Virtue & Vanity (49 page)

I gave her the most threatening look I could produce. “Let go of me!”

She snickered. “Is that a way to greet your sister-in-law?” She shook her head and then sighed. “Silly me. I shouldn’t be surprised at your lack of manners. When I remember where you come from, I’m surprised you have any,” she mocked me and her lips touched the glass yet another time. “I wonder...” She started the moment she looked up. “What did Sebastian tell you to make you blush like that?”

I glanced at the half filled glass in her hands. “It’s none of your business,” I said calmly and smiled, not wanting to raise suspicion because I knew people around us were listening to our conversation. “Let me go. This instant,” I demanded in a harsh whisper.

“And if I don’t?” she challenged in a condescending tone.

I rolled my eyes at her and then looked towards Sebastian who looked my way and was instantly alerted. But I didn’t want him to fight my battles. Not this time. She started laughing and I could tell she was well on her way to getting completely drunk. I pulled my arm to free myself from her grip but it had only caused her to hold me tighter.

“Hmm what could it be?” She pretended to think about it. “Maybe you have a dirty little secret.” Her eyes lit up with wickedness. “That’s the only explanation why Sebastian would ever lay his eyes on you in the first place.” She snickered and that was the final nail in her coffin.

Her words struck a nerve and before I could control myself, I took hold of the glass in her hands and turned it over, causing its content to spill all over her beautiful, and expensive, dress. In a state of complete shock, she let go of my wrist and looked at me like she was about to explode from rage.

“Oops...” I said quietly and disappeared into the crowd before she got a chance to react.

As I walked away, I couldn’t help feeling content about the fact that I’d finally returned her long forgotten favor.

Since I wanted a moment of peace and quiet, I headed outside and walked straight towards that bridge that had caught my eye earlier. I rested my hands on the barrier and closed my eyes, enjoying the soothing sounds of the wind and running water. It was quite chilly and when the wind started blowing harder, I shivered from the cold. In an attempt to keep myself warm, I ended up wrapping my arms around my middle.

“Are you okay?”

I was startled when the wind carried the familiar voice in my direction.

“I’m fine.” I smiled and turned towards my husband who looked so mesmerizingly beautiful in the semi-darkness. “I just needed some fresh air.”

He shook his head in disapproval when I started shivering with more force. Smirking, he took off his jacket and pulled it over my shoulders. “There,” he said softly and then, in a light touch, removed the locks of hair that were repeatedly blown on my face. “I’m sorry about Dianne. What did she tell you?” His voice rang with worry.

I shrugged, pretending his sister’s wicked attack didn’t faze me in the least. “Just another one of her attempts to humiliate me.” Suddenly, I became aware that my action might not have been the smartest one. “I’m sorry I spilled wine on her. I know it wasn’t an appropriate thing to do at your friend’s wedding,” I apologized.

He chuckled and caressed my cheek. “It was quite funny, actually. She definitely doesn’t like getting a taste of her own medicine.”

“I know that it shouldn’t bother me, but I still don’t understand why she hates me so much.”

His eyes narrowed. “Dianne is a very difficult person. She’s always been like that, but it has gotten worse since she married that bastard.”

“He’s cheating on her?” I bit my tongue, realizing I probably shouldn’t have asked that.

Sebastian nodded. “With his secretary.”

“That’s really sad. Why doesn’t she get a divorce?”

“She trapped him in marriage just to make a point. Divorce is an option some people aren’t even willing to consider no matter how bad their marriage is.”

After he said that, we remained silent for a while. Talking about divorce was a topic neither of us found appealing in the least.

I tried to change the subject and lighten up the mood. “The wedding was beautiful,” I said in a happy voice but when Sebastian remained in a serious mood, I was hit by the realization that maybe this was an off-the-table topic as well.

