Page 88 of Monster Among the Roses (Fairy Tale Quartet 1)

“But why?” I yelled. “You can’t do this to me. You can’t make yourself become my everything and then turn around and shove me out the door. God…dammit, Isobel.”

I charged after her, grabbing her arm, and forced her around to face me.

She immediately began to struggle. “Get your hands off me.”

“Tell me why,” I growled. “Was it because of what those two girls at the restaurant said? You’re worried it was true, that I’m only with you because of your money? Was it because I didn’t talk to you directly over the phone when my mom got hurt? Why? Just fucking tell me.”

“Let me go.” She started to struggle more; her eyes became frantic. I didn’t think she was scared, though. How the hell could she be scared when it was just me holding her? I’d never hurt her. I loved her.

But her struggling became intense; I feared she’d hurt herself if I didn’t release her.

“I said let me go,” she screamed at the top of her lungs.

I didn’t want to. I needed answers. But I let her go, because shit, she looked scared of me.

It made no sense. I was so confused.

What the hell was happening?

“Why?” I whispered, defeated. Tears clogged my lashes. She was wrecking me. And I didn’t even know why. That was the worst part. The not-knowing.

She looked into my eyes, and I swear she felt the same pain I did. But all she did was whirl around and run inside her house.

I stayed outside, just standing there. It was the perfect opportunity for the clouds to open, for rain to pour down on me and drench my soul. I would’ve remained there, soaked and miserable, waiting for her to return, to tell me this was all just a cruel, nasty joke, or at least explain what was going on. But the morning remained uncommonly bright and cheerful. And Isobel didn’t return.

I remained, though, the pieces of my ruined heart scattered around my feet.

Eventually, a police car arrived. That’s when Henry stepped outside. I watched him talk to the officer before pointing my way, but I didn’t move, just stared at them, bleak and broken.

The officer approached me, pulling his handcuffs from his duty belt. I didn’t fight, or argue, or protest as he hooked me up. I just looked to Henry and asked, “Why?”

He actually appeared sad, as if he might feel bad for me. Then he slowly shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The police officer began to lead me to his patrol car. I glanced at Henry over my shoulder. “Would you, though?” I called. “If you ever found out, would you tell me?”

I think he gave a barely discernible nod. That was all the reassurance I needed. I was sure I could still get her back. I just had to find out what I’d done wrong. It couldn’t be that bad. I loved her, worshiped the ground she walked on. How could I have done anything so wrong that it couldn’t be fixed?

I didn’t think about my mother until they began to book me in. She was still in the hospital. Alice couldn’t sit with her forever. Who would stay with her if I ended up not being able to get out of here?

I’d trespassed on private ground. Nothing else. What was the maximum penalty for such a petty crime?

I never found out because they released me while I was being booked in. I never actually saw the inside of a cell. One correctional worker called out to the other who was taking my fingerprints, asking, “Is that Hollander?”

“Yeah,” came the reply as the guy kept most of his attention on rolling my pinky across an ink pad.

“Well, stop booking him in. His charges have already been dropped. He’s free to go.”

I didn’t know if it was Henry or maybe even Isobel who’d had me released, but I guessed it didn’t matter. They’d both made it explicitly clear I wasn’t welcome back.

So…I’d write a letter. That was what I’d do. I’d mail it to her, pour my heart into every word, and beg her to tell me what was going on.

I was already composing it in my head as I returned to the hospital to check on Mom.

When I returned to her room, though, she wasn’t there. Her bed was empty, and only Alice sat in the chair beside it, crying into her hands.

My heart stopped. “Wha…?”

Alice looked up. “Shaw.” She jumped to her feet. “Where the hell have you been?” But before she waited for an answer, she charged toward me and pulled me into a desperate hug.

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