We meet in words | Draco Malfoy

31.

Isabella

Isabella stood in front of Lily's massive mirror, which was propped up against a wall.

She was taken aback by her surroundings. Despite coming from a wealthy family, it's not as if her parents spoiled her in anyway. The beauty of Lily's room would take her a long time to adjust to.

"Wow." Lily laughed as she aimlessly flipped through a book she loved a little too much.

Salt to the sea.

"It's nothing serious." Lily shrugged.

She examined her surroundings before furrowing her brows.

"I'm not sure, maybe it is? I've always grown up surrounded by luxury, so it's probably selfish of me to think it's not much, even if it is. But it's all I've ever known, so it's something I've grown accustomed to." Isabella had no choice but to agree with Lily.

There are no truer words.

She grew up on the outskirts of luxury, so she's used to having little to go on. After all, it's all she's ever known.

"Let's go get you some clothes!" Lily dashed towards her massive closet, excitedly clapping her hands.

Isabella, on the other hand, was as nervous as ever.

Draco apparently wanted to take her to a diner where he swore they made the best cinnamon rolls. He never explicitly stated it was a date, and Isabella knew he was really just going to force her to eat a cinnamon roll.

Unfortunately, she made the mistake of telling Lily about it, and she was dragged to get ready for a date that was never going to happen.

Isabella came to a halt when Lily exclaimed. "Isabella, you need to have the best first date ever!"

Now that the thought of Draco taking her out on a date was ingrained in her mind, she felt like kicking herself for the momentary hope she had felt. As if Draco were going on a date with her. It didn't matter that their friendship had evolved into something more, or that it was now common knowledge that Draco and Isabella were indeed something.

Isabella noticed Draco's hesitation in his eyes. When he told her he wasn't scared anymore, she pulled away from him, breathless and confused.

Maybe she would've believed him wholeheartedly if the flash of doubt hadn't appeared in his eyes. But the look in his eyes was unmistakable, and Isabella had to stop herself from cowering away from his blatant lie.

It hurt a little, but admitting it to herself was simple. Perhaps it was excruciatingly painful. Perhaps the agony completely consumed her. But she wasn't sure. All she felt was numbness. Perhaps she had grown accustomed to the agony. Maybe that's why she didn't flinch.

She didn't want to be angry with Draco because she enjoyed the attention. She liked how his smiles appeared and vanished like ghosts. She liked it when he brushed her hair away from her face or when he inadvertently intertwined their hands. She relished every moment of it. She overindulged in something she knew she would abandon sooner or later.

She was just hoping he'd walk away before she fell so deeply in love with him that he'd end up crushing her heart in the process.

It was difficult not to ask Draco to simply fall. If only he would just let go and fall. Maybe he'd be happier then. He was so hellbent and focused on not allowing himself to fall in love that he didn't realise who he might be hurting. That's what she was trying to convince herself of. That he might not be aware of. And if he wasn't, she'd make him be.

But what if he was aware that he had harmed her?

That didn't go down well with her. Quite the contrary, in fact. She felt like a rag doll waiting to be picked up and comforted before being tossed to the side once he'd had his fill.