Chapter 2

“Hey, pumpkin,” said Hudson, peering into Isabella’s room. She turned to look at him and his face brightened up when he saw how her lips broke into a smile at the nickname.

“You seem to like your nickname, don’t you?” he asked, coming inside her room and sitting on the windowsill with her.

“Yes,” said Isabella, speaking for the first time since her mother’s death. Hudson looked at her with a kind smile.

“I’m glad you came to stay here. I was worried that mom and dad would be lonely after we left,” said Hudson.

“Are you going away?” asked Isabella. She liked this warm brown-eyed boy and felt very comfortable in his company as if she’d known him for a long time.

“Yes, in another four months, we’ll go away to New York to study. Mom’s family lives there. You should know since your mom also used to live in New York when she was young,” said Hudson, and Isabella’s eyes widened. She didn’t know that.

“I didn’t know. Mom never told me,” she told him in a small voice.

“Maybe she was too worried about other things and didn’t get to talk about her past?” he suggested, to comfort the grief-stricken girl.

“Yes, you’re right.” Isabella knew how worried her mom was about her dad’s deteriorating health. She was also concerned about his mental health as he regularly received calls from his family in London, coaxing him to cut all ties with Isabella and her mom and return to London.

“Mom’s waiting for you, Isa. Come on, let’s go,” he said, getting up. Isabella gave a last glance out of her window towards the field, noticing that Weston wasn’t playing there any longer. Was he returning home? A feeling of dread clutched at her heart and she quietly got up and walked out with Hudson.

“Come, my dear. Sit here with me,” Henrietta Gray said to Isabella who she noticed was looking much better than she did three days ago when she saw her in LA. Isabella sat down meekly beside her while Hudson sat beside her and David Gray sat at the head of the table. To her relief, Weston wasn’t there. She relaxed a little and had just sipped a spoonful of the delicious soup in front of her when the front door burst open and a dirty Weston strode into the house. His blue eyes went straight towards her and she felt herself freeze, seeing the pure hatred in his eyes.

“Weston, shower first,” said his mom sternly.

“No, I’m clean,” he told her gruffly.

“You’re full of germs. If you don’t shower, then no lunch for you.”

“I’ve washed my hands, mom,” argued Weston and glared at Isabella as if she had committed a crime by being here. “Why is she sitting in my place, mom?”

Scared, Isabella got up with her plate, ready to flee, but his mom stopped her. “Isa, sit. You’re not going anywhere.” Weston rolled his eyes at the melodrama.

“I can’t believe she has already stolen my place!” exclaimed Weston melodramatically, before rushing up to his room. There was silence all around after he left. David Gray and his wife felt embarrassed by Weston’s outburst and dreaded his return to create another scene.

Isabella had just eaten half of the pasta when Weston dashed down the staircase towards the dining room, freshly showered and looking much more handsome than before. Isabella was too scared to look at him and waited for him to say something rude to her. He didn’t disappoint her, though, coming to stand behind her chair.

“Vacate,” he ordered rudely, while his dad glared at him.

“Weston, sit beside me,” he offered, gesturing towards the empty chairs to his right side.

“No, I want my seat,” Weston insisted, glaring at her back.

“You can have mine,” offered Hudson, eager to end the argument.

“No, I’m not sitting beside her,” he continued stubbornly.

“Weston, stop this, immediately,” started Henrietta Gray, but Isabella quietly got up with her plate and went to the other side of the table to eat. There was pin-drop silence in the room.

“You know what? I’ve lost my appetite,” said Weston, picking up his keys and striding out of the house again. Everyone sighed, unable to figure out what was wrong with the boy.

Weston rode all the way to his best friend, Cody Stewart’s house, two blocks away. They studied together at Radcliffe International School, where even Hudson studied with them. However, he had his own set of friends who were good boys, just like he was. Storming into Cody’s house angrily, Weston went into his room and flopped onto his bed.

“What’s wrong, bro?” asked a concerned Cody.

“Get me something to eat first. I’m dying of hunger!” said Weston impatiently. Cody rolled his eyes and went downstairs to get something for him. Weston rolled on his bed, clutching onto his grumbling stomach. Was he overreacting to that beautiful, angelic-looking girl? He wanted to hear her voice once, but she didn’t speak even after he challenged her in so many ways. Was she so grief-stricken? He had expected her to put up a fight, challenge him back, tell him how bad he was, but she didn’t do any such thing. She just gave in wordlessly. He felt horrible for forcing her to surrender, but why? He never felt bad for being an ashle to the other girls. Confused by his own behavior, he had no other option than to escape.

He closed his eyes but all he could think of was cascading, long, chocolate brown, silky hair and a pair of doe-like, baby blue, sad eyes that spoke volumes. ‘She’s just a child, for f*ck’s sake! And she’s forbidden to you.’ He reasoned, yet he couldn’t drive images of her out of his mind. Cody came back with a plate heaped with his favorite chicken wings and mashed potatoes and he eagerly dug into the food.

“Now spill already. I’m curious. The Weston I know never declines his food. Like never,” said Cody, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Mom and dad brought home a girl. She has lost her parents and will live with us from now on. She gets to my nerves,” said Weston, licking the glaze off his fingers.

“You’re so lucky, man. Is she hot?” asked Cody, feeling excited about hearing the news.

“Don’t even think about it. She’s just twelve,” glared Weston, his eyes flashing out a warning to Cody.

“Okay, let’s share her when she grows up,” suggested Cody, but Weston sprang up as if stung and glared at him, his face flushed red with anger.

“One word more and I’ll break this plate on your head,” hissed a furious Weston, his knuckles white with fury.

“Hey, relax dude! I was just testing you. Are you sure you aren’t whipped with her already?” asked Cody with a laugh.

“Stop this nonsense immediately. I just f*cking met her today. How can I be whipped by her? Instead, I hate the sight of her,” he growled, carrying his plate to the kitchen and rinsing it. He wasn’t staying here any longer. Cody’s words didn’t sit well with him and if he uttered another word, he might murder him and land up in jail. He walked out, and climbing onto his motorcycle, he went home. When he went inside the house, all was quiet. His parents had retired to their room to rest, as it was a lazy Sunday. He went upstairs to Hudson’s room, but to his surprise, he wasn’t in his room. As he walked out of the room, he heard voices of people talking from the room next to his.

Curiously, he went towards the next room and peered inside. Was this the room his mom assigned to the new girl? His eyes popped out, seeing Hudson and the new girl laughing as they watched something on his mobile phone.

“Which one do you like best, Pumpkin?” asked his brother, and the girl pointed at something on his mobile.

“That one,” she said with the grin still on her face, shocking him to the roots of his hair. So she talked, after all! It was all a show in front of his parents. He felt a fit of strange anger paired with tremendous jealousy course through his whole body. She wasn’t such a grief-stricken, broken girl after all. He would have to open everyone’s eyes to the trickster.

“Wow, so you can talk, huh? I thought you were dumb and mute,” he spoke with venom spewing out of his mouth. Hudson looked up at him with surprise while Isabella froze at his words.

“Hey Weston, when did you return?” asked Hudson, eager to change the topic, but Weston wasn’t one to leave it so easily.

“That’s not important when I returned, Hud. What’s important is that her act is not gonna convince me. Mom and dad should know what a drama queen she really is, acting all helpless to get their sympathy,” yelled Weston as tears fell from Isabella’s eyes.

“I’m not acting, but if you don’t want me here, I’ll go away,” said Isabella as tears fell from her eyes.