Home is Where the Heart Is (Home #1) (22 page)

“You OK down there?”

Isabelle clenched her eyes shut even further. Just great! Of course
he
would be the one to find her.

“You do know that just because you’re refusing to look at me doesn’t mean I can’t see you?” Amusement filled Jace’s tone.

Tears began to stream down Isabelle’s face so she threw her arms up to cover herself from his view.

Jace said nothing but a moment later she felt his weight join hers on the hammock.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked gently.

Isabelle swallowed a sob and shook her head.

“Do you want me to punch Tate for you?”

Isabelle shook her head more firmly, horrified at the thought.

“Do you want me to take my shirt off?”

Isabelle smiled before she could stop herself and lowered her arms just enough to see his beautiful face grinning down at her.

“Oh, you want me to get naked?” Jace asked tickling her stomach lightly.

Isabelle giggled and pulled one arm away allowing him to see her smile but still covering her eyes.

Jace leant down and pulled her other arm away from her face, taking both of her hands in his and caressing them gently.

“You’re beautiful,” she blurted out, pulling one of her hands away to tap him on the nose.

Jace pinched his face up in mock disgust. “Men can’t be beautiful, Isabelle. We can be handsome, good looking. I would even accept, insanely hot… but definitely not beautiful.”

She traced his face with her finger this time, committing all the lines into her memory and savoring being this close while she still had the courage.

“You are though,” she continued, fingers stopping to trace his full lips. “Sometimes I get so distracted thinking about your lips.”

Shut up.
That reasonable voice inside her head hissed
. Shut the hell up before you make it worse.

Jace watched her with a strange look for only half a moment before a big grin covered his face.

“You’re pretty drunk, huh?”

“No!”

Jace ruffled her hair affectionately and then pulled them both off the hammock and onto their feet.

“Everyone’s worried about you,” he told her, serious this time. “Tate is just about ready to call the police.”

“Tate is an idiot.”

Jace smiled. “Can’t disagree with you there, but to his credit, he’s an idiot who loves you.”

Isabelle sighed deeply. She wished Tate could see just how special Jace was, or just even give him a chance.

“You ready to head back?” Jace asked gently.

“No,” she said softly.

“How about you come back so everyone can see you’re alive and then I’ll take you home?”

“Straight home?”

“Scout’s honour.”

Isabelle nodded and took a step forward, only to lose her balance. She toppled towards the ground, bracing for a fall but landed in soft arms instead.

“Whoa there, you all right?” he asked, brushing hair out of her eyes.

“I want to go home now,” Isabelle replied, tears filling her eyes again.

Leaning down he swept his arms behind her knees and then lifted her up so she was cradled in his arms.

Isabelle looked up at the sky feeling incredibly light and free. She spread her arms wide, a grin lighting her whole face.

“I’m flying!” she crowed, and although it was completely stupid, when she closed her eyes it really felt like she was.

Even though her eyes were still shut, Isabelle could feel Jace beaming down at her.

“Well, makes sense,” he mused. “Angels do fly.”

Isabelle blew a raspberry at him and then tuned out his laughter and all other sounds as she settled her arms around his neck and snuggled into the safety and warmth of his chest.

She had no idea how long he carried her, she may have even dozed off at one point because her next memory was jerking awake to Tate’s sharp voice.

“Where the hell was she?” he demanded.

“Easy,” Jace replied, his voice steady. “She just got a little turned around, she’s fine.”

“Isabelle?” Tate asked, his voice rising. “Are you all right?”

“I said she’s fine. I just wanted you to see she was OK so you didn’t worry but I’m going to take her home now.”

“So I didn’t worry?” Tate repeated slowly.

“Well, yeah,” Jace replied. “I figured you weren’t going to get any peace of mind until you had proof she was safe.”

There was a long pause from Tate, so long that Isabelle wasn’t even sure if he was still standing there until she felt his hands try and slide under her back and legs.

“I’ll take it from here,” he told Jace, but there was less malice in his voice this time.

“She’s fine where she is.”

Tate went to grab her again, but this time Isabelle cringed away from his arms unable to bring herself to leave the warmth of Jace’s body.

“No,” she mumbled. “I want Jace.”

Tate immediately let her go and shifted away, sucking in a sharp breath.

“I can ask Ben if I can borrow his car,” Jace said, his voice surprisingly kind. “Do you want a lift?”

“Jace is beautiful,” Isabelle blurted out again before she could stop herself.

“She’s drunk,” Jace told Tate almost apologetically.

“Her Dad’s due to come in another of couple hours. Do you just want to lie her down in a spare room until he gets here?” Tate asked, ignoring Isabelle’s statement.

“No,” she moaned, trying to make her mouth form the words. “I wanna go home, Tate.”

Tate sighed deeply. “I’ll call her Dad.”

“Is that a good idea?” Jace murmured as he stroked her hair.

“Well, he’s not going to enjoy seeing her bundled up in your arms, but he’ll be cool with her being a little drunk.”

For some reason Isabelle found that so funny and she began to emit an uncontrollable giggle, shaking in Jace’s arms.

“At least no one punched me this time,” she babbled. “One for three!”

“What the hell?”

Isabelle froze at the female voice behind them.

Jace groaned softly. “Not now Kimberley.”

Tate leant down so his voice was right in her ear. “This is the girl who punched you?”

Isabelle managed a nod.

“What’s wrong with your new play thing?” Kimberley asked, her words more curious than biting.

“I’ll call her Dad,” Tate told Jace quietly, ignoring Kimberley. “He won’t be long.”