“It was,” he said with a pinch of sadness in his voice and then his green eyes pierced through me, compelling me to accept their sincerity. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you the kind of wedding you deserved. I would give anything to change that. Isabelle—”

“It’s okay.” I interrupted him and then smiled softly. “Let’s not talk about it. It belongs in the past and that’s exactly where it should stay.” I observed him as the images of happy times we spent together appeared before my eyes. “There are so many beautiful memories and I don’t want to think about the bad ones anymore.”

He nodded, pulling me in a tight embrace. As he looked at me, I got lost in the sight of the moonlight that reflected in those shiny eyes. “Say it again,” he whispered achingly.

I chuckled. “There are so many beautiful memories and—”

He shook his head, looking at me with teasing accusation because I’d deliberately misunderstood him. “Not that. What I wanted to—”

“I love you, Sebastian,” I breathed as the mere sound of the words lit me up with excitement and made my heart beat in a crazy rhythm.

His eyes lit up with brightness and he swallowed like his emotions were getting the best of him.

“So long,” he murmured and kissed the edge of my lips and then leaned even closer, lowering his lips to the nape of my neck. “I’ve waited for so long.” He exhaled, kissing the sensitive skin on my shoulder. “Please, Isabelle. I need to hear—”

“I love you,” I said in a shaking voice. I shivered when he started laying soft, ticklish kisses along my collarbone “S-Sebastian.”

“Again,” he repeated.

“I... I love you...” With every caress and kiss I kept repeating the words he wanted to hear. His thumb brushed against my chin and heavy breath escaped my lips. “I love you.”

He lifted his head and kissed my forehead. “I love you,” I whispered when he kissed the bridge of my nose. “I love you.” He kissed my temple and started laying soft kisses down my cheek, marking a path to my shaky lips.

Our eyes were leveled up, his nose gently leaned against mine and his lips so close he was teasing mine with his minty breath. “I—” I started telling another exclamation of love and he laid a finger on my lips.

“Shh.” He stopped me and said the very words I’d been meaning to say. “Whatever happens, one thing will never change...
I. Love. You,
” he said, panting as his lips crushed against mine, starting a kiss that lasted for what felt like eternity.

While I got lost in the sweetness of his kiss, the sounds of the guitar coming from the inside started spreading through the silence of the dark night and he tilted up my chin, gazing at my eyes; revealing every emotion and every thought. There were no secrets or restraints between us. We were closer than ever before.

“May I have this dance, my dear?” he whispered seductively.

Intoxicated with him, I couldn’t even bring myself to say anything so I simply laid my hands on his shoulders.

Gently, almost like I was a baby in a cradle, he rocked me in his arms following the captivating melody that was both sad and romantic. The echo of the words that traveled our way described this moment and captured it in eternity. ‘
Chrome my mind. Cauterize this feeling. You’re my kind of something to believe in.’

The chorus talked about learning how to love and the sole fact that I was listening to these beautiful words while being held in a strong embrace of the man I loved made my heart flutter.
‘Teach me how to dance with you. Teach me how to love’.
The male voice sang and Sebastian pulled me into an even stronger embrace, laying my head on his chest like he wanted me to feel exactly what he felt and I was overwhelmed by the sensation. All I breathed was him. All I felt was him. All I knew was him. The music ended up in the blurry background and all I could hear was the fast beating of his heart, emerging from his warm chest.

He kissed the top of my head and continued swinging me in his arms. I heard him swallow and the vibration of his low voice made me shiver.

“I never told you...I didn’t want to admit it back then but...You were a beautiful bride, Isabelle.” He smiled sadly. “Even then, you looked like an angel. Maybe I was oblivious to so many things but your beauty never escaped my eyes.” He made me look at him again. “I made my sweet bride cry on her wedding day, but I will be making it up to her. For the rest of my days.”

As the final chords of the guitar announced the ending of the song, his lips touched mine in a prelude of another kiss and I closed my eyes, burning the perfection of the moment in my memory.

“I love you, Isabelle,” he whispered and my throat squeezed under the power of the emotion brought about by his passionate kiss.

In slow motion, I opened my eyes and caressed his cheek, feeling his soft skin under my fingers. “I love you, Sebastian.” I wanted to say it again and again.

