Best of Me

Chapter 7

Brantley's POV

   I listen to Isabella's story and it makes sense to a degree why Justin is acting like this. The media can be bad really bad and Isabella is a beautiful woman and they would jump to conclusions about us and he doesn't want her hurt again. I look at her when she finishes and say." You have been through a lot and I'm so sorry. Listening to that I understand Justin being protective of you, even with me one of his best friends especially with me. He knows you being on my bus the media will pick it up and run with it and start saying we are together and in a relationship even though we aren't. He doesn't want that same heartache for you again. And yes Isabella I feel like we have a start of a great friendship and I don't want that to stop. I also understand if you don't want to stay on my bus if it's gonna cause problems with your parents. Family is everything and time is short so it will totally be up to you what you want to do."
She looks at me and says" I am single and you are single so what if they say we are together, we know the truth and I have quit living my life for the approval of others BG. That makes for a very lonely life if your happiness depends on their approval. As far as my parents we are good they know the arrangements and are okay with it now. Like I said that has been a few years back but that is Justin's reasons and I love him because he wants to protect me and keep me safe. But he also has to realize that I am a grown woman and if I want to have a relationship or a drunken one night stand or a tour fling he doesn't have any say in it. "
When she said that I raised my eyebrow and she blushes  and I say," Really the not a drinker or ever had a one night stand girl is gonna do that just to make Justin mad and prove a point? That don't sound like the girl I was talking to earlier. That girl lived her life the way she wanted to didn't care what others thought and made her decisions on what she wanted with her life. Not doing something to like that."
Isabella looked at me and told me that I was good, if I got all of that out of 4 hours of us just talking because that is exactly who she was, and that no she wasn't going to do those things just that Justin didn't have a say in it if she did. I agreed with her but I also warned her that when the guys found out she was single they would start hitting on her. She laughed and said, "well if that happens I will deal with it then"
I ask her why Justin called her Hells Bells  and she called him give me more. She laughed and said that story has to be told with him, well by both of them. That tells me it has to be a good one.
Isabella asks if I am okay with her being on my bus. It was my turn to laugh and I said I would be a fool to have a problem with a beautiful woman on my bus for a whole year. Then I told her I was okay with it because I can tell we will get along just fine. I ask her if she watches sports and she said depends on who it is and what sport. Then she explained she loved football and didn't really have a big favorite team she followed but was partial to a few. She would usually just pick a team that was playing and go with it and she hated professional basketball cause they have ruined the game. But she had a favorites baseball and college football team. I looked at her and said okay give me the bad news first what football team and her words to me were,"Roll Tide Baby" I looked at her and said I could live with that cause they are good and now baseball and she did the chop, so she loves my Braves. I asked if she had been to a game and she said yeah I go when I get a chance, my parents are Braves fans so they tried to take us to games. She told me that she knew I was a Georgia fan and she liked them too and usually cheered for them when they weren't playing the Tide and almost went there to school but decided on Bama instead to be close to home. I asked her why did she want to be close to home but take a job that kept her away. She looked a little sad and told me her mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer her senior year of high school so she wanted to be around and Tuscaloosa was just an hour away. I asked what she majored in and she said hang on to your cap, I am a nurse. I graduated from the Capstone College of Nursing and I also majored in photojournalism. So I did both with honors on scholarship.
I look at her with amazement and she said yeah I did it and I loved Nursing but honestly taking pictures is my passion. I love telling a story catching those moments that will never be again. Nursing I did in case I couldn't get a job and it helped me help my mom. Win win for everyone.
Darlin' I'm amazed at you and I have a feeling this is just the beginning. That every time I turn around you will be surprising me with something else. She grins and says that's the plan, can't let people think they know everything about me that makes for a very boring life.
"Yes it does and I love that attitude. Now Justin knows a lot about you tell me something that he doesn't know about you" She looks at me and bites her lip and that made her look sexy. Wait I can't think like that,she's my friend and I don't need a relationship I need a friend.
As she starts to speak, the bus stops and Earl said, it's time for supper guys then a long night of driving to the first show. Isabella grabs her camera and hops off the bus taking pictures. She has me curious on what she wanted to tell me or maybe didn't want to tell me.