"Hey, pumpkin," said Hudson, peeping 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 window sill 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 be knowing since your mom also used to live in New York when she was young," said Hudson. Isabella's eyes widened. She didn't know that.
"I didn't know, Mom never told me," she told him in a small voice. Hudson nodded.
"Maybe she was too worried about other things and didn't get to talk about her past?" He suggested comforting Isabella.
"Yes, you're right, " she agreed. Her mom was too worried about her dad's deteriorating health mostly. 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. Lunch is made. Come on, let's go," he said, getting up. Isabella gave a last glance out of her window towards the field. Weston wasn't playing there any longer. Was he returning home? A feeling of dread clutched at her heart. 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 had just sipped a spoonful of the delicious soup in front of her when the front door burst open and a dirty-looking 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, go and 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," said his mom.
"I've washed my hands, " argued Weston. Then he glared at Isabella as if she had committed a crime by being there. "Why is she sitting in my place mom?" He asked with a scowl.
Scared, Isabella got up with her plate, ready to flee but his mom stopped her. "Isa sit, you're not going anywhere," said his mom. Weston rolled his eyes at the scene.
"I don't believe this. She has already stolen my place!" Exclaimed Weston melodramatically, before rushing up to his room. There was silence in the dining room after he left. David Gray and his wife felt embarrassed by Weston's behavior and dreaded his return to the dining room again 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 though, coming to stand behind her chair.
"Vacate," he ordered rudely. His dad looked pissed off by his antics.
"Sit beside me, " he said, gesturing towards the empty chairs to his right side.
"No, I want my seat," Weston insisted, glaring at her back.
"You can have mine, " said 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 had enough. She 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. They had no idea 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 his house angrily, he went into Cody's 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 tummy. 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 as*h*le 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, electric blue, sad eyes that spoke volumes. 'She's just a child for f*ck's sake! And she's forbidden for 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. He eagerly dug into the food.
"Now spill already. I'm curious. The Weston I know never bears a grudge on his food, like never," said Cody, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Mom and dad brought home a girl. She's 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 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. Weston stood up and glared at him, his face flushing 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? 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 peeped 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. The girl pointed at something on his mobile.
"That one, " she said with the grin still on her face. Weston was shocked to the roots of his hair. So she did talk 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 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.
"Spare me!" Exclaimed a disgusted Weston and strode away towards his room. For some odd reason, he didn't feel good seeing her tears. 'Who likes seeing fake waterworks?' He reasoned to himself as he stood near the door trying to listen to what was going on in the next room. He didn't want her to leave and just hoped that Hudson was able to change her mind.After Weston left, Hudson tried his best to calm Isabella down. "You're not going anywhere, do you understand? Don't mind Wes, he's a little immature. He'll come around. Give him a little time, pumpkin," he said, wiping her tears away. He felt bad for the young girl who was still a child and needed a loving home to grow up, not this sort of stress. It must be so difficult for her to cope up with the loss of her parents and then try to adjust amongst strangers."I don't want to impose, " said Isabella, wiping her tears away."You're not imposing at all. Mom alway
Weston strode into her room looking quite displeased as always. Isabella who was sitting at her favorite place by her window was instantly on alert. She knew instinctively that he wouldn't ever come into her room to do small talk. He was rude and would remain so till she left his house."Why are you behaving like I'm the bl**dy villain here? Do you want sympathy from my parents so badly? You have already sneaked into our house, into their hearts. What more do you want?" He growled at her."I don't know what you're talking about. You don't want me around so I'm staying away," she mumbled, feeling a bit hurt by his allegations."Of course I don't want you in this house but what was the need to put up an act at the dinner table? I don't give a sh*t if you starve yourself to death but my parents would land up in prison if you do," he hissed, angrily. Isabella felt her eyes prick with tears."I just wasn't hung
