Part 1668 – “Isellta. Talk To Me.”

Isellta.

“‘sellta.” Robin bowed his head. “How’m I supposed to get you to talk? What? You angry at me? You weren’t like this last time. What all changed?”

His mind raced through everything that had happened since their last phone conversation.

That pixie tried to get me to mate with her. I almost gave in.

Then, there was Kalyla.

Kalyla.

He turned into Isellta.

I kissed him.

I wanted him.

My body reacted to him the way it sure didn’t for that pixie. But that was because he turned into Isellta. I couldn’t help it.

Is that why ‘sellta’s mad at me? Did he somehow find out about all that?

“‘sellta. I ain’t sure what you’ve heard ’bout me, but this is the truth: I love you. Stupid, fluffy, fluttery you. No one else knocks me off my feet the way you do. It’s just you. Isellta, it will always be just you. Please. Please talk to me. If you wanna say mean junk at me, go ahead. If you wanna call me a messed up, damaged waste of space, go ahead. I need to hear your voice. Please. Isellta. Talk to me.”

Nothing.

***

‘sellta.

‘sellta.

Isellta.

‘sellta.

Isellta.

Robin.

My Robin.

My lovely Robin.

Why do you haunt my dreams?

Why can’t you be real?

Tears trickled down the sides of Isellta’s face.

Robin.

My Robin.

I love you.

***

“I don’t know. I don’t know what else to say to you. ‘specially since you ain’t talkin’ back to me.”

Robin waited for Isellta to say anything.

Isellta said nothing.

“Yeah. So. So. So, I guess this is it. I’ll just let you go. If. If you don’t want me. Ain’t no point in talkin’ to a dead line. Bye.” He ended the call and gave the phone back to Ambrose.

“What happened?”

Robin shrugged.

Ambrose turned in his seat to face him properly. “Robin. Talk to me.”

Robin looked away from him. “Jay gave me to Isellta.” He fixed his gaze on the window.

Why ain’t it rainin’? Darn it all! It should be rainin’.

“Okay?”

“Not okay. ‘sellta didn’t wanna talk to me.” He curled his hands into fists. “No matter what I said, he didn’t say nothin’. I don’t know why. I don’t get it.” He punched Barbara’s seat. “DARN IT! What kind of game is this? What is he playin’ at?” His voice broke. “Why won’t he talk to me?”

“Robin. Come here.”

Robin didn’t try to resist. He turned and curled up against Ambrose.

Ambrose hugged him.

“If he don’t want me, why don’t he just say so?”

Ambrose rubbed his back and gently asked, “Do you want me to call Jay back?”

“What for? ‘sellta won’t talk to me.”

“I could ask Jay why.”

Robin shook his head. “Don’t wanna.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded.

“Okay.”

***

This isn’t working.

Why isn’t this working?

Jay moved the phone from Isellta’s face. He frowned at the sight of the Call Ended message on the phone’s screen. “You’ve got to be kidding me! He hung up on me again?”

***

Ambrose shut his phone off and put it away.

I wish I could reassure him.

I wish I could tell him that everything will turn out fine.

But I don’t know.

I don’t know how this is all going to play out.

The Isellta I know would take him back in less than a heartbeat. All Robin would have to do is show up and say “Hey” and Isellta would throw himself at him.

“I think I unnerstand.” Robin said brokenly. “He don’t wanna talk to me cuz he blames me for whatever Preyuna did to him.”

“What did she do?”

“I don’t know. She hurt him. She made him cry. I’m sure he’s blamin’ me for it. No wonder he don’t wanna talk to me. Why would he?”

Ambrose frowned. “Would Isellta really blame you for that?”

“Of course. It’s my fault he’s even there. I hit him. I told him to go away. I chased him away. If…if I hadn’t done that, he’d still be here. Isellta would still be here with me.”

That’s open for debate, but I’m not stupid or mean enough to say that out loud.

“It hurts.” Robin exhaled a shuddering breath. “It hurts so bad.”

“I know.”