Beauty & The Biker

Chapter 21

ISABELLA

Groaning and stretching my body is stiff and sore, with aches and pains I’ve never felt before. The slow humming of music grows louder as I wipe the sleep from my eyes. Blinking, my eyes try to adjust to the dark room. Stretching my hand out for Tristian I find I am no longer sharing his bed. The hard floor greets me instead.

Panicking I feel my way forward coming to a stop at the iron gate. He’s locked me in the dungeon. The prick! After the night we shared what’s wrong with him!

Banging my hands against the iron it rattles and clangs but doesn’t budge. The music grows louder and the cellar light flickers on nearly blinding me.

I blink a few times as my vision attempts to adjust to the change. Hearing the heavy thumping of Tristian’s boots on the stairs echoing all around me, I feel trapped and confused.

“Good morning princess,” he calls coming into my view. He reaches a finger through the opening in the bars and caresses my cheek. I snap at him intent on biting him, when he touches my lips. “Easy,” he coos at me with a frown.

“Why Tristian?”

“Told you Isa, drastic measures may be necessary. Now you know what we can have if only you’d remember.”

“I’ll never forgive you if you don’t let me out right now Tristian. I mean it.”

“I want to let you out princess I do, but you can’t remember and I can’t forget.” And with that he stalks back up the stairs.

The music blares louder, drowning out his steps. Crumbling, I fall to the floor with my head resting against the wall next to the gate. I refuse to cry. I gave Tristian the inner most parts of me and he throws it in my face with his mind games.

I can’t remember and he can’t forget. My ass is numb, my throat is dry and I am out of tears. The music stops and then begins once more playing on a loop. My head is pounding, I’m thirsty and I have to pee.

The images of us as children dance through my head as I struggle to breathe, my anxiety is at an all-time high. The fear of smothering down here is all too real. I feel as if the walls are closing in dangerously close. In reality I know they haven’t moved but in my mind they are about to crush me.

Tristian and Isa. Isa and Tristian, I can see a tiny hand scribbling our names. My tiny hand. Blue rose petals shower over my head and scatter in the wind. Looking around I see the greenhouse and Mrs. Vandacamp arranging baskets and pots of flowers with my grandma Iris.

Unsure if I am dreaming or remembering the past, I press my fingers against my temples, humming with the music, counting in time with it. Tristian’s bony, pale ten-year-old fingers move along the keys never missing a stroke as I tap my feet next to him.

Now it’s snowing and he is seated behind me on a sled as we go down a small hill. I hold up my arms, cheering as he holds on tight to me. His legs stiff and unmoving around me.

Hot cocoa with marshmallows is served and Tris is resting in bed. I climb up next to him and read him a passage from my favorite book, The Pumpkin King. I tease him trying to make him laugh. “You look just like Jack.”

His mouth curls and he smiles.

“I’m going to marry him when I get big. Ari says that is a stupid dream to have but I don’t care.” I stand up in the middle of the bed to twirl and fall down on Tristian’s legs and he doesn’t even feel the contact.

“It isn’t stupid Isa. I will be there when you do.”

I squeeze his neck and my grandma comes to take me home. “Get down out of the bed, Tristian needs his rest.”

My mind keeps moving from one place to the next. Now I am in my grandma’s loud car. It sounds like a farting bumble bee rumbling down the road.

“Lita, is Tris going to die?”

“No sweet girl you shouldn’t say such things.”

“He doesn’t smile big anymore,” I pout. My Lita pats my leg and I smile real big at her. I love my Lita she is the best. She takes me with her to the castle cause I am special and her favorite. Ari and Elsa get jealous.

At my parent’s house Mama is sitting at the kitchen table when we come in. My sisters are fixing dinner with Papi and fighting over the seasoning.

“You always use too much pepper Ari!” Elsa is shouting and shoving her away from the stove. Papi steps between them grabbing the spoon from Elsa and the pepper from Ari.

Mama says she isn’t feeling well and goes to bed without eating. I hope she isn’t getting sick like Tristian, he never wants to eat and sleeps a lot too.

I’m in my room brushing my doll’s hair and getting her pretty. I am going to give her to Tristian to take with him. He is going away to have surgery. He is getting his legs back and then we can laugh, run, and play as we used to. He is going to teach me how to climb trees. He promised. I want to climb up to the highest branch and read while looking down at the world. I told Tristian when he gets his legs back we can sit on top of the world together amongst the moon and the stars and no one can keep us apart. He pinky promised. My daddy doesn’t like Tristian says I spend too much time with him.