Everyone was sleeping except Isabella. She couldn't get the thought of A.J. hiding a relationship with Lucy for the second time. The silence throughout the house made her rage grow. She felt as though someone were ripping out her insides. She could feel her tears running down the sides of her face, falling down onto her pillow. She wanted to break out into tears, but she didn't want to wake up Nicole. So she decided to go downstairs.
She quietly tiptoed out of her room, down the stairs, and slumped over on the living room couch. She grabbed a pillow and clasped it tightly against her. She wiped her eyes and tried to relax. She took a couple deep breaths and started to talk to the room.
"It was not so long ago that you broke my heart in two. I think back to now and I remember thinking that I would never take you back and everything would go back to normal, or so I thought. Why did I ever go back to that cheating bastard? Tears on my pillow and pain in my heart that was caused by A.J. If we could start a again, I wouldn't hinder, but I couldn't take you back and tempt the hand of fate. Love is not a game or a toy. When you find the one you love, you are supposed to fill their life with joy and love and hope and happiness. I spend my days all over you, and my nights by your side. How could you? Well I shall no longer."
She laid her face down on her pillow and began crying again. Suddenly the phone rang. It startled her, but she ran to answer it, so it didn't wake anybody up. She took a deep breath, fearing that it might be A.J., but she decided that it wasn't. "Hello?"
"Isabella! I am so glad that you were the one to pick up the phone!"
"Cassandra?"
"Yeah, I got a huge problem."
"I can tell. You most likely wouldn't call at eleven just to say hi."
"Oh sorry. I forgot, it's only eight o'clock here!"
"It's okay, I couldn't sleep anyway."
"Oh yeah? Why not?"
"I'll tell you later," Isabella said with sadness in her voice. "What's so important? What's this huge problem?"
"Well right now, my quote-unquote "marriage", isn't going so well. Nick just isn't the same. I don't know what's wrong with him."
"Why? What happened?" Isabella asked with a new interest, forgetting her problems.
"Well, I told Nick that I wanted to come back home and he took this major spaz on me and he said some stuff that really hurt me, and told me that if I leave, to tell everyone that he says hello."
"Whoa, that doesn't sound like him. Where are you?"
"Well I walked out of the door and slammed it, but I took my cell phone, and I'm sitting on the front steps. I wouldn't dare go anywhere without him, but he hasn't come after me yet. He's still upstairs in our room doing God knows what. Obviously not caring about me."
"Oh Cassie that's probably not true at all! What did he say that hurt you?"
"Oh a lot of stuff, but the one that really sticks in my mind was that he asked me how long I was going to leave him for this time. He asked me six months, or forever. And I told him that he told me that he had accepted my leaving before because I had such good cause. I didn't want to go into this marriage thinking that we would wake up everyday next to each other and he could doubt me. Did I make the biggest mistake of my life?"
"Oh Cassie! No! You probably made one of the smartest decisions of your life! Besides telling Bobby where to go."
"Gee thanks. Oh I'm sorry, so what's wrong with you?" Cassandra asked trying to get her mind off of Nick. Isabella's mind quickly jumped back to A.J. and she tried not to start crying again. <)P> "Well A.J. is back with Lucy! I caught him all over her again. I couldn't believe it! He was kissing her and feeling her, and-Oh my God." Isabella couldn't hold back anymore. She just let go and broke into tears.
"He didn't! I can't believe it!"
"Cass, I made love to A.J. and we had secret plans of getting married but no one knew. We've done it all. From a kiss to all the way."
"You went all the way? When?"
"Before the whole Lucy ordeal. That's how close we were."
"Oh, Isabella!"
"But that's not even the bad part."
"Uh oh."
"Yeah. I was so furious with him that I told him and everyone else that I was marrying Austin."
"You did what?" Cassandra screamed into the phone.
"Yes I did. I didn't even realize what I had said until now. Austin and I aren't even dating."
"Okay, don't you worry, calm down. I'm taking the soonest flight home. So I might be there really early tomorrow."