Isabelle looked up to see Jace purse his lips as he glanced at Kimberley.

“I’ll get Isabelle some water and lie her down inside while we wait.”

Isabelle was trying to keep track of everything going on around her, but then they were moving again towards the front door.

Isabelle lifted her heavy head above Jace’s shoulder so she could meet Kimberley’s hazy eyes. She raised her hand towards her, unsure whether it was a greeting or goodbye. Unsure why the hell she felt the need to acknowledge her at all.

Kimberley raised her middle finger, her pretty face twisted into an ugly scowl.

Isabelle just giggled to herself and then wrapped her arms around Jace’s neck tightly, inhaling his ocean scent.

“Am I heavy?” she murmured against his throat.

“You’re perfect,” he told her gruffly as he grappled with the front door and then carried her through like they were newlyweds.

Jace lead them through a large living area, laying her down on a day bed that had been built into the massive window.

He brushed hair away from her face tenderly and then, after a moment’s hesitation, pressed his lips against her forehead.

“I’ll go get you some water, OK? Just chill here for a while.”

Isabelle nodded, closing her eyes as her body lay limply where he had laid her, her head buzzing and stomach turning slightly.

“So, who are you?”

Isabelle’s ears perked.
Was someone talking to her?

She opened her eyes and glanced around the room. No one there.

“Isabelle’s best friend,” she heard Tate’s tight reply.

Turning to face the window she saw a mass of red hair through the glass and Tate’s stern, beautiful face.

Kimberley groaned loudly. “Ugh, what the hell for?”

“Why are you even here?” Tate asked crossing his arms. “I was under the impression there were no hot messes allowed.”

“What did you say to me?” Kimberley asked angrily.

Tate took a step forward, his size towering over Kimberley’s. “Did I stutter?”

Isabelle inched closer to the glass. Looked like a showdown was about to happen and she had a front row.

“I didn’t come here to make trouble,” Kimberley replied after a few tense moments.

“Then why are you here?” Tate’s voice was still hard and unforgiving.

Kimberley turned away from him so her face was directed more towards the window where Isabelle could see a stricken look on her face.

“I have nowhere else to go.”

Tate kept his arms crossed but his hard face faltered just for a moment.

“So you thought you’d come fawn after Jace?”

“I’m not fawning after him!” Kimberley replied defensively.

Isabelle watched as Tate took another menacing step forward. “Well, if you came here for round two with Isabelle then you have more boobs than brains. You will never lay a finger on her again.”

Kimberley barked out a laugh. “Careful there handsome, your fangs are showing. I’d hate to be you when Jace realises his little bitch’s oldest friend is madly in love with her.”

Isabelle barked out a laugh and then clapped her hand quickly over her mouth, her heart pounding as she waited to see if she’d been caught.

She waited for Tate to laugh in Kimberley’s face, to deny it and tell her she was on crack, but instead he paled slightly and then started frantically dialing numbers into his phone.

“James? Hey, it’s Tate…no, she’s fine, she’s having fun, well maybe a little too much fun…no, she’s just lying down getting ready to pass out for the night…. I promise nothing bad happened, ok? She just wants to go home. Ok, yeah take your time. We’re not going anywhere….no worries…thanks, see you soon.”

Tate hung up from obviously calling her Dad and Isabelle cringed. Oh, she was going to be in so much trouble and be grounded for a million years once she arrived home. Panic fluttered like feathers in her almost numb body. She was so caught up in her own emotions and paralysing fear that she totally forgot she was meant to be eavesdropping.

“What are you still doing here?”

Isabelle jumped as Jace’s voice boomed outside.

Had he crept past her? Or just forgotten her glass of water completely?

She shuffled closer to the window and vaguely made out a small glass in Jace’s hand.

Of course he hadn’t forgotten.

“Well?” Jace demanded loudly again, causing both Kimberley and Isabelle to flinch at his tone.

“I just thought…” Kimberley began.

“Jesus.” Jace swore at her. “Why can’t you just leave me alone? I’m sorry that I didn’t dedicate my life to wallowing after you while you screwed everything in sight, okay? Is that what you want to hear?”

Kimberley opened her mouth to reply but Jace just brushed past her.

“I’m moving on with my life, I suggest you do the same. Go home and sober up, and then maybe we can talk.”

Jace moved past Kimberley swiftly, leaving her staring after him with a fallen face and slumped shoulders.

Jace was back in the living room not long after, glass filled in hand and ready to present to Isabelle.

“Here Angel, sorry it took me so-”

“Shh!”

“Were you watching us?” he whispered as he placed the glass on the ledge in front of her and sat down, moving her legs on top of his lap.

Isabelle ignored him and focused back on Tate and Kimberley.

Tate no longer looked hostile or angry. Now he looked…sympathetic?

“You still love him,” he said it like a statement, not a question.

Kimberley looked away from Tate again and Isabelle could see the fat tears falling down her face, smudging her make up. Seeing the tears also, Jace stiffened behind her.

“He was all I had for the longest time,” Kimberley said so quietly Isabelle had to strain her ears to listen.

“Be straight up with me, ok?” Tate began evenly. “Did he ever hurt you? Was he abusive?”

Jace drew in a strangled breath.

“No,” Kimberley replied firmly. “Jace is…Jace
was
the only good thing in my life. He’s almost as screwed up as I am, but he would never hurt me or anyone he cared about.”

Isabelle glanced over at Jace staring outside with a pained expression on his face.

Tate took an unsteady breath and then hesitantly put a hand on Kimberley’s shoulder.