CHAPTER 24
“It all starts with the first step…”
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
Colin had asked me to take Hanna with him to Joshua’s game, and when they came back, I noticed something different—a light in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.
“What happened?”
Yes, I was blatantly studying him—the way he hated—but at this point, I couldn’t help myself anymore.
“It’s nothing.”
“Colin Adams. Tell me what happened.”
I guess I’d given myself permission to try to see a little deeper into Colin’s heart. And right now, he wasn’t putting up much of a fight, which was… great.
“You’ve been pretty bold lately.”
“It’s called freedom.” I shrugged.
“I don’t remember giving you that kind of ‘freedom.’”
“I know you like me.”
That slipped out before I could stop it.
“A little.”
“A lot,” I shot back, with ridiculous confidence.
This time, I was the one who made a move. I practically threw myself at him, stopping just inches from his lips. God, how I wanted to kiss him.
“You’re dangerously tempting,” he murmured, “and you always pick the perfect moments to be like this.”
“Oh, really?” I glanced around—no one was nearby.
“Do you honestly think that if someone were watching us, I’d stop?”
“I think you would.”
“Then you clearly don’t know me yet,” he growled.
“Maybe you should let me… get to know you better. Think I’d be satisfied—or would I try to run away?” I teased, leaning even closer to his mouth.
He didn’t answer. He just pulled me into his arms, not giving me the slightest chance to step back.
Not that I wanted to.
Days went by, and every now and then, I found myself giving in to Colin.
I always try to see the good in people—no matter what—and I’m absolutely sure Colin has that side too, even if he hides it for reasons of his own. It’s probably because of the tragedy, but no matter how hard things have been, at some point, you have to move forward.
I was leaving the mansion with Joshua to take him to school when I decided it was finally time to put into practice something I’d been thinking about for a while.
“How about we try another test in the car?”
“Okay.”
We got into one of the cars, and once we were inside, I focused on his eyes.
“How about we drive around the block?”
Joshua hesitated for a few seconds. It was obvious he wasn’t completely comfortable with the idea. I was about to tell him we could try another day, but he spoke first. “I want to try.”
I nodded to Tito, and as soon as we turned the first corner and the car started moving, Joshua’s body stiffened. His hands began to tremble, and within seconds, he was breaking into a cold sweat.
“I… I’m scared,” he stammered, his eyes darting nervously toward the windows.
I immediately signaled for Tito to stop the car and got out with Joshua right away.
“There’s nothing wrong with being scared. One day, you’ll get past it.”
“What if I can’t?” he asked, his voice trembling with panic.
“You will. It just takes patience. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be right here to try again with you.”
I’d arranged to meet Lauren at a café near the mansion. It had been a few days since we’d seen each other in person—we’d only been talking over WhatsApp.
We’d covered a lot of topics, from the vandalism at my house to day-to-day things, but, unsurprisingly, Colin had dominated most of our conversations.
“You like him.”
“I do. Colin has a good heart, even if he tries his hardest to prove otherwise.”
“No… correction: you’re in love with him.”
“Is that wrong?”
I wasn’t going to fight what I felt. My feelings for Colin were real.
“‘Wrong’ isn’t the word I’d use. More like dangerous. From what you’ve told me about him, he’s unpredictable—and he could easily do something you don’t expect.”
I thought about her words for a moment. Lauren wasn’t wrong. And then there was the fact that I was living in his house—which, whether I liked it or not, was very different from being in my own home.
“My biggest problem is that I can’t stay away from him… and I’m not even sure I want to. I feel like I have to help him somehow.”
“Have to?” She raised an eyebrow, confused.
“Don’t ask me why, but I feel like I’m breaking down his walls and… I don’t know, Lauren.” I sighed. “I’ve never been good at understanding emotions, and now’s definitely not the time I’m going to start.”
“And to think you used to hate the man…”
“Life’s full of surprises.”
“And those bodyguards of his? Do they just stand there watching you with that permanent scowl?” Lauren glanced around at the two men Colin had stationed nearby.
“It’s the first time I’ve been out alone, and Colin insisted on it. I’m still not sure it’s necessary, but arguing with him about anything is pointless. It’s easier to just accept it.”
“Him worrying about you is actually kind of sweet,” she teased. “Sounds to me like he’s falling for you too.”
I smiled like an idiot. Could Colin really be falling for me? No… that seemed impossible.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Better to let things happen naturally.”
“Fair enough. So, any news about who did that to your house?” Her tone shifted—this part of the conversation wouldn’t be so lighthearted.