"What about Nick?"
"You need me. I coming with or without Nick." Cassandra hung up the phone and immediately called her travel agent.
Isabella slowly hung up the phone. Her thoughts spun from her and A.J. to her sister's devastating problems with her husband. She couldn't handle it. She snuck back upstairs and into her bed. She finally fell asleep after many hours of crying.
Nick had fallen asleep, but woke up with a suitcase at the end of the bed. He looked in it and it was full of Cassandra's clothes. Cassandra walked in with her toothbrush and tooth paste in her hands.
"Cassie, what is all of this?" Nick asked confused.
"I am going home, Isabella needs me," Cassandra answered while finishing up with all of her packing.
"So you are just going to leave me here, alone?"
"Oh Nick," she whispered. Cassandra sat down on the bed next to him. "You know that I wouldn't leave unless I had a good enough reason to. You can come with me. Call the airport and you could be gone by tomorrow. I will pick you up at the airport if you would like."
"You didn't buy me a ticket?"
"No.....I couldn't. I was in a hurry."
"Yeah, I noticed."
"Look Nick, if you must know, Isabella saw A.J. making out with Lucy. As her sister, I have an obligation to go. Now will you drive me to the airport, or do I need to call for a cab?"
"I'm not going to drive you! I am not going to drive you away from me!" Nick said. He got up and walked into the bathroom.
"Fine, suit yourself!" Cassandra yelled after him. She grabbed her suitcase and walked out of the door. She walked down the stairs and out the door.
Nick opened the bathroom door hoping to see Cassandra still standing there, but she was gone. He looked at the floor and shook his head. He hit himself on the forehead and closed the door.
"Stupid," he called himself. He slammed his fist in the wall, then fell to the floor.
Cassandra got a cab and was driven to the airport. She hurried through security because she was already late. She got right on the plane and sat at a window seat in first class. She looked out the window and then down to her wedding ring and her gold opal ring. She felt her eyes filling up with tears.
She thought back to her wedding. How happy they both were, the feelings that she felt that day, and that night. Then she thought about Nick's face when she told him that she was leaving, and the emotions that she felt and the emotions that she knew that he felt.
She tried to hold back the tears, but it was no use. She just bawled her eyes out. She pulled some tissues out of her bag and tried not to think about it. The person next to her asked her if she was okay, and she lied and said that she was.
She tried to sleep, she was tired anyway, and it was going to be a long flight. She wouldn't be arriving until about eight that morning anyway. She had gotten a late flight, and knew that this would seem like forever.
Isabella woke up before anyone else the next morning. She got up and looked in the mirror noticing that she was wearing her yellow silk nightgown. She threw on her matching house robe and went downstairs. She made some hot cocoa for herself, and sat down on the sofa and looked out the window. She was remembering when she had worn around the house when A.J. was over. How he touched her, flirted with her, but most of all, how he made love to her. She could never trust him again, and it felt to violating to her. Was her relationship with A.J. over forever?
Isabella stood up with the courage to dump A.J. permanently. She looked at the clock.
"Hmm, seven o'clock," she said to herself. She ran to the phone and called the guys house.
"Hello?" Austin's voice range through the telephone. Isabella was so shocked she couldn't answer. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Austin repeated.
"Austin?" Isabella squeaked.
"This is. Who is calling?"
"This is Isabella."
"Oh, hey. What's up?"
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure, I would do anything for such a pretty maiden."
"Why thank you!"
"Anytime."
"Tell A.J. that I caught him cheating on me with Lucy, again, and that I want him out of my life. Tell him if he comes near me I will call the police. I am tired of all the excuses."
"I am sorry he has hurt you like this."
"Yeah, so am I."
"So since you don't want him near you, do you want to move in with me?"
"What?"
"You don't have to."
"I, well, I guess that I could."
"Great! When do you want to move in?"
"Wait!"
Cassandra soon arrived at the airport at her home turf. She stroked the teardrops off her face and got off the plane. She picked up her luggage and tried to call Isabella, but the line was busy. She sat down and waited.
