“Just like home sweet home, yes?” Isabella said.
I didn’t take my eyes off her. I got the point. We were standing in an abandoned lot surrounded by decaying buildings. But this was nothing like my home back in Delaware. Our house had been small, but it was beautiful and full of beautiful memories that a person like Isabella would never get to experience.
I looked at the limo. Why wasn’t Donnelley doing something? He was supposed to be protecting both of us. Why was he letting this happen?
“Answer me,” Isabella said. She lifted the gun a little higher.
“Yes, this is just like home.” That was the answer she wanted right? “Because I’m garbage.” I didn’t believe the words I was speaking, but saying them out loud made me feel so small.
“Rotten. Disgusting. Hideous. Pathetic. Oh my God, are you crying?” She laughed.
I reached up to touch my cheek. I didn’t realize I was crying. But the moisture on my cheeks proved otherwise.
“This is even better than I imagined. Now take it off.”
I stared at her. “Take off what?”
“This isn’t the time for sass, Sissy. Take it off.”
I was pretty sure she was staring at the top of my head. The tiara. Of course that’s what she wanted me to take off. My hands shook as I reached up to unpin it from my hair.
“Now!” she screamed, her voice echoing around the empty parking lot.
My fingers were still shaking, making it impossible to unpin fast enough. So I pulled the tiara, and did my best to stifle my scream as it tore out some hair with it.
“So much better. But I mean all of it.”
I was clutching the crown in my hand. “What?”
“The dress. Take it off.”
“Isabella…”
“It’s as hideous as you. I’m doing you a favor.” She took a step forward. “Or would you rather I kill you?”
I pushed the straps off my shoulders. And when she kept the gun pointed at my face, I reached around and tugged at the zipper. The dress fell to the ground, pooling at my ankles. I was standing there in my underwear, bra, and sneakers. The cold fall air bit at my exposed skin.
“Oh my God. Get rid of the shoes too.”
My body was shaking. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the cold or because I was terrified. Maybe it was both. But I couldn’t take off my Keds. I couldn’t let her take the last thing my mom had gifted me. “Please, Isabella.”
“Take them off and maybe I’ll let you live.”
I swallowed hard. Isabella could destroy physical things. But she’d never be able to take away my memories. Unless she killed me. I slowly kicked my shoes off.
“Much better. Now do you want the good news or the bad news?”
I didn’t want anything from her. I just stared at her.
“You’re no fun.” She backed up and tapped on the limo window.
Donnelley slowly climbed out of the car. He was holding a large cardboard box in his hands.
“Donnelley!” I said and took a step toward him.
“Don’t even think about it,” Isabella said. “Donnelley is on my side. Not yours. Isn’t that right Donnelly?”
He didn’t say a word. But he looked miserable. And so freaking guilty. I could tell he wasn’t coming to my rescue tonight. Especially since he was looking at the ground instead of at me.
“So which is it, Sissy? The good news or the bad news?”
Chapter 37
Saturday
The good news or the bad news. This felt like a trick question. There was no way anything she was about to say was good. Maybe I could make her evil head explode. “The good news,” I said.
“Splendid,” Isabella said. “The good news is…I’m probably not going to kill you tonight. Even though I don’t understand why, killing you would make Daddy very mad. And I don’t want to make Daddy mad. So if you follow my instructions precisely, I suppose I’ll allow you to live.” She lowered the gun to her side and I felt like my lungs inflated with air for the first time in ages.
It was good news. Maybe. It kind of depended on what she was going to make me do.
“But the bad news is that you’re leaving town.” She grabbed something out of the box and walked over to me. “Here’s a map.” She tossed it onto the ground in front of me. “It’s about 10 blocks to the nearest bus station. You can use the walk to clear your head. Sound good?”
I was literally in my underwear. She didn’t even let me keep my shoes. And I didn’t have any money. Not that they were going to allow my half-naked self into the terminal anyway. “Isabella…”