It was well after midnight as I slowly drove my car down Matthew LaFleur’s tree-lined driveway. I was probably crazy for coming here tonight, but I couldn’t sleep after what had happened this evening. The ache across my knuckles was a constant reminder of the punch I’d thrown, and I had to make sure everything was okay.
The hurt in Isobel’s eyes as she stared at me was going to haunt me long after the pain in my hand went away. I wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to understand my reasoning. And I was quite certain she would never forgive me for hurting her father that way.
My grandfather couldn’t have been more pleased though. All night, he had been patting me across the shoulders and commenting on how my father would have been proud. Clearly, William didn’t know my father at all because I knew he would have been disappointed at the idea of me punching anyone.
I parked under the shadow of a tree a short walk from the mansion and snuck around the back to enter the house through the kitchens. It was so risky to be here, and if I was caught, everything would be ruined. But the house was asleep, and I’d been told it would be safe.
The back door to the kitchen opened as I approached.
“I thought you’d get here sooner.”
My heart froze, only to relax again as the dim light of the kitchen flicked on to reveal Matthew LaFleur.
“Sorry,” I murmured. “I got away as quickly as I could.”
Matthew stood back and gestured for me to enter the house, and as I passed him, I saw he was holding an ice pack. I glanced up at his cheek and grimaced.
“Sorry about that.” I nodded to the bruise that was still forming.
Matthew waved my apology away. “It was necessary.” He drew in a breath. “And I’m sorry for what I said about your father. You know I didn’t mean any of it, right?”
“I know. Still, I wish it hadn’t come to that. I panicked when Isobel started talking about how you, my dad, and your sister and tried to fix things. How did she know about that?”
“That was my fault.” Matthew shook his head. “I shouldn’t have told Isobel about them. Especially with what we’re trying to do… I just didn’t think it would cause any harm to let her know.”
“No, you couldn’t have known she’d bring it up in front of my grandfather.” I sighed. Tonight had been a disaster, but at least it hadn’t been completely pointless. “One positive thing has come from punching you. William’s confident I’m on his side.”
“Good.”
“He’s still not convinced I don’t have feelings for Isobel though.” I’d been stupid to rush to her defense tonight. But when I first saw her standing before my grandfather and heard him throwing thinly veiled threats her way, I hadn’t been able to stop myself. I’d acted without thinking, and now Isobel wasn’t just a weapon he could use against Matthew. She was one he could use against me too.
“So, convince him,” Matthew replied.
I let out a laugh. “Yeah, because that’s so easy.”
“I didn’t say it will be easy,” Matthew said. “But it is necessary. He can’t suspect you have any sympathy for my family. And if it comes to it, you know he’ll try to use her against you.”
“I know,” I growled. “But what do I do?”
“You suck it up and act like she’s the enemy your grandfather thinks she is,” Matthew said.
“If we could just tell her what’s going on…”
Matthew shook his head. “It could put her in more danger. I don’t trust William Hastings, and the less Isobel knows, the better. We saw that firsthand tonight.”
I nodded. If keeping Isobel in the dark afforded her even a small amount of protection from my grandfather, I would do it. It didn’t make any of this any easier though.
“She’s moving on,” I murmured. “She might never forgive me.”
Matthew gave me a sad smile. “It’s a risk you have to take. If you ever want to be with her, this is the only way.”
“I know.” It still pained me to admit it out loud. “I should go. I just wanted to check we were on the same page after everything that happened. Sorry again for hitting you.”
“You did well to think so quickly on your feet, and besides, I look like a badass now.”
I chuckled under my breath. I’d never heard someone sound so posh while saying the word badass before. It totally defeated the purpose. “Totally badass,” I agreed.
We both went silent as the sound of creaking floorboards echoed from above.
“Go,” Matthew hissed, reaching for the door to let me out. “Isobel and her mother are staying here tonight. They can’t know you were here.”
I rushed out the door, but Matthew kept it open a crack as he went to close it. “Just keep to the plan we talked about at my office,” Matthew whispered. “It’s all going to work out, I promise.”
“I know.”
He gave me a tight smile before he closed the door and quickly turned to face whoever had entered the room.
“Matthew?” The sound of Isobel’s voice struck my heart, and I quickly darted down behind the kitchen window so I couldn’t be seen through the glass kitchen door. Matthew was right; she couldn’t know I was here.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“Fine,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep, so I’m just getting some more ice for my face.”
I slowly edged myself up to catch a glimpse of Isobel, and I smiled when I saw she was in the cute Winnie the Pooh pajamas she’d worn in New York. Her curly hair was piled in a bun on her head, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. I had no idea how someone could look so beautiful, and it killed me that I couldn’t walk in there and say as much to her.
“I couldn’t sleep either,” she said, her voice soft.
I wanted to stay and find out why she couldn’t sleep. I didn’t get to hear her voice nearly enough anymore. I couldn’t risk getting caught at Matthew’s house though. Not when everything we had planned hinged on no one knowing we were working together.
With a sigh, I started back to my car. I had a tough road ahead of me. Not only did I have to keep my feelings for Isobel a secret, I somehow had to convince my grandfather they didn’t exist at all. William Hastings wouldn’t be satisfied with simple indifference though. No, I was going to have to go further than that. I was going to have to convince him I hated her.
Matthew and I had a solid plan, and I felt confident everything was going to work. But I had a bad feeling I would hate myself by the end of this. I was going to move heaven and earth for Isobel, but I was afraid by the time I had it would already be too late.
