Frozen Summer

Chapter 17

Richard stood there in a daze, he was wondering if he was still dreaming. Isabella tilted her head to the side.

" Richard ? Are you alright ? You aren't still drunk right ? Malik told me you had a rough evening "

" No no i'm fine ! "

" Are you in a hurry ? "

" No, I was actually coming to see you . "

She started blushing when she heard him say that. Richard sat down and asked for some water from some waitress.

" I was given a job by the duchess and I have to go to Ryzeon. I will be gone for a few days and I wanted to tell you goodbye before I go. "

" Seems we both got a job from her, she asked me for some special medicine so i'm currently working on a few products of it."

" Interesting. But why did you come into town ? "

Isabella paused. " why does he make me say it out loud .. "

" Well .. I had a few errands to run in town and ... I also wanted to see you. "

Richard couldn't help making fun of her cute embarrassment.

" Awnnnn, you missed me already ? "

" You say that but you were coming to see me too ! I can still leave you know ? "

" I would just escort you back home, it's almost the end of the afternoon and it will be dark before you can reach your home. "

She had a mischievous smile.

" But then we would end up in another situation where you would have to sleep in my house . "

He also had a little smile.

" It seems I'm sleeping on one of your chairs tonight then ."

" I didn't say yes. "

" I would follow you from afar like a guardian angel to be sure you arrive safely"

" I guess there is no helping it, then it seems I'm stuck with you. But how worthy of a guardian are you after the party you seemed to have had yesterday ? Look at this. "

She touched his bruised face. He flinched a little bit, her hands were cold.

" Sorry ! "

" No it's ok, it just hurts a little bit "

" Can I really trust my fate to someone who gets into bar fights and ends up looking like this ? "

Richard had a little chuckle and drank some water.

" You should see the other guys, one of them was huge ! And look at Malik ! He is bruised up too ! "

Isabella turned around to see Malik flexing his only arm in the background trying to impress Jess. Bella couldn't help but laugh at him, he was exactly how Richard described him before the war, she was glad that ten years of war didn't seem to strip him from his sense of humour.

" Yes but as you can see, your best friend only has one arm and he seems less hurt than you, so i would gladly take him with me since he seems more capable. "

" He jumped in after he made the fight harder for me ! "

" How so ? "

" He didn't want me to actually kill these men, which would have made it way easier AND faster. "

Isabella took a sip of water and paused before asking a question she was aching to ask. She looked at him in the eyes, her emeraud gaze fixed on his hazel eyes.