Chapter 19:
(Isabella POV)
I looked up at him, "You what?" My voice sounded a lot weaker than I wanted it to and I hated how desperate it sounded. He let out a breath, "I like you." No, he didn't mean it like that. I'm reading too much into it, "Yeah I mean I'm barely your friend right, of course you like me." He shook his head, "No. You know what I meant." I gulped but nodded my head in agreement, "I know what you meant." I blew out a long slow breath, "I like you too." We let our confessions hand in the air.
"So I know what you said about kissing..." He started but I rolled my eyes, "Don't ruin the moment. You still have some explaining to do." He looked at me confused, "What exactly?" "Why don't you want people to know that we've kissed each other? Or do you think that it is just a bad idea? Why are you the one to stop?" The questions began to pile up. He nodded his head,"Um ok... Well at the end of the year I'm supposed to leave here and you... you are going to stay." He let out a long breath and looked out towards the distance, "Making relationships and building connections makes it hurt so much more when it is time to leave. I have been warned about that my entire life and so I always keep my distance, because it makes sure that I won't get hurt." I nodded my head, "So you were trying to stop yourself from getting hurt?" He looked me in the eye, "Not just me."
I felt that one hit me deeper than I thought it would, "So what do we do now?" "I don't want to make anything harder for you or your family," he started and I nodded my head "Neither do I." "But, I don't want to stop kissing you and I don't think either of us really can," I smiled up at him, "Neither do I." He cleared his throat, "So here is my proposition, the way I see it we are both going to get hurt when it is time for me to go now," I nodded my head, "Yeah probably." "So why don't we enjoy the time that we have left? Let's hang out, do stuff together you know," he started but I shook my head.
"What happens when you leave in 8 months and I never see you again? What happens after we spend all this time together and then you disappear?" He cleared his throat, "Well I mean you could come with me if you wanted to." I shook my head, "You know I can't leave." "I could stay," he said but I shook my head, "You have a job, a job you won't tell me anything about, but a job. I'm not going to force you to be stuck here." "Well what do you want to do?" He asked. I shrugged, "I don't know."
(Caleb POV)
Why was she making it more difficult? Why couldn't this be easier? Isabella looked at me, "I have turned down dances, dates and proposals with pretty much every eligible man in Encanto. I don't let any of them get close to me besides my family. I don't want the first person I do get close to, to..." "To leave you behind." I finished and she nodded her head. "I am very lucky compared to a lot of people in Encanto. I haven't lost any loved ones or experienced any real tragedy like other members of my family, the only thing that I was ever asked to do was be perfect and I don't even do that anymore." I wished she didn't compare stuff like that and I hated how the butcher talked to her before.
She let out a breath, "I know that me not being perfect is hard for my family. Being with you would make things harder but, I would do it anyway and that scares me, especially when I know I'm not the only one who is going to get hurt in the end." If I was being honest it scared me too. Everything I knew about this place and the people that were there. I had been taught about them, preparing for this my entire life and 4 years ago when I found and lost them I vowed that I would do everything in my power to find this place again and make sure that they were brought to justice.
Isabella looked at me and leaned in for a kiss. Her fingers gently made there way through my hair as I held onto her. She pulled away slightly as she looked up at me, "I'm sorry." She then wrapped a vine around her wrist and went down the tree. No, she was not going to do that, "Hey." I called out as I began to climb down. Isabella was already on the ground and making her way back to Encanto. "Isabella." I was running after her. "Isabella." I grabbed her arm and she turned to face me. "You can't just do that." She shrugged, "You've been doing it all week. Thought I'd return the favor."
I shook my head, "No, you do not get to do that. We were talking about that and trying to figure it out." I saw that tears were streaking down her cheeks, "What is there to talk about? No matter what we are always going to end up getting hurt so it is really about minimizing collateral damage, right? And that is all I am, collateral damage from your job here in Encanto. What even is your job?" "Isabella," I started but she cut me off, "Oh that's right you can't tell me that, because after everything you don't trust me." "LIKE YOU TRUST ME?" I screamed and she shuddered back, "YOU HAVE NEVER TOLD ME ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR FAMILY OR YOUR GIFTS UNTIL I FOUND OUT ABOUT THEM MYSELF!" "BECAUSE IT WASN'T ONLY ABOUT ME, IT AFFECTED MY ENTIRE FAMILY," she said closing in on me. "WELL MY JOB ISN'T JUST ABOUT ME EITHER."
