Page 20 of Bloodstained Wings
I turn to see Sam in the hallway nearby with her hands pressed into her front pockets. Tristan stands behind her, almost protectively, but I want to run up and hug her. She beats me to it, throwing her arms around my shoulders and clinging to me for dear life.
Carter is careful to move away from us, leading Tristan down to the main floor.
“I’ve missed you, friend,” I cry.
She holds me tighter. “I’ve missed you, too.”
“Then why have you been so distant with me?”
“Because ofhim,” she replies, not skipping a beat. “You’re dating a sadistic villain, Isabella.”
Whether Manhattan sees Carter as a villain or not isn’t my issue. All that matters is that he’s my villain, and I love him enough to be thankful for his effort to help mold our lives into something spectacular. When I pull away from Sam, she smiles softly, but I can see Carter is the point of contention between us.
He’s my world, but without a confidant in this new life, I don’t know how I’ll survive.
Chapter Eight
Isabella
Sam doesn’t say much, and I can’t really pull it out of her.
I lean forward on the desk where we sit down, something I thought would involve us talking, but everything is off. She hasn’t liked Carter from the start, so it’s hard to be upset with her saying that she wants distance. I’m just shocked that her distance involved ignoring all my phone calls and texts. Yet, she’s been cuddling up close with Tristan Blackthorne.
I don’t want to come across as rude, especially with her finally just coming back to my side, so I drop it.
“How have things been?” I stammer, opening the door to our friendship again.
She seems receptive so far, offering a smile in return. “It’s been okay. I moved into Tristan’s apartment.”
“Oh, that’s good. I bet it’s a lot better than our last place.”
Her eyes flash at the memories of where we first ran into one another. “Oh, yeah. It’s certainly a step up. The Magnolia apartments have washing machines inside the apartments. They don’t take quarters.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s a step up,” I breathe. “So glad we’re out of there.”
She looks around the office. It’s not yet put together all the way, and it’s basic in the fact that it’s just been thrown together in less than a day, but it’s stunning and perfectly put together for the effort. I’m thankful for Carter’s attention to detail in times like this. Besides that, it feels like we’ve compromised for once. I wanted a job, and he wanted a home for us to share.
Now we have both, and he doesn’t have to worry about me walking aimlessly through Manhattan.
“This is a beautiful house, Isabella,” she says, breaking the second dose of heavy silence between us. “I’m really happy for you.”
Biting my tongue, I only nod.
Sam must sense my apprehension. She shifts in her chair, throwing daggers with just a look. “I didn’t mean to call him a villain, Isabella. I didn’t intend it like that.”
“It’s okay, Sam. It’s fine. Just… you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to stop being my friend over this.”
She nods slowly, leaning into her palm with her elbow on the desk. “I’m not going to say Tristan is any better. I just have afeeling.”
My senses perk at her claim. “A feeling about Carter?”
She nods slowly. I keep a close eye on the door, my stomach sinking.
“I’ve had a bad feeling, too,” I admit.
Her eyes narrow. “Why is that, Isabella?”
I hesitate to say anything about it out loud, mostly because it will seem more real if I do. Eventually, I garner the courage to bring it up, even if my heart aches with the thought.