Super Long A/N: Sorry for the long break loyal fans!!
The bad news: My beloved 2-year-old Dell Inspiron E1505 (named Tinkerbell for its epic cover); laptop and writing companion, has been infected with a deadly windowsclick virus and god-knows-what-else. So, I've been writing during it's short bursts of conciousness (sp?).
The good news: My birthday is in exactly 5 days, and I happen to be certain that I will be receiving a brand new MacBook Air (wooot!!!!). So, after complicated file conversions, iTunes transfers (can't write without my inspiration!), and a relaxing weekend by my aunt's pool in Long Island (which isn't open yet but I can still write in the sunlight), I'll be up and running steadily again. Meanwhile, here's chapter 9, written before the epic crash and posted during a bout of awakeness from Tink.
Discla, imer: I don't own Wuthering Heights...
Caty watched Isabella and HC from the back window. She wished she could hear what they were saying. The false promises he was whispering into her ear, the eagerness with which she replied. She needed to know, for Izzie's sake. What would he do with her? And where will that leave you?
Her head was still spinning. The only thing she knew for certain was that HC didn't love Isabella. No, she knew him too well. She had seen revenge in his eyes, there was no running from the truth. She knew the only solution, but refused to admit it. She could not, would not abandon Edgar.
Downstairs, HC was touching Isabella's cheek, and saying one last thing. She turned around and went back into the building, barging through the penthouse doors within the next ten minutes. She ran to her room without acknowledging Caty, who followed her. Izzie was throwing clothes into an open suitcase on the bed.
Caty stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, "Iz, what do you think you're doing?"
"Leaving, finally, and you can't stop me. I'm going to live my life the way I want to, not the way you want me to."
"Isabella, you can't do this. He's going to hurt you. This isn't what you think it is."
"No, it is, it very much is. Talk to him if you want to! Ask him! Ask him who he loves!"
That was when Edgar appeared behind Caty. She turned around and saw the expression on his face. He was hurt, and panicked. He couldn't lose Iz. She was his little sister, the girl he practically raised while their parents socialized. It hurt Caty too much to see that. She could just see him becoming drained, an empty shell. Her marriage would fall apart in front of her eyes. That was not going to happen. She slammed the door behind her and took the elevator down to the lobby. She would plead with HC, beg him. She would do anything to stop him from taking Isabella.
HC's soft expression dissapeared as soon as he saw Caty. There was no use pretending around her. She could see through him, always, "Ah, Caty, this is a surprise. Well here I was expecting my future bride, and I get my ex-best friend, unless we're still good."
Caty put on the tough look that used to intimidate everyone except for him, "Look, HC, I want you out of my life! I don't want you messing with Izzie, Edgar, or anyone else." Then, in a pleading tone, "I'm happy now. Can't you just be happy for me? Isn't that what friends do?"
"No Caty, friends don't stab friends in the back. Friends don't move on when they find something better."
"Do you really think I moved on? I was miserable! If it weren't for Edgar, I would still be lying in bed! Edgar and I belong together! This is what's right! So just leave!"
"You never said anything about love in there, Caty. Do you really love that fake? I said it once and I'll say it again: You can do better." His words hurt her just as much as they had years ago.
"What? Like you?" she finally understood what he had meant.
"Caty, tell me honestly. Tell me that you never want to see me again and I'll leave, I swear. Just remember, this time I won't come back, and it will be all your fault."
How could she answer that? He had found her weak spot. He was her weak spot. He didn't even give her a chance to answer, though. Instead, he kissed her, right there in front of her building. They kissed for about a millisecond before she shoved him off, but it was too late, she knew now. The tiny flicker in the back of her mind was getting larger and larger, silencing the alarm bells. Every part of her gave into it. Before she knew it, she was kissing him again, and the world had disappeared. Why hadn't she seen this before? She had, but she hadn't wanted to admit it to herself. She didn't need the fancy cars and money. She only needed HC, and he was right there in front of her.
She heard a shout in the distance, and felt HC being pulled away from her. She recognized the hand on his chest, "Edgar?!"
The world snapped back into place, Edgar was hitting HC, and HC wasn't resisting. Edgar was shouting again. What was he shouting? She focused her mind on his words, "Keep your hands off of her!" She suddenly realized what was going on. Edgar thought that HC had kissed her. She wasn't planning on telling him the truth. She couldn't leave him. It wasn't the way things were supposed to be. She couldn't remember the perfection she had felt five seconds ago. HC was standing a few feet away with blood on his lip. Isabella was standing at the entrance of the building with her suitcase. She dropped it and rushed to him. When she passed Caty, she whispered, "I know what you did" in her ear. Edgar grabbed Caty by the arm and left, not looking back at his sister or HC. He had made a choice, a misguided, blinded choice. Izzie also turned her back, and the siblings who had been inseparable a week ago proudly went their separate ways.
