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Vira stared at me in utter shock. “Have you never just sat on a couch and watched TV?”
“Not until recently,” I muttered. Living with Carli had brought a new perspective to my life. I had never been one for watching TV. There were always more important things to do.
“I’ve never relaxed on a couch,” Isabelle said to herself.
I wasn’t sure she intended for me to hear that because she jerked her head up, flushing red when she saw me watching her.
“I mean, I’m sure I did as a kid. I just don’t remember it.” She sat up suddenly and stood, moving away from the couch. She meandered through the store, sitting on more of them, but never really showing much interest in any of them. I wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but nothing in this store seemed to interest her.
Vira wandered over, crossing her arms over her chest as we both waited patiently. “What are you really doing here?”
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. “Excuse me?”
“She’s my roommate. So, what are you doing? Are you trying to sleep with her?”
“If I was, that’s really none of your fucking business,” I bit out. Why the hell everyone thought my personal life was any of their business was beyond me.
She turned to me, her eyes as sharp as the attitude rolling off her. “Look, I’m only going to say this once. I’ve seen you around her and I think you want to protect her. For that reason alone, I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. But if I ever think you’re going to hurt her mentally or physically, I will step in and I will not hesitate to kick you in the balls and slice your dick off before calling in the cavalry. Are we understood?”
If I didn’t have a hell of a lot of respect for her right now, I’d want to snap her neck for the way she threatened me. But she was protecting Isabelle, and she would always have my gratitude for that. “Perfectly.”
“Then we won’t have a problem.” She grinned at me and turned back to Isabelle.
“And by the way, don’t call her Isabelle.”
“Why not?”
“Because when she got home, Eva called her Isabelle and she practically bit Eva’s head off.” Vira turned to me. “Isabelle is what that asshole called her.”
I nodded. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
“Do you know what she’s looking for?”
She sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think she knows what she’s looking for.”
“Aren’t you going to help her?”
“Hell no. That woman hasn’t been able to make a single choice for herself in fourteen years. She’s going to pick every single thing in that house, and like it or not, it’ll be what she wants.”
My blood boiled at her words. Deep down, I already knew these things. It was obvious. She was under Zavala’s control. But knowing it and having it pointed out to me like this were two completely different things. And as I watched Izzy walk around from one couch to the next, I understood why this was so fucking hard for her. After years of never being allowed to make a decision, the world was suddenly filled with too many choices.
I watched as she gnawed at her lip, twisting her fingers nervously. Anxiety rippled off her from across the showroom. The overwhelming feeling of dread wasn’t hard to miss. Vira was right. She needed to make this decision, but she needed help. Throwing her in the deep end was too much after years of not being allowed to decide anything.
I strode forward without thinking about it, intent on making this as easy as possible for her. The woman was lost and I was going to help her in any way I could.
She turned to me, nearly jumping out of her skin when my looming figure hovered over her suddenly. “Jesus!”
“Sorry,” I murmured, taking a step back. “I thought I’d help you out.”
Relief washed over her face, but she tried to hide it with a simple nod. “That’d be great. I don’t really know what I’m looking for.”
I was absolute crap at being sensitive to a woman. Hell, just stalking over here, I hadn’t even let her know I was standing behind her. I scared the crap out of her.
“Me neither,” I grunted. That was enough, right?
She shifted uncomfortably. Fuck, I was gonna have to give her more.
“I’m sure we can figure it out between the two of us.”