She looked at me and I watched as the wheels in her mind began to turn before she let out a breath and nodded her head, "Ok." "That's it?" I asked and she nodded her head, "That's it. I'm not saying that I'm not going to ask anymore questions but, I will back off." "You confuse me sometimes Isabella Madrigal," I said and she shrugged, "Join the club. I confuse myself half the time." I let out a breath, "At the risk of re-starting an argument what do you want to do?" She looked at me and gave me a half smile, "There is a town thing coming up." "The Founder's Festival," I said and she nodded her head, "Pick me up at 6." She went to walk away. "The festival?" I asked and she looked over her shoulder, "We have to start somewhere. I'll see you tomorrow in town." I smiled, "See you tomorrow."
The farther away she got from me the more I felt a sinking feeling in my chest. I was getting myself in deeper, I was actually fighting for it. Meanwhile the General was breathing down my neck reminding me about everything that they have done. I was going to see him in 7 weeks which meant that I had 7 weeks to figure everything out before I saw the General again. I didn't tell him everything last time and I had to figure out what I was going to do next.
(Isabella POV)
- the day of the festival -
I took one final look in the mirror as I situated the flowers in my hair and on my dress. I had spent more time then I cared to admit getting ready for today. I let my hair flow down, something I didn't typically do anymore as I made small braids or colored hair framing my face embedding flowers as I made my way down. I finished looking myself over in the mirror and made my way out of my room. I saw Dolores finishing up getting her kids ready with Mariano. Antonio was going to pick up his date. I'm pretty sure that everyone else was already there. Dolores saw me, "Isabella do you want to walk there with us?" I shook my head, "No I'll meet you all there." I watched as they headed out and looked at the clock I had about 15 minutes before he was supposed to get there.
I decided to go outside and practice my gift some more while I waited. I was focusing on growing a lulo shrub. I closed my eyes and focused on each individual aspect of the plant. It was easy to move around vines or manipulate flowers. Even trees were becoming easier but fruits and vegetables still alluded me. I opened my eyes to take a look and frowned as I saw the loop-sided fruit. They were uneven, none looking exactly right. I examined every single one of them before finding the perfect one. I held it up, "Impressive."
I turned and saw Caleb standing there. "Stalker," I said and he rolled his eyes, "I believe watching me while I'm working and making weeds grow under my feet is more of a stalker move than picking you up for plans that you made." I rolled my eyes, "Touché." I looked at the fruit in my hand, "So you can grow plants too?" I looked at him, "Working on it." He took it and took a knife out of his boot and cut it open handing me half, "Well cheers." He took a bite and I did too. "Not bad," he said before taking another one. We both finished and he asked, "Ready to go." I nodded my head, "Yeah, let's go."
As we walked towards town I kept looking back over at him. He was in a grey button-up shirt, black pants and his brown work gloves. I looked down at my own dark violet-blue dress with streaks of bright colors. My hand brushed against his gloves and I saw him smile as he took my hand. We walked into town and the festival was already well underway. He looked at me, "Can I have this dance?" I nodded my head and we made our way into the center of town. I could feel all the eyes on us as we began to dance.
(Caleb POV)
I could feel the eyes starring at us the moment that we walked into town. I could feel them burning into the back of my skull as I asked her to dance. All the men in town who I had seen ask Isabella on a date multiple times were clearly mad at me. My gaze stayed focus on Isabella though. She was always so much more relaxed and free as she danced, like all her worries were miles away andI envied that she was able to feel like that, but tonight I could tell that she could feel the gaze from others. "Are they bothering you?" I asked and she shook her head before nodding it slightly. "Do you want to stop?" She shook her head. I pulled her in closer and whispered, "Neither do I." She smiled and we continued to dance.