And I meant it. I fell head over heels in love with Sebastian. I loved him more than anything on this earth. I loved him with everything I had.

I loved him.

Chapter Forty-Eight

In the magic of the night, I dreamt that I was lying on the soft grass. I could feel the teasing breeze of the summer wind and the warmth of the sun on my skin. The light scent of daisies and the ticklish feeling on my skin urged me to open my eyes and I saw him standing above me; his eyes shining brighter than the sun, his smile wider than the horizon. My heart was filled with peaceful harmony and I knew that nothing on this world could surpass the bliss that was bestowed upon me at that moment.

As the beautiful dream faded away, I opened my eyes and met the brightness of a new day. When I noticed the empty side of the bed next to me, I frowned in disappointment because I wanted nothing more than to wake up next to him. Closing my eyes, I replayed the beautiful dream in my memory. I remembered how he picked one of the many flowers that danced with the wind around us and gently placed it in my hair. A smile returned on my face when I thought about his kisses that felt so real that I could still feel them on my lips.

“I love you.” I whispered into thin air, counting the times he repeated the words in that wonderful dream.

If this was what love felt like, I never wanted to wake up.
I thought for a moment and despite myself got out of the bed, hoping that it wasn’t too late and that I would still get a chance to see him.

Alas, he wasn’t there when I entered the dining room. I chuckled when I noticed the wrinkled newspaper on the table—a clue that gave away that he might have been there only moments ago and I had probably just missed him. Still, it was enough for me to stay in the same space that breathed with his presence even though he wasn’t there.

The sound of the steps disrupted my dreamy thoughts and I looked up, noticing that Anne walked in, carrying my breakfast. She smiled at me, but there were traces of worry on her face and I was alarmed because it was so unusual for her to fall under the influence of hysteria. Something was wrong.

My lips parted as I observed her in anticipation and I feared to ask, but I knew I had to.

“Is something wrong, Anne?”

Several seconds had passed in a quiet torture before she shook her head which should have reassured me, but didn’t. I sensed that she was lying to me and it didn’t matter as long as the one thing I cared about remained safe and untouched.

“Have you seen Sebastian?” The voice in which I asked the question was so small, almost inaudible.

“He’s in his office but you can’t—” she started in a whisper and before she could finish, I was already walking out, rushing through the hallway.

“Isabelle!” I heard Anne’s voice yelling after me, but I didn’t turn around.

As I was approaching his office, I heard voices. Sebastian was yelling at someone, demanding for them to leave and never return if they knew what’s good for them. I stood behind the door, careful not to move or make the smallest sound. I didn’t even dare to breathe.

“Sebastian, don’t be a fool.” As I recognized Theodore’s disapproving voice, inexplicable fear and disgust took hold of me. “You might think you’re in love, but you’ll get tired of her the moment she gets under your sheets.”

A shaky breath escaped my lips and I had to place my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound.

“What makes you think that you have the right—” Sebastian raged at his father, but was interrupted by Theodore’s condescending laughter.

“What? You didn’t think I knew you’re singing the goddamned serenades instead of fucking her like you’re supposed to?” Theodore raged and then his voice became strangely calm and serious. “This marriage is going to end one way or another. I would hate to hear that your pretty wife suddenly
disappeared
.”

I shuddered as silence filled the room and left me in a dark space that was filled with the threat of real danger. I heard a loud punch on the table and froze.

“Touch her and I swear it will be the last thing you do. You can threaten me all you like, but I’m not giving up on her!” Sebastian said relentlessly and then yelled. “Get out! Get out both of you!”

The real panic took hold of me as I wondered about the other person in that office and I knew that Anne’s warning was real but before I got a chance to leave, Sebastian violently pushed his father out of his office and I found myself face to face with the devil.

I saw his bruised cheek and realized Sebastian had hit him. He brushed his fingers against his bleeding lip and looked up at me with consuming contempt.

