Chapter Eight
Isabel blinked her eyes open. She wasn’t quite sure when she had finally drifted to sleep, because as far back as she could remember, she had been awake the whole night. After Liam had made her – forced her t0 – come, he had taken off his clothes in the darkness of the room and laid down on one side of the bed, his back turned to her.
Isabel had remained sitting up, naked, for several minutes until she realized that he had no intention of having a conversation with her. He only intended on going to sleep. She tiptoed over to where her nightdress lay discarded near the mirror and she slipped into it. Eventually, she walked back to the bed and lay down beside him at the other end, facing his back.
She watched his body rise and fall, his breaths deepen. She could hear the crickets outside and realized that it was dark. Darker than she could have ever imagined night to be. She had gotten used to the streetlights of New York, the sounds that carried in through her apartment window. She couldn’t sleep in the stillness of this night. It was unbearably keeping her awake.
Thoughts that she didn’t want barraged her brain. Thoughts about New York. The last few weeks she spent there. The life she left behind. That she might never return to. She tried to banish them from her brain, but they kept flooding in.
Eventually, Liam’s even breaths calmed her down. Just his presence in the room, even though he wasn’t touching her, even though he wasn’t encouraging her or stroking her hair… just his very presence beside her seemed to make her feel that she was safe.
She had borne her soul to this man. She had allowed him to touch her in places nobody else had just because she had decided that she was going to be his wife. A wife to a man she knew nothing about.
Even a year ago, a prospect such as this would have made Isabel laugh. She would have considered the suggestion that she would find herself physically spent and sexually satisfied lying next to a man she had just met (who she was trying to prove to that she could be a good wife to) utterly crazy.
When she turned over in the morning, Isabel found that Liam had already gotten out of bed. She couldn’t see a clock anywhere in the room and she panicked, jumping out of bed in a rush.
The bathroom wasn’t an en suite, so she rummaged in her suitcase for a dressing gown which she enveloped herself with before stepping out of the room. She rushed into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, splashed her face with water, and then, at the last minute, decided to take a shower.
The water calmed her even though she felt like she hadn’t slept in years. When she had looked in the mirror, she noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Her face didn’t look fresh even though she had just woken up. She dried her hair with a towel hanging behind the door, slipped into the dressing gown again, and walked back into the bedroom.
Liam was still nowhere to be found.
In the bedroom, she changed into a cotton maxi skirt and a red crop top she found at the bottom of her bag. Her hair was still damp, but it was the best she could do. No makeup necessary, she thought as she stepped out of the room again and descended the stairs.
“It’s eight.” Liam’s voice greeted her as she reached the landing. He was sitting at the kitchen counter and drinking a glass of what could have only been fresh milk. Isabel wasn’t sure if she was late or early. His face was expressionless, although it was still devastatingly handsome.
“Sophie needs to wake up by seven thirty. She’ll be late for school now,” he said. Isabel turned on her heels and started climbing the stairs again. “You will take her to school from today. She needs to get there by eight thirty,” he called after her. Isabel turned around to only nod her head.
To say she was sleepy was an understatement. She was tired as hell. She could feel her limbs ache and creak as she climbed up to Sophie’s room and knocked.
“Time to wake up, Sophie,” she called out to her and heard her own voice crack. The heat of the day was already building up. Isabel was beginning to feel faint again. She cracked open the door and found Sophie still bundled up in bed.
“Sophie, it’s time for school,” she said in a louder voice and walked over to the window to pull the curtain open.
Sophie slowly blinked her eyes open and then stretched her arms. When Isabel turned to her, the little girl smiled. “Hi,” she said in a low morning voice. Isabel was amazed at her enthusiasm. A ten-year-old who was happy from the instant she woke up! Sophie was precious and Isabel was beginning to understand why she was the apple of her father’s eye.
“You must get ready for school. You’ll be late,” Isabel said, walking over to sit by Sophie’s bed. She stroked her shining blonde hair and couldn’t help but smile, as much as her body hurt.
“Did you sleep well, Isabel?” Sophie asked and she nodded.
“Of course. I slept very well,” Isabel declared, trying to keep the smile on her face.
“Will you please take me to school? I want you to take me to school,” Sophie said and flung her small body into Isabel’s arms.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Isabel said, patting Sophie’s back. It was good to get a warm morning hug.