The End of a Marriage (Colette and Matheo) novel Chapter 208

Chapter 208

CHAPTER 12

Around 4 a.m., he was jolted awake by a nightmare so vivid it felt like

it was happening in real time. The nightmare was horrific–he saw his own funeral, his body lying motionless in a casket being lowered into

the ground. But that wasn’t what haunted him. What stayed with him,

clawing at his mind, was the image of Isla. Little Isla, no longer a

child in his eyes, but a young woman trapped in a nightmare of her own. She was on the ground, pinned down by two brute men while a third loomed over her, his hands all over her as she screamed, her

cries for help echoing in the emptiness. But there was no one there to

answer her cries. No one to save her.

Graham’s heart pounded as he shot up from the chair, drenched in cold sweat. The room was still dark, save for the faintest light creeping in from the window. He rubbed his face, trying to shake off the terror that clung to him. It was as though the nightmare had seeped into his soul, each detail searing itself into his memory.

He glanced at the clock. It was 4 a.m., an hour before the first light of day. The silence around him was oppressive, and in that quiet, he

found himself contemplating everything–the decisions he had made, the life he had led, and the promises he had failed to keep. His mind

raced, plagued by thoughts of Isla. She was vulnerable, too

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vulnerable, and the world was too dangerous for someone like her. He couldn’t shake the feeling that time was slipping through his fingers, that the danger wasn’t over, not by a long shot.

An hour later, the first light of day began to creep through the

window, casting a faint glow across the room. Graham didn’t notice

the beauty of the morning–he couldn’t. He was too focused, too

consumed by a new sense of urgency. A mission had formed in his

mind, clear and undeniable. He needed to act. He had to protect her.

He couldn’t fail her. Not again. This time, he would do whatever it

took to make sure she was safe, and he would do it with the precision

and determination it required.

At 7 a.m., Edwin knocked on Isla’s door to let her know that breakfast

had been laid out in Graham’s room. Ten minutes later, she entered,

wearing a pair of old jeans that used to fit her comfortably, but now

hung loose around her thin frame. It was another blow to Graham’s

heart. She had lost so much weight, and he hated seeing her like this.

The poor thing had been through so much, and it made him more

certain than ever of his decision. She couldn’t stay like this, not living

in fear, not existing in the shadows of a life that had no room for her.

She needed care. She needed protection. And he was the only one

who could give her that.

”

As they sat at the table, eating in silence, Graham found himself

studying her in a way he never had before. She was so small, so fragile, a thin slip of a girl, but there was something undeniable about

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her beauty. It struck him with an intensity that almost took him by

surprise. Her heart–shaped face, framed by dark, curly hair, and those

eyes–those piercing blue eyes that seemed to hold the whole sky in

them. She was striking, beautiful in a way that no one else could

compare to. But the most striking thing was how, until now, he had

never truly seen her.

Perhaps it was because he had refused to. Maybe it was because, for

so long, he had seen her as nothing more than his step–sister,

someone he needed to protect out of obligation. But that phase of

their lives was over. Isla was no longer a child. She wasn’t just a girl

who needed protection–she was a woman who needed a home. She

needed love, and more than anything, she needed a place where she

belonged. And if he was the one to offer that, then so be it.

He cleared his throat, his voice breaking the silence. “Isla,” he said,

his tone serious, “I think we should talk.”

She glanced up at him, a spoonful of yogurt in her hand. “About

what?” she asked, her voice soft, but a hint of wariness in her eyes.

Graham hesitated, unsure of what he was about to say, but certain

that it was the only thing he could offer her. He had no plan. He

wasn’t sure if this would work or if he was making a mistake, but

something inside him told him this was the only way forward.

“I think it’s time for us to make some decisions,” he said, his voice

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