then, our texts and calls have been weird. Or, maybe it's just me who has been weird. He's acting like nothing has changed, just like I asked him to. I should be happy with that, right?
It's what I wanted. What I literally asked for.
Part of me missed him, more than I care to admit, but the sensible part knows how dangerous it is to allow those emotions to exist.
So, I shove those fuckers down and attempt to fuck them out of my system.
It doesn't work…
Instead, sometimes it makes it worse. Sometimes it makes me crave Jett like he’s a fucking drug, all day, every day. Not just his body, all of him.
"Okay, mister macho man,” I tease a few hours later. “You've tossed me around like a rag doll. Now, what would you like to do with me?"
"IZABEL!" My mom shouting from downstairs pierces through the quiet of the house like a blaring siren. I instantly stiffen at the apparent panic in her voice and the fact that it's the middle of the night.
Jett and I both rush to stand and go to the door. As soon as the door swings open, we see my mom running up the stairs.
"Izabel, where is Via?" she asks frantically.
"I told her parents when they came here earlier…
Mom, I don't know where they went," I lie too easily.
I see the terror painted across her face, and I still choose to protect Via and tell a clear-out lie.
If her parents find out she and Ander snuck off to the beach house, they may very well lose it on her.
"Izzy," my mom slowly steps toward me, and it's then that I see the tears streaming down her face. "We need to find her..."
"What’s going on?" Jett interjects.
My mom pulls away from me, brushing a hand over her face as she lets out a low sob. "There’s been an accident. It doesn't look good. If you two know where she is, you need to get a hold of her now." Her words sound rushed and foreign, and I hesitate to react, taking a moment to process.
"Mom, what kind of accident?"
Her sob grows louder, and she turns her head, unable to meet my stare.
"Her parents... The vehicle malfunctioned.
There was a terrible crash." My mom's voice cracks, her hands are visibly shaking, and she lets out a guttural scream before continuing.
"Via's dad was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased on the scene.
Her mom and Natty, sweet Natty. Things aren't looking good for them.
I've tried calling both Via and Ander since I got the call a few minutes ago, but I can't get a hold of either of them. "
What?
What the fuck?
Mr. Derrick’s dead? Mrs. Leah, Natty. They’re going to die?
What?
Why did this happen?
On Via’s birthday.
On her special night with Ander.
Fuck.
What do I do?
What do I—
“Let’s go,” Jett orders, snapping me out of my thoughts. “We need to get to Via.”
Via. Right, we need to find her.
Before I know it, without any further questions, he grabs my hand and begins pulling me down the stairs behind him.
"Why aren’t they answering!?" I demand, yelling at him, attempting to pull my hand from his grasp, but his tight hold doesn't allow it.
He ignores my resistance and continues to pull me behind him. "If they’re on the Island, they have no cell service. It’s okay, Iz. We’re going to get them."
No longer putting up a fight, Jett and I fly down the rest of the stairs and out the front door at record speed. We rush to my car, and Jett jumps into the driver's seat, the keys already in his hand.
"How is this happening?" I ask aloud, quietly, more to myself than anything.
Jett starts the car, throws it into reverse, and whips out of the driveway so fast I jolt forward.
"Seatbelt, Beauty. Now!" he shouts at me as he throws a hand across my chest, protectively keeping me in place. His voice is stern, leaving no room for argument.
I nod and fasten the seatbelt without hesitation, my normal sarcastic self eclipsed by worry.
We’re halfway to the island when my phone buzzes in the cupholder beside me. I lift it, my mom's name flashing across the screen. The drive so far has been absolutely silent. Not a single word has been spoken between us, as neither of us knows what to say.
"Mom..." I say, answering her call.
"Izzy, have you found her?"
"Not yet. We’re almost to the beach house. Any news?"
"It doesn't look good, my girl." Her voice shakes, and I can hear her heartache through the receiver.
Via is not only my best friend, but has been like a daughter to my parents. They love her and Natty just as much as they love me and Kasten. My mom knows what this will do to Via. She knows, just as well as I do, how broken she will be if they don’t survive.
My mom’s voice drops in disgust as she continues, “Liam is here and isn’t allowing any visitors who aren't family. The staff can’t even give me an update on them."
I let out a sigh and a low grunt of frustration, the anger within me boiling to the surface. Liam’s family is hurting, and he still finds a way to be vindictive toward those who clearly care about them.
"Fucking Liam!" I spit, seething.
"Please just be safe. Let me know once you get to her, okay?"
"Okay, Mom. I will."
"I love you, honey. Now, be safe!"
The call ends before I can respond. Tucking my phone under my leg, I turn to see Jett's questioning sideways glance as he tries to focus on the road and me, all at the same time.
"What the fuck did Liam do now?" he growls, frustration lacing every word.
"Other than being a total piece of shit? He isn't letting anyone check on their mom or Natalie. My mom is just leaving the hospital. She wasn't able to get any update on them."
"I fucking hate that prick!"
"Don't we all?"
Jett reaches over the console and grabs my hand. Now that the panic has somewhat subsided, the comfort of his touch puts my nerves slightly at ease. Our eyes meet briefly before he glances back to the road, and a part of me wants to stop fighting this.
In this short-as-fuck life, Via’s about to lose everything.
What a fucking wakeup call. I want to admit how stupid I'm being. I want to admit to Jett that I have finally realized life is too short and unexpected to keep fighting my feelings for him.
I want to shout that I love him, too. But I don’t.
I don't say anything.
Instead, I stay silent, turn my head to lean on my window, and cry for my friend whose entire life is about to change.
No matter how badly I want to, I won't be able to fix this for her.
But I can try. I can be there for her in any way she needs, because I love her. I want her to know and see that I love her. At this point, my own life is on the back burner. My wants, my needs, Jett…
As for him and I, although I’m tired of fighting what we are, I’ve accepted that we can never be, and the realization crushes me. Right person, wrong time? Something like that.
Especially now.
Via has to be my focus and my purpose.
Not to mention, I’m in no way healed from my past enough to accept the love he’s capable of giving and provide the love he deserves.
The icing on this tragic fucking cake.
So, like always, I keep my feelings bottled up and sit quietly for the rest of the drive. I allow myself time to cry and grieve what will never be, before I have to be strong for her.