Chapter 12: Liam

I storm into the room. After Fredia came to see me in my office saying Isabelle made no attempt to eat even after her stomach growled, I sprung up from my seat to go find out why she was refusing to eat. She barely touched the food at the gala. If she doesn’t like the food, I told the staff to get her what ever she wanted. When I told this to Fredia, she told me she wouldn’t speak. When I get in the room I look around and don’t see her anywhere. It takes a minute to register that the shower is running. I walk over to the cart and bring it with me while I sit and wait for her to come out of the bathroom.

I try, I try really hard not to imagine her in there with water rolling down her body. And how her soft body would feel all soaped up and pressed against mine. Or how her skin would taste. It hasn’t been that long since I got laid but try telling that to my dick. Because he is standing at attention straining against the seem of my jeans trying to break free to go to her. I have never had this reaction to any other woman in my life. And to be honest I don’t know why I am feeling this way now.

When I hear the water turn off, I try to readjust myself so that she doesn’t see my bulge. After a few minutes it starts to deflate as I go from turned on to worried about what is taking her so long to come out. Just has I prepare to stand to go check on her. The door opens and she walks out, when she spots me she stops all movement and she drops the brush in her hand, her throat makes a swallowing movement. I follow that motion down over her body. She isn’t wearing one of my shirts like I put her in from last night. No today she has on one of Caras shirts and her leggings. They are big on her. But she isn’t swimming in it like she was my clothes. When I took her out of the clothes, she wore last night I was utterly shocked at what I found under neither. She was skin and bone and I know that couldn’t have happened in the little time she was in the cell. The corset she was wearing seemed to be completely pointless. It wasn’t holding anything in. yes it pushed up her breast, and I am no expert on women’s underwear but I’m pretty sure other things could do they same. But instead, she chooses to wear something I had never even seen that complicated damn thing had so many wires it can stand on its own and when I cut it, it was so tight the sides touch bordering over lapping. The bruises along her ribs were proof enough it was painful to wear. Since she has not made a move since she came out that void look returning to her eyes, I chose to step towards her. She tries her best not to flinch, but I catch it.

“Sit down.” I command her pointing to the bed. She hesitates but then slowly moves to sit on the bed as far out of my reach as she can. I start opening the tops to the food and unroll the silverware. Once it is set up I push the cart in front of her. “Eat” I am not exactly sure when I became a cave dweller only capable of one or two words at a time. Just another thing she seems to bring out in me. Still she makes no move to feed herself, just looks and the food while her stomach grumbles in protest, practically begging for her to eat.

I do the only logical thing. I sit close to her. I pick up the fork and knife cutting off a piece of French toast dip it into the syrup and bring toward her lips. She turns her head, a blatant refusal to eat it. I’m really getting frustrated here. I try to run through the reason she will not open her mouth and eat. I find myself doing something I never have before. I ask myself if I was in her shoes why wouldn’t I eat something and when I figure it out I want to smack myself. Full on face palm moment. So instead of bringing it back to her lips I bring it to my own and take a bite. She watches as I chew and swallow it down, I grab a glass of orange juice to wash it down. Once I have it all down, I load the fork again.

“Your turn.” This time when I bring it to her lips, she slowly parts them and wraps them around the fork pulling off the food. Chews and swallows. Poison. She wouldn’t eat because it wasn’t safe. She has some self-preservation. She still makes no attempt to get the fork for herself. And for some reason I don’t mind. I continue to feed her in silence. When the French toast I move to eggs thinking protein is probably a good idea. But when I bring it to her lips, she doesn’t open this time, looking at the eggs then back to me. I huff out a small laugh.

“You think I’m trying to trick you.” Shaking my head when she just looks at me. “Fine but just so you know I hate eggs.” Still for this girl I take a bite to show her its safe. She continues to let me feed her, making me eat anything new first. So, I guess in a way we share the meal. Finally, she put her hand up and pushes away the fork. “I assume that means your full?” She stays quiet but gives a little nod of her head. It’s the closest thing to response I’ve gotten yet. It gives me some weird satisfaction to know I got her to eat and respond. I got to say something, but I’m stopped with the ringing of my phone. Pulling it out I see that its Declan.

“Speak.”

“Meeting with the Italian at six tonight. Downtown China town.” Isabella must hear because she pales, its then that I notice her eyes didn’t have the void in them, because now it is firmly snapped back in place. I grunt in response and hang up. I don’t know why I have such a versatile reaction to her sudden change, but I do. I find myself jumping up to leave the room because I shouldn’t be feeling this need and I refuse to let it take hold. So, I storm out the same way I did when I came in. More pissed than a raging bull but this time it’s at myself.