Cupidity (Sequel to Cupid's Daughter)

Chapter 29~ I Kind of Got My Happily Ever After

<<LAST CHAPTER BEFORE THE EPILOGUE HOLY HECK.>>

The week that followed my confrontation with Noah and Ethan felt strangely lonely. My father, Darla and JC were preoccupied with moving and unpacking, Sam and Kiely had gone back to school and I wasn't holding my breath that I would hear from Noah or Ethan anytime soon.

Whilst I knew that I should be proud that I had made this big, empowering decision to be by myself, now that I was, I was scared.

I was scared that my mother wasn't going to wake up, scared that I had no idea what I was doing and scared about the uncertainty of my future.

As I sat next to my mother's bed with a journal and pen in my hands, for quite possibly the first time in my life, I didn't have anything to write. I had brought with me the blue pleather notebook that I hadn't touched since I was a child in hopes of finding release. Clearly, that wasn't going to happen.

Instead, I focused on the pale yellow walls of room 307, my mind drifting towards Noah. JC told me that Noah had already gone to the police to plead guilty to Sabrina's charges, and his trial was tomorrow. I was going to go regardless of the fact that we hadn't spoken, because I still wanted to help and support him even if we weren't an item. Noah and I had been friends long before we were a couple, and I hoped that eventually we could find our way back to that point.

I just wished that there was a way to prove that Sabrina was lying about Charles and Noah. No one deserved to have their life ruined by a petty girl who couldn't move past high school drama and vendettas-- no matter what petty acts they had committed themselves.

"Isabelle?" 

I whipped around at the sound of the tiny voice, certain that I was hearing things as all thoughts erased from my mind. 

"Mom?" I whispered, latching onto her hand. Her eyes were closed, but she squeezed my hand in return, letting me know that she wasn't asleep. 

"Mom!" I cried, pressing my lips to her bony fingers. "You're awake! You're actually awake." I grinned euphorically, wanting her to say more to prove that she really was awake. 

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared down at me from under heavy lids. She continued to watch me for a moment, her chest heaving as she fought to keep her breathing steady. "Have..." she gasped quietly, "have Cupid's ratings dropped?" She whispered in a croaky voice. 

I laughed, shaking my head. All of a sudden, it didn't matter to me that this woman had practically ignored me since I was a little kid, or that there was still a box of my stuff in her New York apartment that she hadn't bothered to send. 

I had almost lost her. My mother. But I hadn't.

All that mattered was that she was okay. 

"No, mom, Cupid is doing fine." I assured her, wiping away a stray tear. 

She smiled weakly. "And what about you? Are you fine?" 

"You're almost killed in a car accident and you want to know how I am? How very un- Courtney-like." I mused, before rubbing my thumb over her knuckles and smiling. "I'm getting there. Slowly. Just like you." 

***

The Conway household was bustling with life when I woke the following morning. Everyone was rushing around trying to eat breakfast and get ready for Noah's court hearing. There were still boxes everywhere, which made it difficult for anyone trying to enter or exit the rooms.

My legs shook uncontrollably as I stared at my bowl of cereal, too nervous to eat. 

"Calm down, Issy. Everything's going to be fine." JC reassured me, but I couldn't relax. If they found him guilty...