Isaac

I fling the door open and walk back to the party, my eyes searching for Beth. I remember how her dark hair felt against my chest the night of the prom, swaying to the music only we can hear. I see candle flames casting shadows and light dancing on the walls. I smell the melting wax. I feel her silk-covered curves under my hands. My pulse quickens at the thought of holding her in my arms again.

When I reach the dance floor, however, I am met with a scene that stops me in my tracks and triggers emotions I thought permanently buried. A tall, thin woman with dark hair is walking toward Beth. Not only that, but Beth is greeting her with a bright smile and hug.

The betrayal is intense. It's hard to see Beth greet her aunt with such warmth after everything she did to me, to us.

Seeing Beth with her aunt, I am transported back to Beth's apartment. The poisonous words she used against me are hammering in my mind, still messing with me after all these years. They are barbs in my heart that Beth didn't defend me against, and the pain still flows deep.

David joins them and puts his arm around Beth's shoulders. Her aunt says nothing. She is all smiles and gracious. Apparently he is good enough to be around Beth. He whispers something in Beth's ear, and she throws her head back and laughs.

It's all too much.

Too much.

I can't take it anymore. I need to get out of here, away from these people. I need fresh air.

I need to forget for awhile.

As I turn to leave, I feel a hand on my arm and look down into another pair of brown eyes. Different from Beth's, but beautiful and exotic in their own right.

"Would you like to dance?" David's secretary asks.

I search for her name. Claire, isn't it?

Would I like to dance? Yes, but I can't tell her I want to dance with someone else. I glance over at Beth.

My someone else is busy.

I open my mouth to decline, but I see something in Claire's eyes that stops me. Vulnerability. She is putting herself out on a limb here by asking. Her eyes are shining, and I have no desire to kill that light or to watch them cloud with confusion at my refusal. I don't have it in me to embarrass her by refusing, even if I would rather dance with Beth.

So when I open my mouth, the last thing I expect to come out does.

"Sure," I say.

I follow Claire onto the dance floor. It feels strange putting my hands on her waist. I haven't danced in years, other than a wild Bakiga tribal dance with locals in Uganda, but let's just say there was nothing intimate about it. This is worlds apart from that.

If I'm being truly honest with myself, there is a part of me angry at Beth for rejecting me. There's a part of me that's curious how she will react to see me dancing with Claire.

Claire is wearing a tight fitting red dress with a plunging neckline. I can't help but notice, and I try not to stare. There's a war waging between my mind and body. My mind screams I should be faithful to Beth, but that's ridiculous because she doesn't even want me. She admires me, yes, but that's not enough. Sure Beth may be willing to dance because David asked her to, but this woman actually wants to dance with me. Thinking back to the look of pity on Beth's face, I frown. I don't want to be anyone's charity case.

I solve the dilemma by focusing on Claire's face. She's lovely, and she laughs a lot. It feels good to be around someone that laughs so much, to perhaps forget for a little while all the terrible things I've seen. It's also nice I don't have a history with her. I don't realize how much tension I'm carrying in my shoulders until I relax them.

Claire is telling me a funny story about accidentally locking herself out of her apartment wearing nothing but her bathrobe and slippers and having no way to call anyone because she left her cell phone in the kitchen. I laugh as she describes her attempt to climb up a tree to break in through the window and losing a slipper in the process. I glance over and catch Beth staring at me. She looks away so quickly I can't read her face.

I try to pay closer attention to Claire. It's not fair for me to be staring at another woman while I'm dancing with her, even though it's taking every bit of willpower to not look over at the woman who had once agreed to be my wife.

The dance ends, and while it's been more enjoyable than I thought it would be, my eyes immediately search for Beth. I need answers.

I scan the room, but I don't see her. Her aunt and family are missing as well. Odd. David is standing by his wife, laughing and speaking with another mentor he briefly introduced me to.

I walk over to the banquet tables and fill my plate with a few appetizers. I eat a salmon cake as I search the room. Could Beth and her family have possibly left already?

An athletic girl with a gold dress that reveals her toned arms and legs approaches me.

"It's Isaac, right?" she asks. I nod. She smiles and extends a hand. "I'm Sophie, Beth's friend? She asked me to pass a message to you. She's sorry, but she had to leave early."

That made no sense. They had just arrived.

"Do you know why?" I asked, trying not to let my irritation show.

Sophia shrugs.

"All I know was they were in a hurry. There was a woman with her, I think she's Beth's aunt? She kept insisting they needed to leave. Honestly, I don't know how Beth puts up with it. Her father and sister are always bossing her around, but her aunt? It's like when she speaks, Beth doesn't have a mind of her own and she has to obey."

My hands curl into fists. I feel a surge of anger that burns brightly for a moment, then just as abruptly, it drops to a numbing emptiness, a hollow ache. It's foolish of me to feel so gutted, to believe that anything had changed, to hope that Beth isn't as securely under her family's control as she has always been. If anything, she has probably become more conditioned to following their orders for so many years.

