I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In
Chapter Eighteen
Sleep hadn't come easily for Isabelle; even with Dog watching television in her lounge room, guarding the doorway intently and Leland's muscular, tattooed arm planted snugly over her hip. He moved at times, brushing her brown locks off her olive shoulder or pulling her body closer to his. Although Isabelle's eyes were shut, her mind raced with thoughts of her life and where she was supposed to go from here. She heard Leland whisper something to her and felt him kiss her cheek tenderly. She didn't respond purely because she didn't have the energy to.
Leland smiled slightly as he watched Isabelle's breathing slow, realising that she had finally let sleep overcome her. He carefully placed his head back on his own pillow, cuddled her tightly and allowed himself drift off as well.
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Beth, Isabelle and Cecily had taken Bonnie, Zahli and Leiah to the nail salon for a day of pampering. Beth had hoped it would give Zahli and Isabelle precious mummy-daughter time, as well as distracting Isabelle from the events of last night. Isabelle had originally been uncomfortable with the idea of Leiah and Zahli interacting so early in the relationship, but Beth had convinced her that a friendship between the two girls would be a good thing, especially for little Zahli who had been isolated in Hawaii.
Leland, Duane Lee and their father remained at Isabelle's home, where they were replacing her front door.
"You really did a number on this," Duane Lee laughed, pulling a jagged splinter of wood from the centre of the door. He tossed it aside, watching as Leland unscrewed the door jamb.
"I was pretty aggravated," Leland shrugged, letting the screws and metal jamb fall to the floor with a harsh clink.
"How's Isabelle feeling today?" Dog asked, holding the shattered door upright as Leland unscrewed the final jamb, "Did she sleep last night?"
"Eventually. Took her a while though," he paused for a moment, pulling off the metal and watching as the door fell back slightly, "The paramedic said she just had a concussion. Nothing too serious, thank god. He hit her so fucking hard. I was imagining a fractured eye socket or a broken jaw, at the very least."
The men moved about, quickly disposing of the damaged door and setting up the replacement. Once finished, they settled on Isabelle's back porch awaiting the return of the women.
Leland sighed, taking a sip of water, "Isabelle told me she loved me last night." His words were jumbled as he spilled them out nervously. Dog coughed slightly on his water, while Duane Lee smirked.
"When?" Dog asked, seemingly in disbelief. Isabelle didn't seem like the type of girl who fell in love quickly.
"She was lying on the lounge after I had knocked out Tim. The cops hadn't come yet. She just said it and then went to sleep."
Duane Lee laughed heartily, pushing his brother's arm, "She was concussed, you idiot. People say stupid things all the time."
"No, no, Duane Lee," Dog shook his head, noticing the disappointed look on his third son's face, "We don't know if she meant it or not."
"Dad!" Duane Lee exclaimed, raising his hands slightly in exasperation, "what if he says it to her, thinking she meant it, and she freaks the fuck out? She's just come out of a long, abusive relationship. I have no doubt that she really cares about you, Leland, and no doubt that she wants to be with you for a long time, but maybe she just said she loved you because she hasn't had anyone take care of her like you did, and she's confusing those two feelings."
Leland sunk into his seat, taking a big gulp of water, "I didn't say anything back, and I wasn't gunna. I just..." He drifted off, looking over his shoulder at the group of women who had just entered the house, loudly admiring the new front door.
"You love her, don't you?" Dog quietly said.
"Yeah," Leland nodded, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. He ignored Duane Lee's groan of frustration and the advice he was dishing out to his little brother.
"Daddy!" The back door flung open, Leiah running out and throwing her arms around her dad. He kissed her cheek, sitting her on his leg as she recounted the day she had had. He listened intently, laughing at the shenanigans that Zahli and herself had gotten up to.
Leland smiled slightly as he watched Isabelle's breathing slow, realising that she had finally let sleep overcome her. He carefully placed his head back on his own pillow, cuddled her tightly and allowed himself drift off as well.
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Beth, Isabelle and Cecily had taken Bonnie, Zahli and Leiah to the nail salon for a day of pampering. Beth had hoped it would give Zahli and Isabelle precious mummy-daughter time, as well as distracting Isabelle from the events of last night. Isabelle had originally been uncomfortable with the idea of Leiah and Zahli interacting so early in the relationship, but Beth had convinced her that a friendship between the two girls would be a good thing, especially for little Zahli who had been isolated in Hawaii.
Leland, Duane Lee and their father remained at Isabelle's home, where they were replacing her front door.
"You really did a number on this," Duane Lee laughed, pulling a jagged splinter of wood from the centre of the door. He tossed it aside, watching as Leland unscrewed the door jamb.
"I was pretty aggravated," Leland shrugged, letting the screws and metal jamb fall to the floor with a harsh clink.
"How's Isabelle feeling today?" Dog asked, holding the shattered door upright as Leland unscrewed the final jamb, "Did she sleep last night?"
"Eventually. Took her a while though," he paused for a moment, pulling off the metal and watching as the door fell back slightly, "The paramedic said she just had a concussion. Nothing too serious, thank god. He hit her so fucking hard. I was imagining a fractured eye socket or a broken jaw, at the very least."
The men moved about, quickly disposing of the damaged door and setting up the replacement. Once finished, they settled on Isabelle's back porch awaiting the return of the women.
Leland sighed, taking a sip of water, "Isabelle told me she loved me last night." His words were jumbled as he spilled them out nervously. Dog coughed slightly on his water, while Duane Lee smirked.
"When?" Dog asked, seemingly in disbelief. Isabelle didn't seem like the type of girl who fell in love quickly.
"She was lying on the lounge after I had knocked out Tim. The cops hadn't come yet. She just said it and then went to sleep."
Duane Lee laughed heartily, pushing his brother's arm, "She was concussed, you idiot. People say stupid things all the time."
"No, no, Duane Lee," Dog shook his head, noticing the disappointed look on his third son's face, "We don't know if she meant it or not."
"Dad!" Duane Lee exclaimed, raising his hands slightly in exasperation, "what if he says it to her, thinking she meant it, and she freaks the fuck out? She's just come out of a long, abusive relationship. I have no doubt that she really cares about you, Leland, and no doubt that she wants to be with you for a long time, but maybe she just said she loved you because she hasn't had anyone take care of her like you did, and she's confusing those two feelings."
Leland sunk into his seat, taking a big gulp of water, "I didn't say anything back, and I wasn't gunna. I just..." He drifted off, looking over his shoulder at the group of women who had just entered the house, loudly admiring the new front door.
"You love her, don't you?" Dog quietly said.
"Yeah," Leland nodded, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. He ignored Duane Lee's groan of frustration and the advice he was dishing out to his little brother.
"Daddy!" The back door flung open, Leiah running out and throwing her arms around her dad. He kissed her cheek, sitting her on his leg as she recounted the day she had had. He listened intently, laughing at the shenanigans that Zahli and herself had gotten up to.