Colliding Worlds

Mixed Signals

"It was really nice talking to you Maria! Please invite me to bake with you sometime! I would love it!" Willow said to the head chef as she walked back to her room with the directions Maria had given her. Directions were never Willow's strong suit, so when she left Isaiah in a flurry of mixed emotions, she was bound to get lost. Luckily, she ran into some of the wait staff and cooks who were more than willing to lend a helping hand. After talking to them for quite some time, she felt relieved to be making so many friends, even if it was just staff. It helped to be able to see friendly faces in an unfamiliar place. 

"Oh I will dear! We are happy to have you staying with us!" Maria said as Willow went on her way. Maria might never know it, but having someone say they were happy to have her here meant the world. Especially when certain people made her feel pretty unwanted. 

She thought back to her conversation with Isaiah, and had to take deep breaths not to get angry all over again. How could he be so thick in the head? She just tried to remember her mother's words and choose to try, even when he refused. She could do that, right? Give her heart freely even if it was constantly rejected? She felt her throat close at the heartbreak she knew that would cause. She could see all of it play out in her mind. She knew that she would fall for him eventually if she kept giving herself to him, and she knew that if her love wasn't reciprocated, it would break her. She touched her lips as she climbed the marble staircase to her room, and dared to hope that it meant something; that it was proof of a crack in his mindset to keep her at arm's length, that maybe she would be able to win him over if she just kept trying. She let a sole tear glide down her cheek as she opened the doors to her new room; she was tired of being strong, tired of fighting, tired of being the selfless one. She climbed into bed without changing a single piece of clothing, and pulled the covers tight around her body. She just wanted to sleep, to sleep, and forget about what could be, what might be, and what is; she just wanted to let her mind rest. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So have you informed the Lady yet?" A man asked from outside Willow's door.  

"No, that's what I'm here to do now. Is she awake yet?" She heard what sounded like Isaiah ask. She groaned and rolled over on her side to look at her alarm clock. When she saw the bright, red letters flashing 5:30, she groaned even louder and threw the covers over her head. What could they possibly want at this hour? "Willow?" she heard Isaiah call from the otherside of the door as he knocked. 

"What?" she grumbled, cringing at her own morning voice. Why couldn't she be like the girls in the movies who woke up looking perfect? Why couldn't her morning voice be sultry instead of manly? 

"Are you decent?" he asked already slowly opening the door. 

"Yeah." she mumbled pulling the covers off of her body and slowly coming to a sitting position. "Why on earth am I up so early?" she asked rubbing her face in an effort to wake herself up more. 

"Why are you sleeping in the same clothes as yesterday?" he asked, looking at her with caution. 

"Why do you care?" she asked with a glare of her own. "You just came to inform me of my duties today, right?" 

He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "As much as I don't want to be in a relationship at the moment, it doesn't mean we can't be friends and be civil. I don't want a wife, but we should be friends." 

She wanted to shake him and scream in his face about how stupid and illogical he was being. Couldn't he see that a marriage was built off of friendship? Plus, guys and girls can never be just friends, someone always develops feelings. Why was he so scared of dating, but so eager to be her friend? She wanted to pull her hair out the more she thought about his behavior and beliefs, but she bit her tongue; she was still tired, and had no energy to pick that fight. "Fine. If you must know, I was too tired last night to change. I had a long day and I just wanted to stop thinking."