“You!” he said through gritted teeth. “You witch! You might have guilt-tripped him into your filthy web of lies but you and your whore of a mother will not win this game! Over my dead body!”

Theodore made a step towards me, but Sebastian protectively stepped in and scowled at Theodore in an infuriating tone. In that moment, my eyes darted back towards the door and I saw my mother, staring at me with an ice cold expression on her face. Our eyes met and she slowly raised her arms, only to reveal a gun in her hands. I wanted to scream, but I was paralyzed. All I could do was watch as she slowly turned around and pointed the gun, aiming straight to my heart.

I winced, gathering the courage to react. “S- Sebastian,” I spoke softly at first and then screamed in panic as her fingers touched the trigger. “Sebastian!”

Just when she was about to pull the trigger, Sebastian reacted without thinking and pushed me away from my mother’s reach. I screamed when I heard the explosion of the shot and all I could do was observe as the bullet ripped through Sebastian’s chest and he fell to the ground.

When she realized what she had done, my mother ran towards the door like she was carried by fire and Theodore just stood there in shock before he started running, probably to ask for help, but I wasn’t sure or patient enough to take that chance.

I knelt next to Sebastian, still shaking from shock. “I’ll call an ambulance. Please... Please, hold on.” He wanted to say something, but I stopped him. “Sebastian.” I forced a smile on my face and held back tears. “You’ll be fine.”

I turned to leave, but he held my wrist. “D-Don’t g-go,” he pleaded and the fear I saw in his beautiful eyes destroyed the last traces of my restraint and heavy tears emerged in my eyes. His shaky hand reached towards me and caressed my wet cheek. “S- Stay.”

With caution, I embraced him and offered him all the comfort of the world. There was blood everywhere and it hurt me so much to see him in this immense pain. Looking at me with eyes wide open, he started shaking with more force and I panicked when I saw that his face was as white as a sheet.

“Sebastian, please.” I cried inconsolably, sobbing and gently rocking him in my arms. “Please don’t fall asleep. I’m begging you... You have to fight... You have to fight for us... For me. “I kissed his forehead and his trembling, cold lips. It was more than I could handle, but I kept staring at his eyes which held onto me like I was their last hope. “I love you. You can’t leave me.” I kissed him again. “I can’t live without a heart. I can’t live without a soul. You took them both,” I repeated his words, fearing that it was too late.

He smiled and took hold of my hand, squeezing it tightly. “I l-love you, Isabelle.
Forever.
” He said as the light in his gaze slowly faded away and the moment he uttered those words, he stilled in my arms.

Disbelief and unbearable pain tore through my chest as I knelt on the cold floor, holding onto Sebastian’s lifeless body, caressing and kissing his motionless face.

“No!” I shrieked in pain. “Sebastian, please don’t. Please no! Sebastian!” I started shaking him and calling his name, hoping he would wake up. “Sebastian! Sebastian, please...”

It didn’t help. He remained silent and cold. My loud screams broke through the silence of the dark hallway as I tried to grasp the fact that he was gone.

Memories stormed my mind together with the bitter flow of unsettling tears and I was reminded of a man who used to wipe those tears away, healing my broken heart; erasing the pain and replacing all of my misery with hope. To think that I would never see him again caused my heart to crumble and I became painfully aware that there was no point in living without him. The pain was too strong but I had no intention to fight it. I let go. Falling deeper into a daze, I was fading, slowly transcending into the light.

And then... I saw his face. His beautiful bronze skin was bathed in the sunlight and we were back on that meadow from my dream. He smiled at me and I was sad because I knew he was just an apparition that was bound to disappear.

“Shh. Don’t cry.” The green eyes of an angel returned to haunt me as a sweet torture. “You’re safe. I’m here. I’m right here, my dear,” he whispered and wiped away the tear that froze on my cheek.

I didn’t want to wake up. I didn’t want to open my eyes because I knew that his face would fade away. Regardless of my never-ending pleas, he wouldn’t respect my wish—he wouldn’t let me stay.

