“You love her, don’t you?” she asked.
“Yeah, I do, with all of my heart. She is the reason I wake up every single night and breathe.”
Overwhelming sadness swamped over Isabel. It was like a sudden thud taking her down. No one had ever loved her, or shown that kind of smile that was playing on Peter’s lips right that second.
Staring down at the floor, Isabel had to wonder why anyone would want to love her. She was damaged. Look what she did to herself!
“Hey, are you okay?” Peter asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just going to head out. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
She got to the door before he caught up to her, stopping her with a hand on her arm.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You were fine, swinging your legs, and now you’re not.”
“It’s fine. Honestly. I’m going to go and do some cleaning.” She left the room, needing some time alone.
Running fingers through her hair, she took several deep breaths. Sadness was normal for her. She was used to feeling sad. What she wasn’t used to was being around people who clearly loved, and loved with their whole heart. Grabbing the cleaning equipment from the supply closet, she went out to the main dance hall that served as a nightclub rather than a BDSM club.
There were several people milling around, and she ignored them. Taking out the mop, she lined up her supplies, and filled the bucket with hot water and disinfectant. The pine fragrance soothed her. When times were bad at the trailer she’d found cheap pine disinfectant helped all ills, even sadness. She would clean the trailer from top to bottom before Sophie got home just so her sister could come into a lovely, clean smelling home.
She loved her sister so much.
Moving back to her space, she placed the mop inside the bucket, swirling it about before pressing it against the sieve like thing that she never had any idea what it was called, wringing out the excess water. She got to work on cleaning the floor.
People came and went as she mopped the floor, and then dried each space that she cleaned, refreshing the water and the towel so that there was no chance of smears. In a few short hours it wouldn’t matter. People would mingle, dance, and drip all manner of things onto that floor, but at least it was clean.
When she had placed the mop and bucket back into the cleaning cupboard, her phone started to ring.
Frowning, she pulled it out of her jeans pocket to find Sophie calling.
Answering the phone, she smiled. “Hello, sister,” she said.
“Hello, stranger. I’ve not heard from you in so long. Where have you been?”
Heading outside into the fresh air, she chuckled. “It has been a week.”
“A very long and lonely week. Has Edward kept you busy?”
“Not really. I’m working at the club. You know the one that caused a lot of problems.”
“Control?”
“Yep.”
“Why?” Sophie asked.
“I wanted to. It’s fun, and I like the people that are here.” They made her realize more than ever that she had no one. Swallowing down the lump, she changed the conversation. “What about you?”
“Don’t you think about me, sweetie. You and I both know that I’m fine. College is going great, more than great. I may have met someone as well. He’s a sweetie, and I can’t wait for you and Edward to meet him. Anyway, what about school work? I thought you were doing the online college thing. You didn’t want to come away with me.”
She could see her sister pouting. “You and I both know that I’m not cut out for higher education.”
Sophie growled. “I’m getting tired of you always putting yourself down.”
“I’m not the smart one.” No, I’m the stupid one.
“You are smart. You helped me all those years, Isabel. You could do and be whatever you wanted.”
Sitting down on the steps around the back of the club near the kitchen, she looked across the vast array of woodland. When Control first opened up, it had been all the town could complain about. No one liked William, the owner, and they also didn’t like the fact he didn’t give a shit about what any of them thought. Even though she hadn’t met him, she had admired his courage to do whatever the hell he wanted, and be damned with the consequences.
No one told him, and he kept his club open.
Slowly, little by little, the town was changing, just not fast enough.
“I’m happy where I am, Sophie. You know that.”
“Mom and Dad are not coming back, Is.”
“I know this. I’m not sticking around for them.”
“Then who?” Sophie asked.
“You okay, babe?” Edward asked, almost as if she had thought him into reality.