Learning To Love Him

Eleven

Isaac's POV
Nora's car follows me home, every time I glance in the rear view mirror, a smile sneaks onto my face. I know when I get home I'm not going to be smiling anymore. This is going to get ugly and I don't know how to avoid it. I pull into the driveway and Nora pulls in behind me. She walks up beside me and nods as if to tell me she's ready.

As I open the front door and step back to let Nora in first, I see my mother standing with her arms crossed and a furious expression on her face. This is already going terribly.

"Hi Mum." I say politely. This whole politeness thing is new and I'm borrowing it from Nora.

"Don't 'Hi Mum' me Isaac." She points to the living room and then looks at Nora, "Come in Nora, it's seems you are the topic of this debate."

Nora says a hello to my mum in that sweet innocent voice she possesses, and then walks in and sits next to me on the lounge.

"It's probably good you're here Nora, we can hear what you have to say about what Victoria has mentioned." Nora looks uncomfortable and I want to comfort her, but something tells me now isn't a good time.

"Oh and what has Victoria mentioned exactly?" Nora says calmly despite her obvious discomfort.

"That Isaac forced himself on you at school a couple of days ago." Mum says looking at me with a look of disgust.

Nora looks up finally making eye contact with Victoria. "I don't know where Victoria got that story from." She says looking away from Victoria and back at my mother.

"Isaac?" Mum looks at me.

"You heard Nora, why would she lie?"

"Because she's protecting you for whatever reason!" Victoria shouts and Nora jumps beside me, startled at the sudden outburst.

"Well what you're trying to do is wrong Victoria!" Nora shouts back and I'm taken aback I had never seen her react or speak to anyone in a way that wasn't polite.

"Enough!" Mum says. "Victoria?" She turns to face my sister.

"He doesn't belong here Mum, and I don't know why but Nora is lying for him. He needs to go back to where he came from and stop corrupting good people." Victoria says evenly.

"That's not nice Victoria he is you brother." Mum says.

Victoria looks me dead in the eye and says "He's no brother of mine." She storms out and disappears upstairs.

"Nora?" Mum looks back at Nora who looks like she's seen a ghost.

"I didn't lie for him." She says simply and Mum seems to take it. "Mrs Martinez?"

"Yes?"

"Let me handle Victoria." Nora says and as she gets up, she squeezes my hand and disappears upstairs.

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Nora's POV
Victoria is going to hate my ass for eternity. I did lie about the first time, but today erased the first time. Today was a real kiss, a real moment, a real connection.

Victoria can't understand Isaac because she won't give him a chance. I felt uncomfortable being part of a family argument that shouldn't have concerned me at all but for some reason it did.

I knock lightly on Victoria's door and wait. She opens it after a moment and then after seeing me, tries to slam the door but I block it and force my way in.

"Get out!" She demands.

"No you're going to hear me out and then I'll leave."

"You lied." She says a tear sliding down her cheek.

"I know but you have to understand that I'm this close to cracking Isaac. Something bad has happened to him and I can help him, I just know I can."

"You made me look like a fool." She says tears filling both of her eyes.

"Victoria you are my best friend and you should trust me, and you didn't. I didn't have choice he needed my help." I say.

"He's a scumbag."

"You're wrong." I say unable to believe the judgement she placed in someone she barely knew. I turn around and walk out, down the stairs past Isaac and Mrs Martinez, get in my car and leave. I drive home and as dusk settles in. I don't know what I've done, maybe I lost Victoria because of Isaac but I know something is making Isaac so...... afraid.

He is capable of emotion and when we were talking today I saw that emotion touch the surface, buried deep behind the wall he builds to block it in.

As I pull into the driveway I see someone standing on the porch but I can't make out who it is.

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Isaac's POV
I tailed her home because the way she left told me something was wrong. I stop a couple of houses down from hers and watch her approach the porch and someone, a guy, walks to meet her. They talk for a moment and then he reaches down and kisses her.

What the fuck?! Who is that?! I want to go over there and punch his face in. She doesn't pull away she just shakes her head afterwards and they talk for a while and then she walks away from him and goes inside.

I pull out my phone and call her but she doesn't answer. I try again.

"Hello?"

"Hey is it cool if I come over now?" I say trying to sound chilled out and calm.

"I'm kinda tired, but if you want to you can come."

"Ok I'll be there soon." I hang up. And as I get out of the car at her place I wonder whether she'll keep it from me.

She opens the door after I knock and she lets me in. She seems distracted and sad at the same time.

"You okay?" I ask her.

"I don't know how to do this." She says head down.

"Do what?" I say confused.

"Whatever this is." She gestures between herself and me.

"What do you mean?"

"So many secrets so much loss. I can't handle it."

"I don't understand." I say.

"I have lost enough and I won't lose anyone else. Things change. I can't sit around waiting for someone who can't give me all of themself." She says tears build up in her eyes making them look glassy.

I open my mouth to speak but she keeps going.

"Jayden asked me to be his girlfriend and he kissed me. He's given me everything, I can't say the same for you. I can't stand the secrets and the lies and the boundaries. Victoria hates me and for what? I don't even know what I was defending."

I can see it in her eyes that kiss changed everything, he made her feel special and he trusted her more than I could. "I just need time." I say.

"I'm sorry." she says and as she goes to walk out I do the unthinkable. Never had I done something so reckless, so insane. But I did it for her, because I loved her.