"I can't now. I just made my sister come home from her husband. I might when she leaves though," Isabella remembered.
"Okay, I understand. You must feel horrible you just lost your only love and now you are risking the relationship of your sister and her husband," Austin said trying to comfort Isabella.
"Well I never looked at it like that."
"Sorry, I'm only making things worse. Let me take you out for dinner some night this week, to ease things a little."
"Okay, I would like that."
"I will take you to the finest place in the world. So put on your most beautiful ballroom gown and if you don't have one, I'll buy you one."
"You know that you would have to be the most fun guy I have ever met."
"Thank you. So do you have a dress fit for the occasion?"
"Um, let me think.....Yes I do!" Isabella said, remembering her yellow gown she owned that she wore the time Cassandra made her wear it to get her back together with A.J.
"Great."
"Okay. Don't forget to tell A.J. what I said!"
"Okay, I love you bye," Austin said hanging up the phone. Isabella hung up the phone and smiled.
"Finally, a real relationship with Austin," Isabella said to herself out loud. She took her place back on the couch with her hot cocoa after hearing the rumbling from upstairs of someone getting up.
Austin walked outside where he found A.J.
"Hey A.J., can we talk? It's about Isabella, she just called and left a message."
"Oh yeah? Like what did she say?" A.J. answered in disbelief.
"Well that she caught you fooling around with Lucy again and well she said that if you go near her she is not afraid of calling the police."
"Sure, whatever you say Austin. Get out of here! I know you still like her and you are trying to break us up, but it's not going to happen."
"I'm not lying. Go see for yourself!"
Cassandra called back again, and got through. Isabella picked up the phone. "Austin?" she questioned.
"No, it's Cassandra. Why would it be Austin?"
"Oh, Cassandra, I'm so sorry. I asked him to tell A.J. that I caught him and I want out of his life. Austin asked if I wanted to move in with him so I wouldn't have to face A.J."
"I don't know what to say."
"I know, but Cassie, Austin loves me. He said that on the phone! And also, he's taking me out to dinner tonight. I am not moving in with him until you leave. I didn't want to just leave, especially since I probably just sabotaged your marriage and all. I am sorry you had to come out her on these circumstances."
"Do you like Austin again?"
"I don't know, maybe."
"Well I wouldn't if I were you."
"Why do you say that?"
"Simple," started Cassandra. "A.J. hurt you once and now again. Austin hurt you once-"
"And he is out to hurt me again. I should have known."
"Well, it's only a guess, I don't know, I haven't seen him lately so I really wouldn't know."
"No, no you're right, it is a possibility."
"Just be careful, okay?"
"Yeah, so why did you call?"
"I need to be picked up from the airport. I didn't pack enough cash for another cab."
"Another?"
"Yeah, Nick wouldn't take me to the airport. He says he refuses to drive me away from him."
"This is all my fault!"
"No it's not." There was a pause, then Cassandra continued. "So can you come and pick me up, or send someone to do it for you?"
"I am on my way."
"Are you sure?"
"Oh yeah, I'll be just fine."
"K," said Cassandra and they both hung up the phone. Isabella ran upstairs to get dressed then ran out over to the guys' house and woke up Kevin.
"Hey Kevin, can I borrow your car, please?" Isabella said shaking Kevin to wake him up.
"Sure. A.J. has my keys, have fun getting them out of his pocket!" Kevin laughed not knowing that Isabella wasn't with A.J. anymore.
"Where is he?"
"Out back."
"Outside?"
"Yeah, he was the first one up."
"Well he probably has a lot on his mind."
"I don't know why he would."
"Well anyway, you can go back to sleep now."
"Why thank you for your permission."
Isabella laughed and kissed the top of Kevin's head. "You're a great guy Kevin. You can always make me smile."
"Thanks, and a beautiful smile at that."
"Go back to sleep cutie!" Kevin closed his eyes and Isabella ran outside and around to the back of the house. "What am I going to say? Maybe Austin hasn't told him yet," Isabella reassured herself.