“Isabelle, you have to open your eyes now.” I started crying and he shook his head. “No... No... Listen to me, love. I promise... I promise it will be alright.”

The light voice, filled with encouragement eventually convinced me to return to the frightening reality. As the painful river of tears spilled down my cheeks, I continued daydreaming with my eyes tightly shut and I wasn’t ready to open them yet because I knew that the angel with bright green eyes lied to me.

“Open your eyes, Isabelle. Please.” The voice of the green-eyed angel continued haunting me. “It’s okay. I’m here,” he repeated. “It’s just a bad dream. Wake up, love.”

As if I was drowning in deep, cold water and emerged to the surface at the very last moment, I took in a long, deep breath and opened my eyes only to see him peacefully lying next to me. While I observed the glow that seemed to have returned in his shiny eyes, panting and shaking from the terrible pain that still reigned my system, I realized I didn’t know what was real anymore. When I looked around, it dawned on me that we were in our bedroom as if nothing had happened.
But it was so real.
It happened. I tried to speak, but my throat was so dry from all the screaming and I felt so hot.

“Shh, easy, easy.” He soothed me and I still gaped at him as if I were staring at a ghost.

With disarming tenderness, he wrapped his arms around me and I felt the painful lump in my throat melt under his warmth, causing the sting of tears in my eyes as I came to terms with the fact that it had all been a terrible nightmare. I cried my eyes out because the pain and the fear still felt very real but I couldn’t stop rejoicing at the fact that he was alive.
He’s here. He’s safe and sound. It’s not too late.

His eyes studied my face for a long time before he said anything. “Why tears, Isabelle?” he asked and I just gazed at him while the rain of tears kept flowing, leaving me unable to speak, unable to explain how I felt.

Without delay, he offered me immediate and unconditional solace, tightening his embrace around me, repeating that everything would be okay and caressing my tired body, willing me to submit to the comfort of his touch. After a while, when he sensed that I relaxed in his arms, he tilted up my chin and confronted me with his soothing gaze. “Do you want to talk about your dream?” he asked in a gentle and tentative voice, sighing when I shook my head again. It was just too painful for me to tell him.

He looked away for a moment and then returned his eyes on mine. “Did I hurt you that badly?” he asked in a broken whisper and I looked at him in confusion before finally realizing what he meant, but I didn’t get a chance to say anything. “Please,” he whispered. “Tell me what I did to you in your dream so that I can take it away.” He brushed his fingers along my cheek and kissed the corner of my eye that was still wet from tears. “I can make it better, Isabelle. I promise. You just have to tell me.”

Regret swept over me when I saw how much pain the thought that I dreamt of that night had caused him. I never talked to him about my nightmares, but this was different.

“You didn’t hurt me, Sebastian,” I said with a weak smile.

“Don’t lie to me. I heard you screaming my name. I heard you say—” He swallowed and closed his eyes. “You were yelling ‘please no’,” he said in a small, ashamed voice.

“Sebastian,” I started, gathering the courage to speak, but he took it the wrong way again.

“Don’t you know that I would never hurt you? Not like before, Isabelle.” He seemed to have been so shaken by the very thought that I might still be afraid of him. “Never again.” He opened his eyes and looked at me like he was in pain. “I would rather die than deliberately cause you pain.”

I swallowed when I heard him say that. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me,” I whispered and then admitted the truth. “That’s not what I dreamt about.”

He narrowed his eyes at me like he still didn’t trust me. “What did you dream about then?” he asked with caution.

“I dreamt that... that I was standing in front of your office. You were fighting with your f-father... my mother was there too.” I choked on a lump of sadness caused by the reminiscence of that scary dream.

“Shh,” Sebastian tried to soothe me. “It’s alright, sweet. Nobody can hurt you. Your mother can’t get to you now.”

I looked at him sadly. “You don’t understand... Your father saw me and called me a witch, demanding that we get a divorce.” My voice cracked and Sebastian swore silently, tightening his grip around me.