Page 46 of Chase
“Holy fuck, Izzy, what the hell happened to the back of your head?”
When I make no attempts to answer him, he glares at my reflection in the mirror. I might be starting to trust Theo again, but it doesn’t mean I’m anywhere near ready to hash out what happened to me when he left for the States, so I shrug it off like it’s nothing.
“I don’t recall, must have knocked it or something.”
“Don’t give me that shit, Izzy, tell me what happened!” he positively growls through his teeth, his frustration more than obvious. “Does it have something to do with Ethan being up here yesterday afternoon? I caught the smug bastard waltzing down the staircase like he owned the place. Did he hurt you?”
My eyes drop to the side, unable to bear his interrogation of what I’d prefer to forget. Just brush it under the carpet, like everyone else did, it’s easier that way. It only prompts him to turn me around so I’m forced to face him.
“Please, can we just drop it? Let’s just go out for this day trip of yours.”
“Izzy, please?” he whispers gently.
“Just drop it!” I finally snap. “I’m not ready to talk about it so leave it alone.”
He eyes me with frustration, but I’m more than used to this expression from people, so I end up winning this silent battle of wills. His eyes drop away first before he rubs the space between his eyebrows and sighs. Just when I think he’s going to give up on me, he wraps his arms around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head.
“You seriously do my head in, Izzy, but fine. For you, I will drop it…for now!”
“Thank you,” I reply, my whole body sagging against his with relief.
“Now, get your butt in gear,” he orders, then pushes my back toward the doorway. “I’m starving and need some breakfast. We’ll go to that little café in town, the quirky one.”
_____
Izzy
Theo and I have just polished off a disgustingly fattening breakfast and are now sipping our hot drinks with full bellies. I haven’t felt this comforted in so long, and I have to admit, this is thanks to Theo, the one man I can say I trust. The fact I cannot open up to him isn’t because I don’t trust him, it’s because I feel so deeply ashamed; I still cannot say the words out loud. It’s too hard.
“I have a surprise for you,” he says, snapping me out of my thoughts and eyeing him with suspicion. “A good surprise, I promise.”
“Do tell,” I reply with a curious smile.
“Nope, I want to see your face when you see it,” he says at the same time as checking his watch. “We have to leave now because I told them we’d be there by eleven and it takes a good hour to get to where we need to be.
“Sounds intriguing, have you discovered there is a real Labyrinth or Hogwarts or something where I can live and never have to see my horrid family again?” I grin with pretend hope in my eyes.
“No, but I bet you will be as equally pleased when you see it.”
“Hmmm, so sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
He gives me a smug smile, looking extremely sure of himself as we get up and leave the café. By the time we reach his swanky car, the sun has come out and I almost feel like I did before life turned dark. I’m not ready to say it yet, but I’m glad Theo came back, even if it is to get a load of cash off Nonna. At least part of it was for me, and that’s enough.
“Izzy, if I ask you something, will you give me an honest answer?” he says as he looks left and right so he can pull out into the traffic.
“I will make no promises, but you can try,” I reply, rubbing my hands up and down my thighs, knowing his question is going to make me uncomfortable.
“What is it you actually do for a living?” he asks, momentarily looking at me.
“Porn star,” I reply straight away.
“Nope.”
“Stripper in a London brothel.”
“Nope.”
“Escort to the rich and filthy.”