Page 260 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
Once I have all the hairs removed from her sweat-drenched face, I press the back of my hand on her forehead. She doesn’t have a fever, but she certainly doesn’t look well. Suddenly, her pupils widen as her hand shoots up to slap her mouth. When she spots the women’s restroom halfway down the hall, she pushes off the wall and paces toward it. Her strides are wobbly and slow.
I scoop her into my arms and clutch her close to my chest.
“I’m going to be sick,” she mumbles through the hand covering her mouth.
“I know, baby.”
A young nurse wearing hospital scrubs with tongue compressors and stethoscopes printed on the faded material peers at me with bulging eyes when I enter the bathroom. She takes one look at Isabelle’s ashen face before advising she’ll return with a doctor. I kick open the stall door and hoist the toilet seat up with my shoe before shrugging off my jacket to lay it on the tiled floor.
Isabelle drops to her knees and leans over the bowl, her back bending harshly as she heaves the minimal amount of food she snacked on while issuing her statement. I hold her hair back with one hand, while the other rubs in a circular motion on her back. Goosebumps follow the trail my hand makes, but I’m too worried to pay them any attention.
Once her stomach is empty, Isabelle leans back until her bottom is resting on the balls of her feet. I rip off two squares of toilet paper from the roll then hand them to her. “Thank you.” She runs the paper along her bottom lip before dumping it into the bowl and flushing the toilet.
By the time I have gathered her back into my arms, Jae enters the bathroom. “From the student nurse’s description, I thought it sounded like you.” Her eyes drop to Isabelle. “Has she rested at all today?”
“No. She had court this morning and now this—”
Sighing, she shines a flashlight into Isabelle’s massively dilated eyes. “She was severely concussed, Isaac. If she won’t rest, I’ll admit her again.”
“It’s not Isaac’s fault,” Isabelle mumbles, her voice relaying her queasiness. “I insisted on coming here.”
Jae’s lips twist as the sternness in her eyes eases. “Have you taken any pain relief since this morning?”
The strictness returns to her face when Isabelle shakes her head. Any excuse I attempt to formulate is cut off from Jae’s wry look. She is usually a happy-go-lucky type of woman, but she’s a stickler when it comes to matters relating to personal health.
“Let me complete a more thorough examination of her in my office. If she passes those tests, you can take her home. If she fails, I’m going to admit her.”
CHAPTER11
ISABELLE
An hour later, after having a full check-up by Dr. Jae and an impromptu visit with Hugo, I'm bundled into the passenger seat of Isaac’s car. I don’t need to ask him where we're going. I can devise a response just by looking at him. His every desire and want is pouring out of him, making the interior of the car sticky with a damp mugginess, while also making my insides quiver with anticipation.
When we enter the I5 highway, Isaac slips his hand into the breast pocket of his jacket, producing a folded-up piece of paper. I eye him inquisitively when he gives the document to me. As I carefully open it, his eyes shift between the road and me.
Air traps in my throat when my eyes lock in on the picture. It’s a photo of Enrique entering a private jet. The date illuminated in orange in the bottom corner of the frame is time-stamped an hour after he was ushered out of his hospital room.
My tear-filling eyes lift to Isaac. I don’t need him to confirm he helped Enrique. The truth is relayed in his beautiful, unique eyes that are watching me cautiously, worried I’ll take the news of his involvement in an illegal activity well.
Although I once declared I'd never get my hands stained, I lied. I’ve learned since that day that when you love someone, you do anything in your power to protect them. I haven’t seen Enrique in twenty years, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love him. When I looked at him, all I saw was the little boy with big chocolate eyes and a dirty face that stared up at me in awe.
“Where’s he going?”
“I can’t tell you that, Isabelle.” Regret is heard in his tone. “There are still some things I can’t disclose yet, but I guarantee you he's safe, and once I can give you more details, I will.”
I nod before lowering my gaze back down to the photo. Enrique is smiling because not only did Isaac save him from prosecution that might have earned him twenty years in jail, he saved him from the clutches of our father. It might have been twenty years after I was saved, but from the huge grin on Enrique’s face, I don’t think he cares. He looks happy and free.
“Thank you.”
When I lean over to press a peck on his unshaven jaw, Isaac’s cheekbones rise. “You’re welcome.” He nudges his head to the glove compartment. “There's a lighter in there. I need you to wind down the window and burn the photo. We can’t have any proof we know what happened to Enrique.”
I eye him suspiciously. “Who are you,really?”
He doesn’t answer my question, but the most delicious smirk carves on his mouth. I open the glove compartment to remove the lighter and destroy the evidence as requested. Burning papers float through the air like a scattering of fireflies in the fading night sky. It’s a surreal experience, like all the negative energy is floating away in tiny sparkles of orange, red, and yellow embers.
The remainder of the trip home is made in silence, but I’m feeling more alive than I have the past month. The fact Isaac is inviting me back into his personal space has my heart swelling. Him bringing me back here means he’s rebuilt his trust in me.
I love Isaac, he owns every piece of my soul, so I believe my intuition when it says I can trust him too. Our relationship was built on a rocky surface of lies and deception, so it never had the chance to be strong, but if we wipe the slate clean and start again without the secrets, I truly believe we will build a relationship that will weather any storm.