“According to Colin, no. The police still don’t have any solid information. It’s pretty obvious someone was trying to send me a message, but I just hope they understand that I don’t know where Rudolph is—and I don’t want to know either.”
“I get it. Honestly, staying at Colin’s is the best thing you could do. Thank God he offered. Imagine what you’d do if you weren’t there.”
“I don’t even want to think about it. My house was almost completely destroyed. I wouldn’t have anywhere to sleep.”
Today, I decided not to mention anything to Joshua about the day before—about my failed attempt to get him into a moving car. I still felt guilty for making him anxious, for pushing too hard. But to my surprise, he was the one who brought it up.
“Isabelle, I want to try again. I think my dad would be happy if I started riding in cars again.”
I gave him a small smile.
“All right, let’s try. But Joshua… do it for yourself first. I know your dad would be proud, but what matters most is how you feel. Your opinion about things is always the most important.”
“Okay.”
As soon as we got in the car, I could see the fear in him again—his hands trembling a little more than usual. An idea came to me, though I wasn’t sure if it would work.
“Try closing your eyes.”
He hesitated for a moment, but then he did.
“How about we go to your school with our eyes closed?”
“Me and you?” he asked, keeping them shut.
“Yes. Mine are closed too.”
“Okay.”
I told Tito to drive toward Joshua’s school at a slow, steady pace and took Joshua’s hand in mine. I had no idea if this would actually help, but life is full of trial and error—we get things wrong a hundred times before we finally get them right.
The car began to move, gently, and I felt him squeeze my hand every few seconds.
“I know you’re scared,” I whispered. “But I’m right here with you, and I promise we’ll be fine. We’ll be there before you know it.”
“You promise?”
“I do.”
Tito kept driving at an even pace, and little by little, I could feel Joshua relaxing. Whenever the car stopped, he tensed again, startled, and I’d lean closer and whisper that everything was okay.
The ride was short. After a few minutes, the car came to a stop. I cracked one eye open and saw the school just ahead.
“We’re here,” I said softly. When Joshua opened his eyes, his surprise was written all over his face. He could hardly believe he’d actually done it.
“Ready to go?” I asked, watching him stare out the window, unsure what to do next.
“I’m alive!”
I couldn’t help laughing.
“See? Facing our fears is good. One day, you won’t be afraid to be in a car anymore.”
Joshua looked straight into my eyes for a few seconds, then threw his arms around me in a tight hug. I hadn’t expected it—but I hugged him back.
He’d been through so much, but I knew that with every small step like this, I was helping him move forward.
I can hardly put into words how happy I felt working that morning.
Being the one who helped Joshua take a real step toward facing his fears left me euphoric. Still, I knew I had to be careful—there were more stages ahead, and each one would take time.
Now I was standing by the school gate again, waiting for him to come out.
When I finally spotted him, I noticed something different—he was smiling more than usual, even chatting with another boy.
It might not sound like much, but I’d never seen him leave school talking to anyone before. This was a first.
“Hey, Isabelle.”
“Hey there. How was school today?”
“Really good.”
“How do you want to go home? By car or on foot?”
Joshua seemed to think about it for a moment before quickly answering, “By car.”
“All right.”
“I want to go with my eyes open this time.”
I froze, a bit worried. That was a big step, and I wasn’t sure he was ready for it.
“Joshua, you don’t have to rush things. Wouldn’t it be better to take it slow?”
“I… just want to try once.”
I thought about his words. This time, I was the one hesitating—but my heart overruled my fear. Deep down, I believed he was strong enough for this.
“Okay.”
We got in the car, and right away, he reached for my hand.
“It’s going to be fine,” I said softly, signaling Tito to start the car and drive toward the mansion.
As soon as the car began moving, just like the first time, Joshua squeezed my hand a little tighter. I could feel him trembling again, and I was about to stop the ride when I heard him whisper:
“I’m okay. I can do this.” He said it quickly, staring straight ahead.
I smiled, trying to encourage him in silence.
The drive continued slowly. I could see his eyes darting around, scanning every corner of the car. He was still scared, that much was obvious—but he was fighting through it, and I couldn’t have been prouder.
It didn’t take long before we pulled up in front of the mansion. When the car came to a stop, the happiness radiating from his face was indescribable.
“I did it, Isabelle! I did it!”
Joshua was ecstatic. He threw his arms around me, hugging me tight, clearly unsure what to do next—whether to get out of the car or stay there forever.
When we finally stepped out, that joy was met with another expression entirely—one that couldn’t have been more different from his.
I was going to have some explaining to do.