Page 51 of Chase
I stare at the bland message Izzy’s just sent back to me, momentarily hoping to find something more, something that clearly isn’t there. When I eventually come to realize there is nothing that can be salvaged from it, I shut my eyes and throw the phone across the room. It lands with a thud on the ground, enough noise to probably have alerted my mom who is directly below me, most likely cooking. I should go down and apologize or at least explain myself, however, I can’t bring myself to get off my old bed. The room hasn’t changed at all; it’s still covered in posters of my favorite bands and pro-surfers. I remember being in this exact position many times when I moved home, just wondering what Izzy was up to, much like I am now. Will things ever change for us? Or am I wishing on make-believe?
“Wanna talk about it?” Mom asks, leaning against my doorway. Like the sulky teenager I used to be, I simply shake my head and sigh.
“I thought we were getting closer, but I guess I was wrong,” I tell her, staring at the ceiling and feeling wretched.
“Trust me, Izzy is special,” Mom says as she walks over to sit on the end of the bed. “And you know us blondes are a little crazy,” she laughs softly before looking sadly at me. “You, my dear, are very special too. You both deserve love and happiness.”
“It feels like I’ve hit another brick wall,” I admit. “And I’m trying to be patient, Mom, I really am, but it’s so damn frustrating when she seemingly moves forward, then runs back again.”
“Well, she’s been through a lot, we both know this,” she says unhelpfully. “And let’s face it, Izzy has always been more… complicated than most girls.”
She giggles, a sound that reminds me of when Izzy was fun-loving and carefree. She giggled like this all the time but now it’s few and far between.
“The dog suggestion was genius,” I admit, for it was Mom’s idea. “She loved it and I guess I’ve fallen for the lil mutt too.”
“I knew she needed something like that to love,” she says, crossing her arms in an ‘I told you so’ way. “Animals often give you unrequited love. Apart from geese, those bastards are punchy assholes.”
I haven’t told Mom about Izzy’s nightmare, neither have I told her about Ethan and the head injury, which I’m pretty certain he inflicted. I trust Mom completely, but I don’t want to risk anything getting back to Izzy’s family. Sometimes people can put their foot in their mouth, so she’s better off not knowing.
“Dinner’s ready. I baked you a lasagne, your fave,” she says, getting to her feet and holding out her hand for me like I’m a little boy again. I don’t feel like eating but I can’t say no to her; I love this woman just as much as I love Izzy.
Chapter 18
Izzy
Christ, it’s been a shitty day! Two no-shows at work, a stubbed toe on the underground and Tilly blabbering on about getting together for ‘luncheon’ at the weekend, but only if I promise to bring Theo. Fuck off, Tilly, you’re the last person I would want to have any kind of food with, particularly a meal you have so pretentiously dubbed as ‘luncheon’. I told her I was shooting a vital scene for my next porno hit, to which she scoffed and hung up on me. I guess that was the only highlight of today.
The door looms in front of me and I can’t help feeling relieved to be back here again. Dare I say it, but this place is starting to feel like home, even if it has been Nonna’s secret for years. As usual, I shuffle through, chuck my bags, keys, and coat onto the hallway floor, all the while smiling to myself as I imagine Theo’s reaction to my slobbish behavior. I then remember the message I sent him, the one that could have been sent from a virtual stranger, and hate myself again. However, the doorbell chimes and I manage to push my guilt aside. Instead, I get excited because it’s the doggy daycare guy coming to bring my baby back home.
“Stella, Stella, bing bong!” I beam as she battles against her lead to get to me with her crazy tail wagging all over the place. “I’ve missed you, baby, come over here and show me some love!”
I hold out my arms and she finally breaks free, pushing us both to the floor with over-excited enthusiasm. She slobbers all over me, kissing me like we’ve been separated for months instead of mere hours.
“If you ever want to give her up, I will gladly take her off your hands,” Max, the doggy daycare worker, offers with a wide grin. “She is gorgeous!”
“Don’t count on it, she’s all mine; aren’t you, baby?”
Stella practically licks me to death in answer and I laugh for the first time today. Max says goodbye as I wave from my position on the floor, momentarily watching as he closes the door behind him. After a few more kisses, I tempt Stella off me by declaring it her dinner time. She jumps back so I can go and prepare the other love of her life - food. She attacks the dog bowl with aggression, so I leave her to it and go and pour myself a glass of wine. I look at her with contentedness, leaning over the breakfast bar to watch her guzzle down her dry old dog biscuits like they’re the finest cuisine to hit her plate.
The doorbell chimes again and I frown at the clock, wondering who it could be. Maybe Penny left something here, but she flew out this morning so it couldn’t be her. Or perhaps Tilly has come to berate me about my declining her ‘luncheon’ this morning. I continue on this vein of trying to guess who it is all the while I walk over to the door to open it. However, as soon as I take a look through the peephole, I jump back in fear. Standing on the other side of the door is Ethan and his scowling face.
“Know this, Isobel, we hate you…we all hate you!”
At first, I remain frozen still, questioning myself as to what I should do for the best. Ethan hasn’t come to see me alone since I was at university, and he was never welcome. There’s no way I intend on opening that door with him anywhere near this house. So, holding my breath, I step back as quietly as a mouse, hoping he hasn’t heard me. I jump with terror when he begins thumping on the door. Stella begins barking and running up to the door to investigate the intruder on the other side. It only has me releasing tears of abject fear over him getting to me without Theo being here to protect me. And there’s no mistaking, I know what can happen when I have no one to protect me from my big brother.
“Open the fucking door, Isobel!” he yells angrily.
Opening my mouth to release a silent scream, I begin shaking my head before slamming my hands over my mouth.
Please, just go, just go! Help me, just go!
“Isobel, I know you’re there and I know you’re alone. If you don’t open the door, I’ll beat it down with my fists!”
I don’t doubt he will because he is, after all, a hulk of a bully with anger issues and has always hated me. Hated me enough to destroy me in any way he knew how. He thuds on the door again, so I step back and crouch down on the floor, trying to make myself smaller and smaller. Stella continues to bark while fresh tears of fear trickle down my cheeks.
“Isobel!” he screams, making me tremble and whimper.
“What do you want, Ethan?” I shout out when I can bear it no longer. Just go, leave me alone!