What was she thinking? What was the matter with her? Self-loathing crashed through her in waves leaving her nauseous and drained. She needed to get out of here, now.
"Stefan, come on," Jess whined.
He winced as her voice grated on his nerves. She ground suggestively against him causing the erection he experienced with Isabelle to vanish instantly. He grabbed hold of her arms and lifted her away from him. "Go upstairs, Jess," he grated. "I told you it’s over."
She slammed her hands onto her hips. "It's Isabelle, isn't it? She's why you don't want to be with me anymore! You just want to add another conquest to your list by screwing her!"
Stefan winced inwardly as his eyes went to the screen. Isabelle must be seething by now, but at least he wouldn't have to tell her it was over between him and Jess. This conversation was ample proof.
"Jess—"
"Don't you Jess me!" she yelled. "I can't believe you would screw that slut!"
The anger seizing him was swift and volatile; it caused him to react before thinking as he grasped her arms. "Don't talk about her like that!" he hissed, drawing her up, so her eyes were even with his. Jess's eyes widened in alarm as she stared at him. Stefan clenched his jaw and forced himself to release her. "Be out of this house tomorrow."
Jess's eyes filled with tears as she spun on her heel and raced out of the room. "Fine!" she shouted over her shoulder as she pounded up the stairs.
Stefan stood silently as his eyes rested on the screen. He suddenly didn't want to go anywhere near her. What had she done to him? His actions toward Jess were so unexpected, and out of character, he was stunned by them. For a moment, he’d been ready to rip Jess's throat out.
He took a deep breath to steady himself before striding over to the screen and pulling it back. She was gone. He contemplated going after her, finding her, talking to her, and much, much more. Then, he changed his mind. He needed time to think, time to sort through his jumbled mess of emotions. He was beginning to realize it was more than a desire to have her in his bed, but something more, something he wasn't sure he wanted. He was beginning to care about the infuriating witch.
It was the first time he’d allowed himself to care about anyone since he'd been a child. He vowed never to let it happen again, but somehow she’d managed to wedge her way under his defenses. Maybe she was right; maybe they should stay away from each other.
His entire existence was nothing but death and destruction. All Isabelle knew was happiness and love here. He would never let her know about the ruthlessness of his life. Growing closer to her may be the biggest mistake he ever made, but something about her kept drawing him to her, something about her made him determined to possess her.
The best thing for her, probably for both of them, would be for him to leave, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet anyway. He wanted to be near her for a little longer. He frowned as he thrust the screen back into place.
For the first time, he realized when Isabelle was near, the loneliness he’d experienced since destroying Brenda didn't tear at him anymore. For the first time since he’d been thrust into this dark existence, there was a little bit of peace in his soul.
And it was because of her.
Confused, and extremely disgruntled, he returned to the couch. He lay awake for a long time before sleep finally claimed him. And then, the dreams started again.
Chapter Twelve
Isabelle managed to avoid him, and everyone else, for most of the next day. She was scared Ethan would sense her humiliation and discomfort. The Stooges would make some comment about her staying at her parents’ house, and the idea of running into Jess petrified her. Her self-hatred was bad enough without having to see Jess's loathing on top of it.
She got up before the sun rose, knowing Aiden was leaving. She wanted to say goodbye to him before everyone else got up. She managed to corner him by the bathroom as soon as he rose. She ended up in tears by the time they broke apart. The tears shocked them both, and made her realize just what an emotional mess she’d become.
He promised he would visit soon and pleaded with her to stop crying. Although he was too much of a man to cry, he was as reluctant to release her as she was to release him. When she finally managed to let him go, she turned and fled from the house. She knew her absence from his departure would be remarked on later, but she didn't care.
It had been years since she’d gone to the tree house, but that was where she sought her sanctuary. She sat in the tree for hours, watching the sun move across the sky as she tried to sort through the mess of her jumbled emotions. As the sun set, she realized she hadn't come close to figuring out how she felt. She wasn't sure she ever would.
She refused to cry again, no matter how much she wanted to. Crying was not going to solve her problem, and she was already annoyed with herself for being weak. When she finally climbed out of the tree house, she was tired and emotionally drained. She wrapped her arms around herself to help ward off the cold chill permeating her entire being. She made her way down the path and back to the house.
She couldn't avoid all of them forever. She was going to have to deal with it and take everything as it came. She couldn't keep living like this. He would be leaving soon, Jess would be leaving soon, and then it would all be over. That thought didn't give her
