Back To Black

Isabella

Being with Danny gave me a boldness like no other. Here I was a day after Thomas went to Danny's house with me and I was driving 45 minutes to go talk to a girl that I didn't even know to get any information I could get. After doing business with Danny, I should be a private investigator.

When I got into BriarCrest I was amazed at all of the nice houses. They were huge and sat back far with big yards and gates that went on for acre's. I wonder how someone can go from living in a foster home to living out here?

Thomas gave me the information on Isabella's whereabouts. He went in the club and stole Danny's files since his were kept secured and separated from the rest of everyone else's. Said it was too risky for me to do. Danny obviously has something he doesn't want anyone else to find out.

I pulled up to the house, and to my surprise the gate was open. Isabella lived in a really big house that was an off orange color and had huge glass windows. The lawn was so green and kept cut, there wasn't a dry patch in sight.

I didn't even know what I was going to say. I didn't know Isabella and she didn't know me. I was literally a complete stranger showing up to another girl's house to get information I had no business knowing, but yet I was still going through with it.

As my car traveled up the long and steep driveway, I brought it to a complete stop and turned it off. My hands tightened and released around the wheel, repeatedly, and the sweat from my hands rubbed off on the wheel.

"Well.......here I go." Getting out of the car, my heart raced a little bit faster and faster with each step I took.

So many thoughts flooded my head and as I approached Isabella's door, my feet froze. As my hand reached for the doorbell a sudden chill ran down my spine and my hand shook, violently.

As I heard the loud sound of the doorbell as it echoed through the house, my heart sank, but I was ready to run when I heard someone approaching the door, but as I was ready to turn around and run, it was too late, the door swung open.

"Yes." I stood there, frozen. In a split second my throat became dry and sore, there was a certain aching in it like a claw scratching against it, or sand paper being rubbed against it, repeatedly.

The woman in front of me was beyond beautiful, she was about 5'2. The roots of her hair where black and the rest of her hair was brown. An accent pierced through her English and her skin was sun kissed. She had on a yellow, long sleeved belly shirt and the sleeves hung off her shoulders, exposing her skin and shorts.

"Excuse me, may I help you?" I stared her in her eyes and I somehow finally found out what to say.

"Isabella?" Her eyebrows turned it and concern filled her face. It was her. I knew it was her, I compared her face to the picture I saw of her that was now embedded into my mind.

"Do I know you?" I shook my head, unsure of what to say next.

"No. No, you don't. I'm Jessa, Jessa Donavon." I paused.

"Is there something I can help you with, Jessa Donavon?"

"Sort of...... I'm a friend of Phillip." Her face dropped and in a split second, her demeanor changed. She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her.

"He sent you to find me, huh?! He finally wants something to do with me, huh? Too late now! What you one of his little girlfriends or something? How much he got you putting out?!" I shook my head.

"No, no, no! I'm not with Phillip or anything like that. He doesn't even know I'm here." She retreated a little, but her hands balled into fists at her side.

"Explain yourself." I took a deep breath and began speaking. I told her everything, about Danny finding me at the café and how they wanted me to be the face of the club. I explained to her about Fiona locking me in the attic , the Pink Diamonds, how I stole the files, how I found out Fiona and Phillip were siblings, Thomas saying how he believed Jay about Danny, the treehouse. Everything that had been happening, I surely told Isabella about it.

Her mouth dropped and she became speechless. "I don't believe it....once Kendra had left I knew they were going to start closing in their circle, but they've all gone mad."

"Wait, you knew about all this? I thought you met Phillip when you guys were in foster care." Isabella shook her head and sat down on the step.

"That's what we wanted them to believe. I met Phillip in highschool and we were great friends. He was nice to me when others never game me a chance, he knew that my home life wasn't all that good and I got sent away to foster care. Phillip left home to come find me."

I couldn't believe it. It seems like everyone knows everyone in this business. All of them seem to have history that goes back for years. "Wait, I thought he left because his home life was messed up."

"He did, but his home had been messed up for years and it never bothered him because he found someone that was going through the same thing and it helped him realize the world wasn't just crashing down on him. So, he went to go find me. No one would ever just allow themselves to be put in foster care without putting up a fight." Isabella's words sunk deep down in my soul, she was right.

The door to her house opened up and a tall man about 6'2 and a little girl with beautiful, curly, brown hair and skin just like Isabella's stepped out behind him. Her eyes were hazel and sparkled in the sun.

"We were wondering where you went off to." The man spoke up, as the little girl caught glimpse of me, she hid behind his leg. Isabella looked back at the girl and smiled.

"Come here, mija." She called out to her daughter in Spanish.

The little girl let go of her grip on the man and walked slowly to her mother, breaking into a run. When she reached Isabella, she barried her face in her momma's hair. "Jessa, this is my beautiful daughter, Alexa and my husband, Andre." I smiled at them both.

"It's nice to meet you, both."

"Nice to meet you too." Andre's voice was deep and smooth.

"Andre this is my friend, Jessa." She looked back at me and winked with a smile. "I'll be in there in just a minute." She patted Alexa's leg. "Go with daddy, okay babe."

Alexa jumped off Isabella's lap and ran into the house with Andre. As soon as he closed the door behind them, Isabella spoke up.

"She's four and doesn't know that that's not her dad. We plan on telling her when she's older and can understand. Right now she's too little." My eyes widened.

"That's not her dad? You mean she's......." Isabella nodded and rose to her feet.

"I want Phillip to meet her, I really do. Every little girl should know who her daddy is, but all the stuff he's into....." She shook her head. "I don't want her around all that." I understood what Isabella meant. Here I was as living proof of what a couple weeks in the business could do to you.

"You're brave Jessa. Very brave." Isabella rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around me, into a hug. "I'm sorry they did this to you and I hope you get out. They're good people with bad hearts. Just do me a favor..."

I nodded. "Stay away from that Fiona, she only wants Danny and will get rid of anyone that's in her way and watch Kendra, she may seem like she's helping you, but her intentions are bad and they're after her. If they find out you're talking to her, they'll be after you too."

"I'll remember that. Thank you, Isabella and I hope the best for you and your family."

"Thank you." Isabella watched me as I headed back to my car, once I got the door opened, I prepared to get in. "Hey, Jessa!" I looked up to see Isabella with her arms crossed. "Do me a favor, don't tell Phillip you saw Alexa, if anything.......just tell him I'm fine." I nodded, smiling and got in my car, driving away.

"He's a football player......" I said to myself. That's how she got the house, I've seen him before, playing football.