Forbidden Prescription (Forbidden Medicine 1)

“Mom, can you talk?” she asked shakily. “I have a problem, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Oh my God,” she said. “Are you pregnant?”

“What?” Isabella squealed. “No, I am not pregnant! Why would you say that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I figured if you were calling me, it must be serious.”

She had a point.

“I’m having problems with this guy—”

“James?”

“Actually, yeah. How did you know?”

“Darling, I have been in love with many men. Women who pass on men like James are idiots, and I certainly didn’t raise you to be an idiot. Tell me what’s going on.”

Isabella gave her mother an overview of their relationship without getting deep into the details. Her mom was no stranger to sex, but she still felt weird discussing it with her.

“I feel like some of this is my fault,” her mom said. “If I hadn’t married James’s father, you wouldn’t have this problem.”

“No,” she said. “It’s not your fault. It’s just bad timing, I guess.”

“You can say that again.”

“But what can I even do? He’s my stepbrother now, and that’s not going to change any time in the immediate future.”

“I wouldn’t get too hung up on that. I think even you know that it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Yeah, but I’ve already turned him down and made things nearly impossible for us to be together.”

“Do you want to be with him?”

Isabella paused for a second before answering. “Absolutely.”

“Then why aren’t you?”

“Like I said, I’ve already told him no. We’ve both stated our cases.”

“And?”

“His is better,” she conceded. “But if he knows that, then how will he be able to respect me in the future? I’m no different than any wishy-washy girl who needs a man to make all of her decisions for her.”

“Isabella,” her mom said patiently. “From the second you could feed and dress yourself, you have relied on no one. You’ve always taken care of yourself without any help. You even made it through medical school and landed a great internship through your own hard work. You aren’t capable of being anything less than a powerful, independent woman. Loving a man who loves you will not detract from that.”

Isabella was starting to tear up. She had never heard her mother say such nice things about her. That was probably due to the fact that Isabella was never willing to hear it.

“But Mom,” she started. “What if everything goes wrong?”

“What if everything goes right? All relationships have ups and downs. You can’t let a little fear and uncertainty hold you back. That’s no way to live life.”

Isabella took a deep breath. “Okay. Thank you. Honestly, I feel a little better.”

“Good. Does this mean that I can expect to see the two of you at the house soon?”

“I don’t know just yet. I haven’t completely made up my mind.”

“I want you to know that even if things don’t end well, it’s far better to experience love that ends in heartbreak than to never experience it in the first place.”

“So you don’t regret any of your marriages?” Isabella challenged.

“For the most part, no. Each man had something great to offer. For instance, your father was wild and disloyal, but I got you out of it.”

Isabella chuckled.

“Well, whatever you decide, know that I support you. I know you’ll do what’s best for you.”

Isabella felt like she was having déjà vu.

“Okay,” Isabella said. “I hav

e to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Keep me updated.”

She laughed. “I will, but I’m sure you’ll hear somehow.”

Talking to her mom was surprisingly reassuring. In her mind, she always imagined her mom begging her to get married and have children as soon as possible. It was a pleasant surprise to know that even if she blew this chance at a serious relationship, she would still support her.

The next evening, Isabella drove back over to James’s house, her hands shaking the whole time. Either it was nerves or just the effects of the double-shot latte she drank before she left.

When she arrived at his house, she sat in her car with the lights off for a few minutes. She had never broken anyone’s heart before, and the thought of doing so made her feel ill.

If he were just some jerk asking her out on a date, it would be different. But James was so sweet and kind. He didn’t deserve to be hurt. Despite their occasional disagreements, Isabella really thought the most of him.

In the time she’d sat in her car, it had started to storm. She ran from the sidewalk in front of the house to his stoop. Her attempts at staying dry were futile—she was completely drenched. She pounded on the door, wind whipping at her back.

After what seemed like an eternity to Isabella, James opened the door.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling her inside. “I couldn’t hear you knocking with all the thunder.”

He ran to the closet and pulled out a hand towel. She blotted at her face and wrung out her hair, but she was still soaked with rain. Isabella stood on the rug, shivering and regretting ever coming to his house. Nothing could go right.

James wrapped his arms around her frozen body, leaving spots of moisture on his dress shirt. He was so warm and inviting, and Isabella was cold. Typical, she thought.