Unraveling Isobel Read Online Free

and Dick appeared in the doorway. My mom’s face was flushed. I had the sense she wasn’t impressed with my language choice.
    â€œDid you hear what he said to me?” I asked her.
    â€œNo, and we don’t want to know.” Dick crossed his arms and gave both Nathaniel and me a stern look. “We’re not going to get in the middle of you two. Do you think we can’t see what you’re doing? We’re a family now. You can’t ask your mom to take your side any more than Nathaniel can expect me to take his. The two of you are going to have to work things out on your own, and I would hope that you could learn to do it without resorting to foul language.”
    â€œBut she—” Nathaniel started to say.
    â€œNathaniel, remember your breeding,” Dick barked. Nathaniel swallowed whatever he was about to say and stood up straight as if he were in a military prep school. “Honestly, you two are acting like children.”
    â€œShe wants this as her bedroom,” Nathaniel said, biting offeach word. “I was trying to explain to her that wasn’t possible.”
    I wasn’t backing down. “You said I could pick out whatever bedroom I wanted. No one is using this room, so what’s the big deal?” This was the room I wanted. Not only was it the only room I could possibly imagine myself living in for the next year, it was also separate from the rest of the house. I needed some distance if I was going to survive.
    â€œHow did you even get up here?” Nathaniel asked. “The door to this floor is kept locked.”
    â€œIt wasn’t locked,” I said.
    â€œIt’s always locked.”
    â€œOkay, you busted me. I jimmied the lock, just a little trick I learned on the wrong side of the tracks with my low-rent buddies.”
    â€œIsobel, honestly. What has gotten into you?” My mom shook her head as if she didn’t know me.
    â€œThe door wasn’t locked,” I repeated.
    â€œThis was my sister’s room,” Nathaniel said.
    The air was suddenly sucked out of the space. My mom looked at me as if she blamed me for bringing up this awkward issue. How was I supposed to know this was Evelyn’s room? It wasn’t as if there was a nameplate on the door, and there wasn’t a thing left on the walls or shelf that would indicate it belonged to anyone. Besides, why would her bedroom have been so far away from the others? I suddenly remembered the stuffed zebra. Shit. I bet that belonged to Evelyn too. The zebra was propped up nextto the duffel bag at my feet. It didn’t look like anyone had seen him yet. With a silent apology, I nudged him under the bed with my foot so he was out of sight. I didn’t need to be accused of poaching the dead girl’s toys in addition to her room.
    â€œIf Isobel wants this room, it should be hers,” Dick said. I couldn’t tell who was most surprised by his announcement.
    â€œDad!” Nathaniel looked shocked. I could tell he had expected his dad to back him up on this one.
    â€œShe can pick something else,” my mom rushed in to say. “She doesn’t need to be a bother.”
    â€œWe can’t keep this room a shrine to the past.” Dick gave a weak smile. “I should have realized a girl would want her own bathroom and some space to herself. You go ahead and move your things up here.”
    â€œSeriously?” I asked.
    â€œThis was Evie’s room,” Nathaniel said again. His jaw was tight and it looked to me like his eyes were starting to tear up.
    â€œThe house is centuries old. If we saved rooms for all the people who were gone, we would have run out of rooms by now. We’d be forced to sleep in the garage.” Dick chuckled, but I could tell Nathaniel didn’t find the situation even remotely funny. I couldn’t really blame him. His mom and sister hadn’t even been gone a year and Dick was acting like it was no big