Lost in thought, she got taken off guard when Marie turned and said, “Okay, this is where you leave me. Security and all.”
“But we need to check your luggage!” Sabrina cried, causing Marie to stare at her in confusion.
“We just did,” she said slowly, as if she were talking to Sam, her two-year-old daughter.
“You must have been so distracted over your sister leaving, you were in a daze,” Isaac said sympathetically. His face softened, and he put a hand on her shoulder. She almost cried at the tender gesture. Almost.
Get a hold of yourself, Sabrina.
“I’ll miss you so much,” she vowed. She shrugged Isaac’s hand off her shoulder under the guise of pulling her sister into her arms for a tight hug.
“I’ll miss you, too, Bree,” Marie whispered, tears in her voice.
Sabrina turned to hurry away. She became forced to stop, however, when she realized Isaac didn’t follow her. A glance over her shoulder revealed he’d been held back by Marie’s hand on his arm.
“Go ahead, Sabrina. I just want to ask Isaac a quick question.”
She groaned, immediately on guard. What now? “Marie, you promised to behave.”
“I am. I want to ask him something. I’m being good, I swear.” Marie smiled at her and motioned for her to walk away. Sabrina stomped away and leaned on a nearby pillar. She glared at the pair and crossed her arms over her chest. Though she’d give them privacy, she’d be damned if she wouldn’t watch.
Isaac watched Sabrina retreat to glare off in the distance before turning to Marie. What happened now? Another interrogation?
He hoped not, because he didn’t bloody feel in the mood. She smiled at him, and he returned the gesture in an attempt to look relaxed. When he was anything but.
“Okay, what happened last night? You guys have a fight when you came over?” she inquired.
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Confusion made his voice sharp as he reminded her, “We didn’t fight at dinner.”
What the bloody hell is she talking about, anyway?
“Last night, Sabrina had a nightmare. She kept screaming in her sleep, yelling your name, and sometimes the name ‘Elijah.’ He’s a character in her novel she’s working on. When I finally woke her up, she was still crying her eyes out, and kept repeating ‘No.’”
“Hmm, sounds like a bad night. No wonder she looks so tired.” He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in an attempt to stay calm.
Fucking Elijah again. God, he hated him sometimes, brother or no. He forced himself to focus on Marie’s words and to push down the anger for later. Much, much later.
“Well, after she put me back to bed like a child, she ran outside. She doesn’t know I saw her, but she took off like a fire chased at her heels. I wanted to go after her, but I had no idea what direction she’d gone. So I sat in the kitchen and waited for her to return. I figured a pregnant woman wondering around in dark, unfamiliar woods isn’t the best idea.
“It must have been a while, because at some point I fell asleep leaning on the island. When I woke up, you were carrying her inside. I waved to you, but I figured you didn’t see me since you didn’t wave back. You took her to the couch and held her.”
His whole body clenched in fury, agony, betrayal. She’d spent the night with Elijah. After he’d been up all night stressing over his words, and his actions, she’d spent the night in his brother’s arms.
Doing what, exactly?
The thought proved too much to bear, and he bit back a curse. Marie stepped back as if she feared him. Well, hell, he probably looked pretty bloody scary to her. He felt manic. A loud bang of thunder shook the airport, and she ripped her eyes from his livid face to gape outside. It had been cloudy, but dry, earlier; now a storm gathered outside. Seeing Marie’s distress forced him to take a deep breath as he plastered the most sincere smile he could manage on his face.
He had a feeling he seemed less happy…and more maniacal.
Isaac held his pleasant expression for Marie’s sake, but not easily. His whole body ached to be released from this sham—to howl in his fury. Elijah had brought Sabrina into her home? Had held her? What, had he waited for him to leave before swooping in and bringing Sabrina inside? Had they kissed—or worse, made love?
He’d gone to sleep last night feeling ashamed, as if he had wronged Sabrina in his anger. But he hadn’t misunderstood the situation after all.
She’d chosen Elijah.
He ground his teeth behind his smile and tightened his fists into balls.
I’ll kill him.
“Oh, no,” she groaned. “I hope they don’t delay my flight.”
Across the room, Sabrina’s eyes widened in horror as she hurried toward them, pushing her way through the crowd of worried travelers, eyeing the sudden change of weather. If she so much as opened her mouth, he’d snap. Time to end this conversation—now.
“Yeah, I left my windows open at home. Didn’t realize a storm would be coming,” he muttered. “Sabrina and I are fine. I feel bad I appeared in her nightmare. I’d hate to cause her to lose sleep.” He gestured outside using his hand. The rain had stopped. He glared at Sabrina over Marie’s head as she approached, and smiled when she faltered in step and paled.
Yeah, your secret is out, my love.
“Wow, it’s calmed down already. Good!” Marie exclaimed.
“What’s going on over here?” Sabrina demanded as she took a furtive glance at his face. She paled even more as he glowered behind her sister’s head, only to smooth his face into a carefree expression when Marie turned back to look at him.
“Nothing. We’re done talking,” he responded. Smiling at Marie, he grasped Sabrina’s elbow. “Have a great flight. You better get going now. They’re starting to board.”
“Yeah, goodbye you guys.” After one last curiosity-ridden look at them, she left. Once Marie disappeared out of sight, Sabrina turned back to Isaac. He scowled at her curious expression.
“What now?” she probed.
He growled and dragged her behind him as he stalked out of the airport. She had no choice but to run to keep up to his brisk pace, so it came as no surprise when she stumbled over her feet. Isaac caught her before she hit the ground but put her away from his body as soon as she steadied herself. He did not want to feel her pressed up against him right now.
“Isaac, slow down. I can’t walk as fast as you!” she cried breathlessly from behind him. He didn’t release his iron grip upon her arm or acknowledge her plea, but he did slow his speed by a fraction. “Why don’t you just leave me the keys, and go away. I can drive myself. Or do you enjoy growling at me too much to leave me in peace?”