“Isaac, we shouldn’t…” I start.
“Don’t,” he growls low. “You belong to me.”
My breathing hitches and he hears it. Smirking, Isaac leans down and kisses me with a passion I didn’t know could exist between two people. He bites my bottom lip, slipping his thumb into my mouth at the same time, I immediately curl my tongue around it and suck. His eyes blaze before he lowers his head nibbling down the side of my throat until he reaches the apex of my shoulder and neck. Continuing to kiss me there, he pulls his thumb from my mouth and places both his hands on my top, threading his fingers in between the buttons, he rips the front of my nightshirt open. Then his mouth leaves me cold as he steps back.
He stands still, staring at me. Something is working behind his usually stoic surface. It seems he makes up his mind before grinning and looking at me with fire in his eyes.
“Via, you’re mine. Don’t be confused by any other guys. There is only me for you. Understand, that’s me telling you. Now, I’m going to fuck you so hard, you’ll think you’re still a damn virgin.”
With those words, he steps forward again grabbing me under my arms. He lifts me into the air holding me above him with a smirk. Moving us toward the table, he lowers me slowly, so I slide down his front. Before my feet hit the floor, he gently pushes me back, so I’m sitting on the table naked apart from my ripped shirt hanging from my arms.
“I’m hungry, and the only meal I see on the table is you. Let’s see how sweet you taste. Open your fucking legs,” he demands.
The door rattles, and it’s like someone throws a thousand ice lollies at my head. I yank myself away from him cursing and pulling at my ripped shirt.
“Olivia!” Sarah shouts from the other side of the door.
“She’ll be there in a minute,” Isaac growls and instantly the noise stops.
He steps toward me as I grab my joggers and hoodie from my bag and hastily throw them on. “I can’t do this,” I tell him.
His eyes are pained, and his fists clench. “We will sort this shit out, Via.”
Pulling on my UGG boots and shoving everything else into my bag, I sigh feeling my stomach shrink and expand like it’s pulling in two different directions. I take a slow step, then another until I’m toe to toe with Isaac. Dropping my head back until I can see his now sad eyes, I find his hand and give it a squeeze. “I loved you.” His fingers pulse at my words. “But you broke me.” I try to tug my hand from his, but he holds on tighter.
“I’ll fix what I broke, I swear. If it’s the last thing I do,” he tells me before letting my limp hand fall. I watch as he strides to the door and unlocks it. Brushing past Sarah, her mouth drops open at the sight of him, and I can’t blame her. There is a chill on my skin now. I think I might have just pierced Isaac’s tough exterior.
LIV
Four weeks have passed since Isaac’s visit to ShadowBox. I haven’t seen or heard from him, and he’s been noticeably absent from every family gathering. Toby says he’s had to go overseas for work. Who knows what’s true anymore. All I know is in the five weeks it’s been since I found out about my Aunt Libby having cancer, her health has rapidly declined.
Today is the worst I’ve seen her.
I pull in a shuddering breath and try to temper my emotions. The usually bright eyes and rosy face of my aunt are now sallow and dull. It’s painful to witness. What’s harder is watching her trying to smile through it. Her strength is within, and every second it shows how much of a fighter she is, but the chemo is leeching the life from her.
A quick glance across the room tells me what I already knew—Uncle Dane isn’t coping. His glazed, empty look is even sadder than my aunts. I can almost hear my heart breaking for the both of them. My cousins—Lottie, Max, and James—are downstairs and have been immovable since they found out their mum had stage four lung cancer. We know at this point the chemo is buying her time, but we’re all scared shitless it won’t be enough. The fact is, no matter how long she has, it will never be long enough.
“Stop thinking so hard,” Aunt Libby wheezes out to me.
Uncle Dane strides across the room placing her oxygen mask over her face and switching on the bottle, so it whirrs to life. “Stop trying to talk, Nova,” he whispers and strokes her cheek, letting his hand tenderly travel into her hair. She reaches up weakly and
