Forbidden Desire 18+

Chapter Twelve

ISABELLA MATTIA

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I've been discharged from the hospital for four hours. I barely slept. I feared slipping into a dream of being trapped under the water again. I've never been so frustrated at myself for allowing Jenson to mess with me like that.

Fuck all of them.

I didn't speak to Elio as he drove us back to campus. I didn't feel like going to lectures or classes, even as the doctor said I should take it easy and continue to rest but I've bypassed the point of dry drowning so I should be okay.

That would be icing on top of the cake.

I lay back against my bed as my phone vibrates beside me. My hand searches for it without looking and once I've got it in my grip, I flick my eyes to the screen. My mother's name stretches across it and I look down at the answer button.

They both know that I'm out of the hospital now, Elio told them so that they wouldn't worry. The last thing I want is for them to come up here worrying about me. I don't want their pity. Not again. It happened once and it happened again.

My thumb hovers over the answer button when I press on it at the last second. "Oh, Belle," I hear my mother's voice when I raise it to my ear. "How are you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I say before chewing on my lip. "I'm okay. I'm just in my room. Not doing much."

She's quiet for a few moments. "You don't sound fine. You don't sound happy."

I roll my eyes. "It's fine," I sigh. "Everything is fine. It was an accident and it doesn't matter. It wasn't as bad as last time. Elio didn't want to take any chances, that's why he took me to the hospital. I would have been fine."

"Well I'm glad he did," she sniffles as if she's trying to keep her emotions together. "Your father wanted him to look out for you and he is."

My mind races with flashbacks of Elio trying to get me breathing again. He was the first thing I saw, right in front of my face. The memory is slightly hazy but I can still see his face. Never have I seen so much emotion. That's what made me think I must have been dreaming.

"Like I said, it was an accident."

"Okay," she sighs and I hate myself for being so blunt. "Well we love you, honey. So much. I was so close to getting Lonzo to find a way to get us to you as quickly as possible. But Elio said he was looking over you, along with the doctors. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

I grit my teeth before I snap. My mother doesn't deserve this. "Yes," I attempt to calm. "I'm fine, mum. I've got to go. I have a class I need to catch up on."

"Oh," her voice deflates. "Okay. Well, text me later, okay?"

My eyes close slowly at the disappointment. "Sure," I murmur. "Love you. I'm sorry for being rude. I'm just tired."

"I know, honey. It's okay. I love you too. Never forget that."

Then the line goes silent and I pull my phone away from my ear. My eyes scan the screen as I look through messages from Charlotte asking if I was going to class and where I've been. I lock my phone and sigh, rolling onto my side.

A knock at my bedroom door snaps me out of my trance. Staring at the wall like a loser.

"Go away."

The door opens anyway and I groan, rolling over. I sit up and stare blankly at Elio as he loiters in the doorway uninvited. I grit my teeth together at his entrance. I don't want him here. I don't want anyone here. I just want to be alone.