Cupidity (Sequel to Cupid's Daughter)

Chapter 8~ LA Baby

Fifty-five minutes and a slightly awkward car ride later, Wren had successfully returned me back to my dorm room and even walked me to the door to see that I got inside safely. I yawned hugely as I turned around in the doorway, feeling shy all of a sudden.

"Thank you for the ride." I said graciously, stifling another yawn that was trying to escape.

Wren nodded and leant against the wall. Though the towel was no longer around his neck he was still shirtless, dressed only in his shorts and Nike sneakers. We stood in a long silence and I pursed my lips, not knowing what else to say to him.

"Well, uh... bye." I waved pathetically and went to close the door, but Wren's hand shot out to stop me.

"Wait."

I looked at him expectantly.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, as if he was nervous about what he was going to say. "Look, Isabelle, I hope I'm not crossing a line here and I don't know what happened between you and Noah, but whatever he did just... cut him some slack, okay?"

I blinked. Cut him some slack?

I peered into the dorm to make sure Ellie was asleep before stepping out of the room and pulling the door shut. "What?"

Wren sighed, looking even more awkward by the second. "Shit. I'm not supposed to say anything, but just don't rip him to shreds next time you talk to him. He's going through some... uh, stuff."

I narrowed my eyes and took a step closer to Wren, so now there was only a few inches between us. What type of 'stuff' would Noah be going through that he wouldn't tell me about? In the five months we'd been together I had told Noah everything, and I'd thought he was telling me everything too.

"Stuff? What kind of stuff, Wren?" I demanded, having to remind myself to lower my voice as to not wake Ellie up. I would never ever cheat on Noah, and Ellie knows that as does everyone else, but shirtless boy outside my room at 3:30am probably wouldn't look great anyway.

Wren started to back away down the hallway, and I stalked him like a predator would seek its prey.

"You'll have to ask him yourself, Isabelle. I can't tell you. Just go easy on him, alright?"

Wren pushed the button on the elevator and it pinged open a second later. I wanted to pry the answers from him, to force him to tell me what was going on with my boyfriend.

Ha. Asking someone else what my boyfriend was going through... never thought I'd have to say that.

I watched the elevator doors close and my answers disappear, and then turned on my heel and marched into my dorm, throwing myself back into bed to wallow.

***

"Issy, time to wake up." Ellie's sing-song voice rang out from above me, and she hovered a bowl of cereal over my head.

I groaned and flipped over onto my right side.

I heard Ellie sigh. "Look, Issy, you're going to have to get up and face the world at some point. Besides, you need to pack and hand in your petition form to the school or you'll never be ready in time for your flight tomorrow."

I continued to bury myself into the pillows until her words sunk in. I shot upright in my bed.

"What did you just say?"

Ellie munched on her cereal and shot me a pointed look. "Your flight for LA? It leaves at three pm tomorrow."

I brushed my unruly hair from my face and stared at Ellie, my mouth gaping. "What?!"

Ellie shrugged and frowned, not understanding my confusion. "The flights that Mr Manolis' secretary sent you. They're for three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I assumed you knew about it." She picked up an envelope on the nightstand that I hadn't even noticed was there and threw it towards me. I caught it in the air and tore the packaging open greedily, which wasn't difficult as Ellie had already opened it.

Inside was an economy airplane ticket to LAX and a small post-it note, with a message from Jane written in small, cursive writing.

Dear Isabelle,

Just in case you've made up your mind already. Remember what I told you.

-Jane Mills

(The World Against Us Magazine)

Underneath was a series of directions from the airport to the office, and butterflies churned in my stomach at the possibility that this could actually be happening.

"Oh my gosh, Ellie!" I squeaked, standing up on the bed with excitement. Ellie grinned, setting down her bowl as she ran over to me.

"So you're going?" She asked, and I squealed in response.

"I mean, they bought my freaking ticket! But," I paused, "where will I live? oh my god this is happening so fast! I'm not organized, I haven't even made my mind up yet!" I stressed.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Who cares! They paid for you to go to LA! Even if things don't work out, at least you tried. Take a risk, Issy! Be spontaneous!"

I sat and stared at my roommate, trying to make sense of what was happening. "I'm going to do it." I told her, my mouth speaking without my mind's permission. "I'm going to go to LA!"

Ellie whooped and cheered, standing on my bed and doing a happy dance, which I joined in with a moment later. And then I realized that I had one day to organize my semester off from school and tell Noah and... Noah. I still hadn't spoken to him since our fight, and I wasn't sure what I would say even if I could talk to him.

But I couldn't just leave, either.

My face fell, and I sat back down on the bed slowly as Ellie started to rush around, grabbing my suitcase and shoving stuff inside for me.

Was I really going to do this? Just up and leave?

Things were tense between us, but they would be even worse if I fled for six months without even telling him. No matter what he had done, I couldn't betray his trust like that.

I had just one day to sort my life out.

Though I didn't know how to fix things with Noah or how long it would take to arrange a leave of absence from college, I knew now that there was no way in hell I could pass up this opportunity.

No matter what, I was going to LA.