Isabella couldn't move an inch with apprehension as Weston came to a halt right in front of her. He stared at her with disbelief."You can stay here but remember that I'll never like you. You can never be a sister or family to me. You'll forever be an outsider, a temporary and unwanted houseguest in my eyes," he stated in a tone devoid of any emotions.Isabella felt hurt by his words. "Why do you hate me so much?" She asked with her voice choked and hurting.Weston looked at her, his eyes clouding with confusion. Why does he hate her so much? He himself didn't know. She made him feel extremes of everything, hatred, jealousy, possessiveness, concern, worry, everything and he had no idea why. He ignored her question. He didn't know why she made him behave this way. He didn't want her to call him bro jus
The first thing Isabella felt was his intoxicating smell which made her snuggle more into him. Strangely she didn't feel anything brother-like in him just like she felt with Hudson. The feel of his rough, tanned fingers on her hair felt so magical that she immediately calmed down, acutely aware of his muscular arms wrapped around her. She could stay like this forever!"I'm okay," she said softly into his chest when he kept holding her close.Weston was so lost in the young girl that he had lost his senses for a few minutes. Her soft body melted in his arms and he felt so good that he wanted to protect her and keep her in his arms forever. Her voice suddenly brought him to his senses and he quickly released her as if scalded. What the heck was that? He had never hugged girls before then why the f*ck did he hug this girl who was his enemy? 'To save my a*s from getting punished, why else?' reasoned Weston in his hea
Weston felt a strange sense of satisfaction seeing the tears in her eyes hearing his announcement. "Why do you need to leave home now when you're just months away from your graduation?" Asked his dad sternly."I'll study with Cody, dad. I can't concentrate here," he shrugged."Fine but if I hear one complaint against you or if you land up in any trouble, I won't save you. You'll be responsible for your own actions. Am I clear?" Said his dad in a very solemn tone. Weston nodded."Yes, dad. Don't worry. I'm just going to study with Cody, " he told them."You're letting him go, David? Won't you stop him?" Said his mom with disbelief and a feeling of helplessness. His dad shrugged."He's made up his mind, honey. Let him go," said his dad."I'll keep coming and going. Why are you guys behaving like I'm leaving forever?" He asked, looking disappointed."Okay, go
It was Monday and Isabella was ready to go to school with Hudson. He drove her to his school, discussing the rules and regulations on the way. From what he told her, she could understand that Hudson was the star quarterback of his school's soccer team and as such he was very popular.He parked his car and led her towards the huge school building. Isabella was acutely aware of all the strange looks that she'd been getting from everyone. Each and every student stopped short in their tracks and stared at them."Why are they all staring at us, bro?" She whispered to Hudson. He just waved her question off."Let them," he told her. He led her towards the administrative office to collect her stuff and then took her towards the lockers. "Here, this one's yours, " he said. Again Isabella was acutely aware of everyone stopping to gape at them. She found it very weird. It seemed as if no one had any other work to do than gape at her.After she was
"Hop on. I'll drop you home, " he ordered gruffly, giving her a displeased look. The girl standing next to her looked up from her mobile with frightened eyes. She fled from the scene after seeing Weston."No, thanks. I'll wait for Hudson, " Isabella said stubbornly, making no move to climb onto his motorcycle. Weston gave her a more pissed-off look."Hudson has extended practice for his upcoming match. He wouldn't be available before six in the evening," informed Weston with a sneer."I'll wait till six for him," she told him, bravely. What was wrong with him? He asked her to not acknowledge him at school and when she was doing exactly that, why was he forcing himself upon her? Weston gave her a disgusted look as if he was done being nice to her."Fine then. Stand here for five hours. I didn't want dad after my a*s so I was just doing my duty," he shrugged, riding away without giving her a second glance. I
The next morning an apologetic Hudson drove Isabella to school. "I'll have practice today too. So I'll arrange for someone to drop you home. Okay?" He told her. Isabella nodded, praying in her mind that whoever it was, it shouldn't be Weston. Images of him kissing that girl was still fresh in her mind and it didn't cause her any happiness. It made her jealous and restless as she declined Hudson's offer to walk her to her class."I'm not a baby, bro. I can go to my class on my own," she told him with a grumpy face."I know you're all grown up but please let me walk you to your class today. From tomorrow onwards you're on your own," he said, walking alongside with her.They found Weston sitting at the same spot with the same friends. He watched her with interest while ignoring Hudson completely. Hudson rolled his eyes at him. Weston stared at her for her reaction. Last evening he had seen her sitting at her window watching h