Ida's POV
Sebastian is missing, again. He disappeared at the Homecoming game, and I haven't seen him since. After the game ended, Daisy, Delilah, and Abby comforted me. Today, my birthday, I spent my time with Delilah. Later, I leave her house to spend time on my own.
As I walk back home from Lilah's house, I get a call from Isaiah.
"Hey."
"Hey. Is everything ok?"
"Yeah, I just wanted to know if you were still up for family movie night."
"I mean I guess..."
"Are you ok?"
"No. He's gone."
The other end goes silent for a few seconds until an agonizing groan comes from the background. Then Isaiah says, "Look, I know you love him, but you have to move on. He's gone."
I shake my head. "I'll be home in a minute." I end the call and keep walking home.
When I get home, Isaiah is sitting on the couch with "Coraline" pulled up for us to watch. I run upstairs and change into pajamas before heading downstairs to make my bag of popcorn.
"You still love cinnamon on your popcorn?" Isaiah says while making us both hot chocolate.
"Of course," I respond with a halfhearted grin.
He frowns and goes to sit down on the couch. I follow suit with my popcorn and hot chocolate.
After we are halfway through the movie, Isaiah turns to me.
"I know you won't like this, but I've something to tell you. I work for Charlotte."
"Charlotte?"
"Witter. I work for Charlotte Witter. She's not actually that bad. Before you get all mad, I did it to protect you and Papa and Dad. Charlotte was coming after Dad for rejecting her in high school so I either had to let her kill Dad or join her."
The fist that I hadn't realized I had made, unfurled. He was doing it to protect me? Well, maybe if he has stayed with Charlotte, she isn't all that bad.