4: Badass

Isabella was grumpy the following morning. She ignored Asher, not sparing him even a glance unless when absolutely necessary. His rejection the night before still stung. By midday, she announced that she wanted to go out shopping. What Asher didn't know was that after the shopping spree, Isabella wanted to go to a bar. He accompanied her nonetheless because that is his job. She was surprisingly well-behaved if not for the man she was currently sucking faces with. It bothered Asher, more than he would like to admit, but he kept his cool and stomached the discomfort.

Hours passed by with Isabella and her male friend having a good time. Afterward, she surprised Asher by demanding he take her to Silvia's home to pay her last respects. “You are drunk,” Asher drawled.

“I hadn't realized, genius!” She retorted, leaving no room for arguments. Unknown to Asher, Isabella drank purposely for that reason. Otherwise, she couldn't be able to face the grieving parents in a sober state. As Asher tore in the busy streets, Isabella checked her reflection, before gargling mouth guard, and sprayed a little perfume. She also put on her natural eye contact and from glancing at her, one couldn't tell she was drunk.

There was a little too many people in Silvia's wake to Isabella's dismay. She quickly scanned for the parents and once she spotted them, she legged it. Silvia's father saw her first. “Isabella,” he called warmly, pulling his daughter's best friend for a hug. After stepping back, Isabella was immediately engulfed in another embrace by the mother. “Poor you,” Silvia's mother cooed. “You must be pretty shaken,”

“I am,” Isabella breathed with a sad, faraway look. “Anyway…” she breathed, “I came to give my condolences. I am sorry for your loss, Agnes, Jim.”

“It's your loss too, baby.” Agnes countered. “Lord knows you knew Silvia better than anyone else.” Isabella didn't argue with that observation.

“You need to take a step back from all the partying,” Jim advised. “Look where it landed, your friend.” He gestured at his daughter's open casket that Isabella hadn't dared look at. She nodded wordlessly, gulping hard.

“Izzy,” she heard Silvia's brother Elton call from behind her. She turned.

“El…” She trailed, stepping into his arms. Elton hugged her, rubbing her back soothingly. “I am sorry,” she didn't know why she was apologizing, but she knew she had to.

“B*tch must be reeling in all this attention,” Elton grumbled, making Isabella chuckle despite the situation. Silvia was a chronic attention seeker. Anyone who knew her knew that.

“That's why I didn't try to out-dress her.” Isabella retorted with mirth. It was Silvia's only rule. Don't try to look better than at her own parties, otherwise, you won't ever get an invitation again. Sporadically she went as far as pointing out which colors not to wear. Her bluntness is what made her loveable. Because what you saw is what you got. There was behind your back with Silvia.

“You are a good friend, Izzy.” Isabella sighed heavily. “I have a joint,” Elton blurted almost immediately.

“Let's go,” Isabella decided, moving towards the stairs, pulling Elton with her. She knew the house like the back of her palm. Asher made to follow, but Agnes and Jim stopped him. “She is safe.”

Asher didn't fight them. She looked pretty comfortable in their house,, so he relaxed, taking a seat in a corner and waited.

******

Isabella and Elton re-emerged almost an hour later, both looking brighter. She bid Jim and Agnes goodbye after promising to say a word or two at Silvia's funeral the following day. “Try not to come drunk,” Jim warned. Though Isabella had gone to great lengths to conceal it, Jim could tell she was a sober drunk. After all, he had raised someone just like her. Silvia.

“I will try,” Isabella smirked, drawing light chuckles from the two before turning on her heels. Asher followed closely, noting that her mood has tremendously improved. That, of course, meant less headache on his part. With no other stopover, he drove them straight home in under half an hour. For the first time since he became her bodyguard, she thanked him genuinely before disappearing into her room as usual.

Also, for the first time, Asher saw her go down for dinner with her family. He pleasantly noticed that she didn't let anyone give her shit. In fact, she is the one who rendered them speechless with her nonchalance. Once he overheard her retort to her stepmother, about how hard it must be to maintain a man by maintaining her looks, cause that's all she had to offer. Her father, of course, came to his wife's rescue, demanding for Isabella to leave the dining table, but Isabella was quick to remind him that it was her mother who had purchased the dining set and that they were free to leave. She also warned him about changing it, saying he wouldn't like the drama she would tie to his name if he dared take out anything her mother had purchased out. She even recommended him to buy another home for his expensive-to-maintain family and leave her be. It was amusing on Asher's part to see her scare everyone off, leaving her alone at the dining table.

She didn't sit there for long after they all left. She rose with her plate, laughing delightfully and joined Marcia and Paul in the kitchen.

“You were a badass.” Marcia praised pulling the chair for her.

“I try,” Isabella laughed. “I had missed harassing them.” She confessed with a devious grin. As if on cue, Asher arrived in the kitchen minus the Jacket.

“Finally,” Marcia grumbled, getting on her feet and fetched him a plate. Isabella's eyes widened when she realized he was joining them for dinner. The glint in Marcia's and Paul's eyes on the other proved they knew something was up between Asher and Isabella.

“So nice of you to grace us with your presence,” Isabella mocked, narrowing her gaze on Asher. She didn't like him being there. She was still embarrassed to face him after the previous night.

“It's my pleasure, ma'am.” Asher shot back with a knowing smirk.

“Don't call me that,” she snapped. “You are making it sound like I am a forty-year-old woman.”

“I couldn't tell ma'am,” Asher's mock innocence sent Paul and Marcia into a fit of giggles while Isabella shot him a deathly glare.

“You are fired,” she growled in displeasure.