Page 131 of The Forever Rule

Chapter Twenty-Two

ISABELLA

Lost in the darkness. Lost in the light. Where does the path end? Or where does it begin?

I inhaled deeply,letting the mountain air soak into my pores, and hopefully remind me exactly why I was here. Of course, I didn’t have a good answer for that.

Eyes closed, I didn’t even know why I was out here. Maybe I just needed a breath, a moment. I didn’t feel like there were enough of them to get over this.

My phone buzzed, and I was surprised that I had service out here. I looked down at the screen, and shook my head, knowing I needed to answer.

“Sophia? What’s wrong?”

“When are you coming home?” she asked, her voice soft.

I wish I knew. “Soon. I think. I don’t know.”

“Take as much time as you need. Or we can come to you. I miss you.”

“I’m fine, Sophia. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“The thing is, I do. Because no one else will. Or at least you won’t let anyone else.”

“That’s not true.” Was it? I was afraid that she was right. I was getting far too good at pushing people away.

“I love you with all of my heart, and I just want you to be happy, okay?”

“I am happy,” I lied.

“I can come to you.”

“No. Stay with Cale. You guys need to celebrate.”

My lips tilted up into a smile, just thinking about the way that my family was growing. Everybody seemed so content. Like they were all moving on, while I was standing back, screaming into the abyss wondering what I was supposed to do.

I was supposed to be the strong one, the one to be there when people needed someone to lean on, and yet I knew if they tried, I would crumble. And I would hate myself in the end.

“Cale says we can both come up there.”

“He’s a good man, Sophia. I’m happy for you.” And I wasn’t lying. He was a good man to her. Just like my best friend falling for my half-brother seemed like the perfect match in heaven, and my baby sister falling in love as well. Everybody was moving forward, and all I could do was scream.

“You don’t have to do this on your own.”

“I know. And I’m not alone,” I lied.

“Do you want me to talk to her?”

“No. I can handle it. I always do.”

“You adding that last part doesn’t make me feel very happy.”

“I’m not broken, Sophia. Maybe a little bruised, but not broken. I’ll handle it. And then I’ll come home. I promise.”

“I will take you up on that. And, if I don’t hear from you in the next couple of days, Cale and I are going to come up there. We won’t force you to come back, but we’re going to see you. Because I love you, big sister.”

“I love you too, little sister. And you don’t have to worry about me.”

“And you don’t get to tell me what I get to worry about. It’s that lovely thing about choice and humanity.”

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