Silver Fox - Unedited

19 || A Man Unmanned

Isaiah was, for lack of a better term, in shambles. The man hadn't eaten a thing in three days and he kept wondering if he was going to starve to death. He just didn't have an appetite. Without her he didn't want to eat a thing.

He hadn't realised how far gone he was with Fabiana until the moment he'd looked at his kitchen and felt sick to his stomach. They'd had some of the best sex there, and she'd even helped him cook multiple times.

Was six months of hooking up enough to fall in love with somebody?

"You're actin' like a child, Isaiah." Fiona pulled the covers from his body to reveal it was near midday. "And put some clothes on, for goodness sake."

"What do you want, Fi?" He groaned, pulling the covers over himself again. "How'd you get past the dogs?"

"They practically led me to you. All you do these days is sleep. What's gotten into you, boy?" The woman placed her hands on her hips, her long ponytail swinging back and forth as she spoke. "Did you lose a bounty? Were you fired?"

He'd lost something, alright.

"Is it that Miracruz girl?"

At the mention of Fabiana Isaiah shot up, immediately regretting it. He hissed and rubbed his temples, both the sudden sunlight and the quick action assaulting his eyes and head.

"So it is her." Fiona scoffed, taking a seat at the end of the bed. "She told me you barely knew each other."

Hurt stabbed at Isaiah's heart, and he resisted the urge to throw his sister out on her ass. "She's right. We barely know each other."

"Then?"

"I fell in love with her, which was a mistake." He flopped back down on his back and sighed, feeling depressed.

"You've been prone to mistakes your entire life. Your first marriage was a mistake, your signin' up for the military just to get away from your family was a mistake, your lifestyle after that was a mess." Fiona took a deep breath. "You've been makin' mistakes your entire life, Isaiah."

"Get the fuck out, Fi." He rolled over, burying his face in his pillow. He wasn't in a mood to hear his sister's snide remarks about his life. Nobody had approved of his life choices, though they'd worked out well for him.

"Hear me out. Accordin' to the family, you've been makin' mistakes, but they've always worked for you. Stayin' away from the family business was the best thing you coulda done." Fiona didn't finish the part where she was going to say he would've ruined it. "You don't make mistakes, you make happy accidents."

"You fucked Bob Ross one time, Fiona. Give it a rest." Isaiah rolled his eyes beneath his closed eyelids. His older sister was more annoying than their nagging mother had been. The moment the old crone died, Fiona welcomed him back into the family.

"Don't you dare disrespect me, Isaiah." Fiona planted her hands on her hips and glared at his form. "I'm tryin' to help you."

"Don't want your help."

"I spoke to Felix DuPont. You know that lil girl o' yours told him she couldn't go out with him because she had another man in her sights?"

Isaiah couldn't dare to be hopeful. She'd either used him as an excuse, or if she had a man in her sights for real, it wasn't him. She'd just used him and shut him out.

"That doesn't mean anythin'."

"It means plenty comin' from a woman like that." The older woman pursed her lips, trying to articulate what she wanted to say in a nicer fashion. "Do you think she loves you?"