Intrigue
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 4
“Oh god. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. We barely know each other…”
Filled with mortification, she’d retreated, refusing to see him or answer his calls the past few days.
Still, something inside him wouldn’t accept that, and so, here he was, back to waiting and watching.
Quietly.
Unseen.
As only his kind could.
On the fifth day of this enforced distance, he trailed her to an office building, perching himself on the roof to listen.
What he heard was a shock.
“Isabella, how have you been this past month?”
There was a pause as a warmth infused her swirling emotions.
“I…this month had been better. I…met a guy.” Her voice was nearly a whisper.
“You interacted with him?” Surprise… Intrigue…
“I did.”
“In what way?” Skepticism…
“Well…” There was a rustle of fabric. “I went out with him.”
“Really?” Surprise… “On a date?
“More than one.”
“Tell me about him.”
“He’s quiet, sweet, kind…a gentleman.” A quiet laugh… “Can you believe that in today’s world? But it’s true, he’s a gentleman.” Sorrow…
“So why the frown?” Concern… Vindication…
“I think I messed things up.” Sorrow… Regret… Resignation…
“How so?”
“Well…at the end of our last date, I kinda told him he’d changed things for me. See, he’d asked if I had dreams for the future.”
“And…?”
“And I told him I just try to get through each day, you know? Because it’s true. But then… God, I still can’t believe I said this…”
“Said what, Isabella?”
“I kinda admitted that meeting him had changed that.”
“Really? And how would that have messed things up, as you put it? Did he reject you?”
“No! No, he didn’t, but I…I kinda felt…” she trailed to silence that stretched for moments.
“Have you spoken to him since?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t take his calls.” Embarrassment, sorrow, shame… Her voice back to the whisper.
“I see. So, you’ve retreated from him to protect yourself.”
Another rustle of fabric…
“Is that why I did it? Because I don’t understand it, myself. I…really liked him, and he was the first guy since…” Shame… Worthlessness…
“You felt comfortable with him?” Surprise…
“I did. I felt…safe with him.” Sorrow, loss, shame…
“Do you feel strong enough to explore a relationship with him?” Curiosity…
Shock… “I…” Shame… Worthlessness… Hope… “I would like to.”
“Then there’s only one thing left for you to do.”
“What’s that?” Hope…
“The next time he calls, answer.”
A rustle of fabric… A long pause…
“I’ll…try.”
“Oh god. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. We barely know each other…”
Filled with mortification, she’d retreated, refusing to see him or answer his calls the past few days.
Still, something inside him wouldn’t accept that, and so, here he was, back to waiting and watching.
Quietly.
Unseen.
As only his kind could.
On the fifth day of this enforced distance, he trailed her to an office building, perching himself on the roof to listen.
What he heard was a shock.
“Isabella, how have you been this past month?”
There was a pause as a warmth infused her swirling emotions.
“I…this month had been better. I…met a guy.” Her voice was nearly a whisper.
“You interacted with him?” Surprise… Intrigue…
“I did.”
“In what way?” Skepticism…
“Well…” There was a rustle of fabric. “I went out with him.”
“Really?” Surprise… “On a date?
“More than one.”
“Tell me about him.”
“He’s quiet, sweet, kind…a gentleman.” A quiet laugh… “Can you believe that in today’s world? But it’s true, he’s a gentleman.” Sorrow…
“So why the frown?” Concern… Vindication…
“I think I messed things up.” Sorrow… Regret… Resignation…
“How so?”
“Well…at the end of our last date, I kinda told him he’d changed things for me. See, he’d asked if I had dreams for the future.”
“And…?”
“And I told him I just try to get through each day, you know? Because it’s true. But then… God, I still can’t believe I said this…”
“Said what, Isabella?”
“I kinda admitted that meeting him had changed that.”
“Really? And how would that have messed things up, as you put it? Did he reject you?”
“No! No, he didn’t, but I…I kinda felt…” she trailed to silence that stretched for moments.
“Have you spoken to him since?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t take his calls.” Embarrassment, sorrow, shame… Her voice back to the whisper.
“I see. So, you’ve retreated from him to protect yourself.”
Another rustle of fabric…
“Is that why I did it? Because I don’t understand it, myself. I…really liked him, and he was the first guy since…” Shame… Worthlessness…
“You felt comfortable with him?” Surprise…
“I did. I felt…safe with him.” Sorrow, loss, shame…
“Do you feel strong enough to explore a relationship with him?” Curiosity…
Shock… “I…” Shame… Worthlessness… Hope… “I would like to.”
“Then there’s only one thing left for you to do.”
“What’s that?” Hope…
“The next time he calls, answer.”
A rustle of fabric… A long pause…
“I’ll…try.”
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.