"Maybe I will go see her!" A.J. yelled, beginning to lose his temper.
"Go right ahead!" Austin yelled back angrily. "I dare you!"
"There you are Isabella," A.J. said, noticing her running around the side of the house. "Tell this raving psychopath that we are still together."
"Hold on a second, first of all, can I have Kevin's car keys?" Isabella said panting from running.
"Sure," A.J. threw her the keys.
"Yes, I've already dumped you. I-" Isabella began.
"What did I do now?" A.J. asked.
"I caught you all over Lucy again. What do you have to say to that?"
"Oh God, listen. Lucy came over here yesterday begging me to go back to her. She jumped on me and I was trying to push her off. It had to be at least five minutes before she loosened her grip and I broke free. I know it might not have looked that way, but that is the way that it happened. As soon as I broke free, I kicked her out of the house." A.J. looked Isabella in the eyes the whole time. When he spoke, he said it and didn't even smirk once.
"I saw what I saw and I know what I saw." Isabella noticed the tears streaming down her face. A.J. moved forward to wipe away the tears.
"Don't cry, please believe me when I say that nothing happened." Isabella stepped back.
"A.J. I can't trust you anymore. You lost my trust a long time ago." Isabella fell forward into A.J.'s arms.
"If there was a way I could go back and not have gone off with Lucy, I would. But right now I don't know how to make you believe me." A.J. wrapped his arms around Isabella's waist. Isabella wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him one last time hard on his soft, tender lips that she loved so dearly. She knew she was going to miss everything about him and eventually commit suicide.
"I am going to miss you so much," Isabella moaned.
"Don't say that."
"I love you so much, but I can't have you love me and someone else at the same time."
"I explained to you what happened. I explained the truth."
"I saw you with Lucy," Isabella said pulling away from A.J.
"Yeah I know, but you saw wrong! Don't go, you know you will break my heart. Take me back into the arms that I love. Feel me like you did before. Touch me again and remember when there was no one, but you, by my side. You will see that I can give you everything you need. Just believe in me and I will make you see all the things that your heart needs to know." A.J. got down on his knees. "I am begging you, give me a chance to prove it."
Isabella shook her head, then kissed the tips of her fingers and pressed them against A.J.'s lips softly.
"Good bye," Isabella whispered, tears still streaming down her face. A.J. fell head first into the grass crying. "I am sorry," Isabella whispered. She ran out to Kevin's car and left for the airport.
"I told you so," Austin added. A.J. looked up at him like a raging bull.
"You ass hole. I am going to kill you!" A.J. charged towards him, but just in time, Brian ran out and held A.J. back. Austin ran to his car and drove away.
"A.J., what is going on here?" Brian asked unhappy at what A.J. would have done if he hadn't shown up. "What did he do?" Brian got no answer. A.J. just walked inside and up to his room.
That morning, when Nick woke up, he went into the bathroom to take a shower. He turned the water on as cold as he could, banging his head against the tiles, but it was no use.
When he was out and dressed, he went into the kitchen and made himself some breakfast. He sat down to eat and looked at his wedding ring. He stopped eating and stood up. He tore the ring off of his finger and threw it as hard as he could.
"Bull shit!" he yelled at the ring. "To have and to hold until death do us part. She can't even keep her promise of that. What is so hard about loving me? God damn it all!" he yelled out to the ring. He sat down and began banging his head on the table. "I can't think like this." He ran out into the desert and didn't stop.
He kept running until he was out of energy and fell to his knees in tears. "The marriage was supposed to work and keep us closer together!" Nick yelled out to the desert sun. "It's all A.J.'s fault! If he didn't cheat on Isabella all the time, we could all have trusted him and he wouldn't have been caught, and Cassandra wouldn't have to go!"
Nick decided he was getting at the point where he should go back before he went crazy. "Damn A.J. and Isabella. Isabella should of minded her own business and this wouldn't be a problem."