Found

Chapter nine

Chapter nine...

"You look sad, what's wrong?"

Isabelle gave Jessica a sad smiled, Jessica was quite observant, but she doesn't want to burden the lady with her troubles especially when she was barely recovering.

"It's nothing, just a bad day"

Jessica gave her a kind smile, "you don't look good, what did your sister do?"

Isabelle sighed, her eyes stung as tears clouded it, she knew it was a waste of time trying to pretend that nothing was wrong "it was my mother" her voice came out as a whisper. She felt bad, if anything she should be a good friend and stop bothering Jessica with her problems, Jessica had enough of her own, but she desperately needed someone to talk to.

"That b***h" Jessica whispered clenching her fist, she was about to say something when a knock interrupted her.

"Come in" Isabelle answered quickly wiping off the tears as it dropped, knowing fully well it was supposed to be the nurse, she didn't want anyone asking her unnecessary questions. She was surprised when her boss entered with a banquet of Rose for Jessica.

He was the last person she expected to visit, even though he already showed his concern, she didn't expect him to come in person, he already did done enough.

***

"Hi" he greeted smiling at Jessica and then Isabelle, his face moped into a frown when he noticed that Isabelle wasn't her usual self. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked looking between the duo "tell me, maybe I can help" dropping the flowers at the bed side table, he turned Isabelle to face him cradling her face in his palms, he gazed at her intensely, she was seriously trying to blink back tears. He felt his heart arch as she lost control over the tears and it finally dropped, he was angry, both at himself for not being able to make her happy and at who ever it was that made her cry. His jaw clenched as he had an irking idea of who it might be, 'that bastard' he thought. "Did Tony do this? Did he hurt you? " she shook her head as if to say no. He was furious "I swear to God, if he's the reason why you are crying, I'm gonna kill him and you are going to stay out of it" He felt as if he had failed her. The bastard made her cry.

"it's not him I swear, it's...it's " she chocked as if she couldn't bear to say the word.

He drew her into his arms as she sobbed quietly. He closed his eyes and started counting quietly, he was angry and tense, he needed to calm down before he murdered someone. Even if she denied it, he knew it has something to do with that bastard. Women were good at defending abusive men.

He turned to look at Jessica, she was sitting quietly looking lost in her sad little world. 'what was it that made the two friends sad?' he wondered.

When she quieted down, he couldn't bring himself to ask her the reasons for her sadness, he was curious and wanted to know but not at the expense of her tears.

***

It wasn't long since Ken had left he had an emergency in the office, after getting convinced that it  was nothing and Isabelle was just being emotional, he left. Isabelle had decided to go see the doctor, to get reports on Jessica's health.

Just as she took the turn leading to the doctor's office, she was met with the traitor Claire. Hands akimbo she asked voice laced with irritation "haven't you done enough? What are you doing here?"

Claire sighed as she smiled "is that the way to greet a good friend?"

Isabelle scoffed " good friend my ass, I told you I never wanted to see you again, here or any where near Jessica, why couldn't you just get that into your thick skull"

Claire rolled her eyes "common Isabelle, it was just a f**k" she shrugged "not that Jessica never f****d anyone before him, she so much praised his skills in bed that I had to find out for my self" with eye wide, she waved her hand as if it was nothing "and I must confess, he was very good" she laughed winking at Isabelle.

Isabelle grimaced, she felt like throwing up, "I never thought you were a b***h, guess I was mistaken, you are worse than that"

Claire purse her lips, turning her face already biting her lower lips "spare me that trash, I just wanted Jessica to know how it felt, he was mine first, he was my best friend, she knew I liked him when she took him away from me, I just wanted her to feel a fraction of what I felt."

Her eyes burned, she was about to cry "do you know the pain I feel whenever they were together, when I see them holding hands, going all lovey_dovey in my presence" she shook her head "do you have the slightest ideal of how it feels" she closed her eyes tight and placed her hand on her head, she scoffed "no, you don't. Everybody loves you, everybody dots on you, belle this... belle that.., you have no slight ideal of what craving for attention is like, of what wanting desperately to be loved feels like, you don't..."

"Shut up!" Isabelle yelled, her voice cracked.

"No, you don't know how it feels to love someone who loves another, you don't..."

" I said, shut the f**k up!" Hands raised in frustration, Isabelle has never felt the intense urge to throttle someone before "you think my life is all a bed of roses, don't you?" She scoffed "you actually think everything is as perfect as they come?" She laughed sarcastically, "and I even thought you were smart, for God's sake how can you be so dumb?"

"Call me dumb, I don't care, all I know is that I have found happiness and I am keeping hold of it, I am never letting go."

Isabelle eye widened as she blinked repetitively in surprise, was she hearing right, could it be that Claire could be... No. No. It can never be "don't tell me that..."

"Yes, he asked me to be his girlfriend this morning and I accepted, this is my happiness and I am keeping it" she blinked in surprise as she felt the sting of Isabelle palm forcefully connecting with her checks. She raised her hand for retaliation, but it never did happen.

"Don't you dare" Isabelle's gaze was fierce, you could see the smoke practically coming out of her ears. "You are despicable" she gave out a sarcastic laugh laced with irritation "I thought you were human, that you were smart, oh! How wrong I was." With no line of laughter she continued "you two are perfect for each other, traitor versus traitor and cheater, you might likely birth a thief."

***

Jessica was asleep when Isabelle returned, gently she closed the door, knowing Jessica she was a very light sleeper and Isabelle didn't want her disturbed.

"What took you so long?" Isabelle jerked at the voice, she did thought Jessica was asleep "a-ha, I had a lot to go over with the doctor, and there's a good news and a bad news"

She saw Jessica's eyes peak in interest, what is, "start with the good, I have had enough bad experience recently to last me a life time"

"Okay..." Isabelle nodded, "doctor said, you did be ready to go in a week plus time, considering the fact that, you are responding very well to treatment."

"That should be nice, I'm already so tired of lying in bed doing nothing, and the smell of this hospital doesn't settle well with my system, especially when I am the one lying down" she took a deep breath and sighed, "now give me the bad news"

Isabelle laughed, Jessica was good at making jokes even if she was not fit. She closed her eyes and sighed "they are together now" she whispered, her voice was low that she didn't think Jessica heard her, but her doubt was cleared as she saw her face marred with pain.

The look on her face was one she did never want to see again, she blamed her self for telling her, but she knew it was better she heard it from her than from someone else.

"When did it happen" Jessica whispered, she felt bittered and pained.

"This morning, I wanted to be the one to tell you, I don't want you hearing it from another source" gently she sat at the bed, taking hold of Jessica's fragile hands in her "I love you, and I want you to know that, no matter what happens I will always stand by you"

Jessica nodded as she wiped the stray tears with the back of her hand, if anything she should be happy, the two deserve each other, "they deserve each other"

"I thought as much"

Jessica chuckled and Isabelle joined her, they both started laughing, slowly the tension diffused as the two ladies relaxed into a comfortable silent.

Isabelle knew Jessica was strong, even though she was in pain, she never lets it get to her, and for that, she was proud of her.

***

"Your mother came while you went to see the doctor" Jessica started ready to get it off her mind.

Isabelle tensed, "what did she say?"

"Nothing much, just that I should talk to you" Jessica looked at her "you know Isabelle, I have always wondered, what really happened?"

Isabelle sighed, " what else" she stood up and walked to the window, "I killed my brother"

***