She may put up with it, but I could never live that way.

My only chance at making things work with Beth had been that tiny sliver of time at college. I had tried, even made it to the point of getting engaged! I've wondered so many times what might have happened if Beth's aunt hadn't show up that day. There is no amount of money or success I could ever attain that would convince Beth's aunt I was worthy of her niece, of that I am sure. If only I could have convinced Beth to marry me without her family finding out! It would be too late for them to do anything about it then.

"I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to dance with Beth," Sophia says.

"It's no big deal," I say. I am such a liar.

"How long have you known each other?"

"We were friends back at Harvard, but we haven't really kept in touch since." Sophie's eyes widen.

"That's a long time. How was it seeing her after all this time?"

I think back to my initial impression of Beth, when I had walked out of David's office and seen her after all these years. She had still been beautiful, of course, but I could see the disappointment and fatigue etched into her face.

"She's changed quite a bit, actually, so much that I almost didn't recognize her. The girl I remember was so full of life. Now, Beth just seems ... tired," I say. What I wouldn't give to touch her, to kiss her, to bring back the vibrant girl I once knew. But as long as her family keeps driving a wedge between us, it would be pointless to think it was possible. It doesn't matter how badly I want Beth, I can't have her.

Sophie nods.

"I keep begging her to go on vacation with me, but she's always making excuses. Her sister takes advantage of her, I think. Beth's homeschooling her niece, maybe her nephew too, and she never seems to have time for herself. Every once in a while I can convince her to go out to lunch or dinner with me, and when we do, she's finally able to relax and it's like she's a different person. But then she has to go right back home to everything that sucks her energy."

"You're a good friend," I say. "She's lucky to have you."

"I try, but it's hard not to get frustrated. Beth is so talented and pretty. She should be married by now, or at least have an awesome boyfriend. She should have her own career and be living the life she wants, not living under the thumb of her family. I wish she had more confidence in herself. That's why I'm glad we're doing this competition together. I know getting away from her family for awhile will be good for her. Don't get me wrong, I love Beth to death, but I could never, ever live like she does! It would kill me to have someone else think for me or to order me around. If I found a man I loved and knew he cared for me, there is no one that could stop me from pursuing him!"

I smile at Sophie's passionate declaration. It's refreshing to be around a woman who thinks for herself, and I open my mouth to extend the invitation without thinking.

"Would you like to dance?" I ask.

Her beautiful face lights up, and for a moment I forget about Beth, almost.

"I would love to dance," she says. I lead her onto the floor and my hands cover silky curves again. Can gold silk replace the memories of the silver? Silver rejects me. Gold beckons.

I have to get over Beth somehow, and Sophie might be the one to help me move on. Or possibly a woman like Claire? She certainly seemed interested. I'm not oblivious to the many admiring glances sent my way, although it feels strange to even acknowledge them.

It wasn't that long ago that the looks were condemning rather than admiring. And anymore, it's difficult to tell if a woman is interested in me or the contents of my bank account. At least that was one good thing about Beth. I never had to worry if she was only interested in my money, because back when we were together, I didn't have any. Besides, money never mattered much to her anyway.

And just like that, I'm thinking about Beth again. This is ridiculous. I have to stop this madness.

As we dance, it's apparent that even though Sophie comes from a wealthy family, like Beth, she doesn't seem to have a snobbish bone in her body. Unlike Beth, who is so guarded at times, Sophie is all light and laughter. I find myself relaxing more and more in her presence. She brings out the fun side of me, the part I've denied myself while working abroad. It feels so good to just laugh again.

I knew this wouldn't be easy—returning home and facing my feelings for Beth head on after so many years. When you've held someone in your arms, when you've made promises in your mind and heart to be with that person forever, it doesn't just fade away. Those promises are more powerful than the vows made before a priest. It takes a concerted effort to cut the strings that bind your heart to another. It's something I don't want to do because of I know pain must inevitably follow, but deep down, I know it's what I'm going to have to do.

Because it's time I finally reached for my happiness.

It's time for me to claim my life and live it on my terms.

_____________

Enjoyed the chapter? Give it a vote please!

Sooo, what do you think happened to Beth and her family? Isaac clearly thinks it's Beth's aunt who is behind them leaving, but could there be more to the story? Your thoughts?

I've attached a video of the Bakiga Dance Isaac mentions. I can't believe how high some of those guys can jump! I can just imagine Isaac joining in on the fun. 

I think Emma Stone would make a stunning Claire. Do you have a favorite redhead you see in the role?

Dedication for this chapter goes out to a lovely Wattpadder @KevinaOyatedor. I always enjoy seeing Kevina's gorgeous smile on Twitter chats and the Wattpad Block parties. You can follow her and check out her writing by clicking on her link. Thanks for all your support for Restless Hope Kevina!