Page 61 of His Secret Wish

Chapter 14

Isabella crept back into the bedroom after her shower, trying to be as quiet as possible since Owen was still asleep. It was late—well, late for her—and she’d slept in, mostly because Owen had worn her out the night before.

She glanced at him. He looked so much younger while sleeping, much less intense. The lines of his face smoothed out. His dark hair was messy, and she noticed there were some silver strands starting to come in at his temples.

Her stomach was twisted up in knots, however, and had been since she’d woken up this morning. Last night had been amazing, and she hadn’t had that many orgasms in one night in forever. She’d forgotten how good it was between them. But, again, the physical aspects of their relationship hadn’t ever been a problem, at least not until the end.

No, their problem had been communication. Although, it hadn’t always been that way. When they were younger, they’d told each other everything. And they’d promised they always would.

But time and circumstances had turned that into a joke. And a not so funny one.

He rolled over and sighed, murmuring something unintelligible in his sleep. All of a sudden, the moment before she fell asleep popped into her head. She’d been snuggled up against him, sleep hard on her heels. He’d kissed her on the head, a sweet gesture he used to do all the time, and one she missed like crazy.

And then he’d told her he loved her, and that he was sorry.

She shook her head. No, that couldn’t be right. He couldn’t love her. Not after everything that had happened between them, everything she’d done. And he didn’t even know about the hysterectomy. He couldn’t love her. He’d just gotten lost in the moment, was all.

Like she had.

Because when she’d gone to the bathroom last night, after the incredible sex, her emotions had been scattered, and for some reason, she’d burst into tears.

Yeah, you know exactly why you cried. You love him, too, but are too afraid he’ll reject you when he finds out you lied to him.

No, no she was not going there. Last night had been incredible, but it had also lugged a lot of memories and feelings with it into the present. She’d been overwhelmed by everything that had happened this weekend. That was all it was. Nothing more.

Her stomach felt like it was coated in lead, and she put her toiletry bag on the dresser, and snuck out the door, closing it quietly behind her.

“Tia, tia, tia.” Claudia came racing out of the bedroom across the hall and flung herself at Isabella. Isabella caught her, giving her a hug.

“Shh, we need to be a little quieter. Owen’s still asleep.” She pushed Claudia’s messy hair back from her cherubic face. “And good morning.”

Claudia nodded, her gaze solemn, and pinched her lips together with her fingers. She was so stinking cute.

Isabella glanced toward the closet-bedroom across the hall. Marissa stood in the partially open doorway, one eye peeking out, watching her sister. That she was so shy was endearing, but also heartbreaking. So much had happened in her young little life. Hopefully she’d eventually come out of her shell.

“Come on. Let’s go get some breakfast.” She held out her hand, and Marissa hurried over and grabbed it. Claudia was already headed down the stairs.

The kitchen was a bustling place this morning, a bunch of incredible smelling food already laid out on the counter, buffet style. She urged the girls to go and grab some food. Claudia grabbed Marissa’s hand and practically dragged her over to the buffet line. It made Isabella happy to know Marissa had an older sister to look out for her.

Isabella’s mother spotted her and hurried over, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, mi amor. I was wondering where you were. It’s not like you to sleep in so late.”

Isabella’s cheeks burst into flames. No way she was telling Mami why she’d been so exhausted. First, because it was private, and second, because it would most likely lead to an argument. Mami had never liked Owen—she’d always felt Owen had ruined Isabella’s life, even though it had totally been her decision to not take the scholarship—and things had gotten so much worse after she and Owen had split up. She’d never support them getting back together.

Not that they were getting back together. Because again, they’d just gotten absorbed in the magic of the weekend, and the deal they’d made. Once they got back home, and cooler heads prevailed, everything would go back to normal. It didn’t matter that normal was sad and depressing. She and Owen both needed to move on with their lives.

She rubbed at the achy spot that bloomed in her chest and gave her mother what she hoped was a genuine smile. Unlikely, but maybe Mami wouldn’t see through it. “Yeah, it was a pretty late night.”

“Really?” Mami took a sip of her coffee and raised an eyebrow. “Because I saw you sneak out pretty early last night.”

“It wasn’t that early.” Isabella’s defensive tone was not going to go over well. She smiled again, this one absolutely forced. “And it had been a long day, and a long night.”

Mami made a noise in the back of her throat, and it wasn’t the kind that said she agreed. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Owen. And those girls.” Mami glanced over her shoulder at Claudia and Marissa, who had made their way over to a corner, and were sitting down, eating what looked like a bunch of pastries. Basically, nothing with any nutritional value.

Isabella crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, he is my husband. And I like spending time with the girls. They’re sweet.” She didn’t mention Yolanda and Jorge, and how they didn’t care about the kids they fostered and were only worried about the money each kid brought them, because again, she wasn’t about to get into an argument with Mami in the kitchen.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to spend so much time with those little girls. Not after everything that’s happened.”

Isabella’s already twisted up stomach twisted even more, quickly becoming a pretzel. She wanted to scream and shout, tell her mother to back off, that she was fine. Everything was fine.