Defeated (D.J.S)

Smiles and scares

So she moved away from him and looked down, not wanting to see the disappointment in his face.

"Issa." Daniel says softly. "You have to understand..." He trails off.

"Well I don't." She says putting her hands at her sides. "So help me understand." She said firmly, wiping the tears from her face and sniffing.

"I can't-" He starts.

"Don't. You can, and you will." She interrupts. "I have all day." She says, sitting at the edge of his bed with her hands in her lap.

"I wish I could tell you, I really do." He says, taking a seat next to her, while looking down. Not daring to look directly at her.

He sighs. "But then the boys will reap the consequences of me not keeping my mouth shut, and I just can't do that. Even if it means being forced to-" He quickly shuts up and covers his mouth with his right hand as he realizes he may have just said too much.

He knew Isabel was smart. Way too smart for him. And he knew she would put the pieces together sooner or later. But he didn't know it would be this soon.

"Wait... the boys?" She questioned. You could practically see all the gears turning in her head, and then. It clicked.

Everything made sense to her. And it looked like she had just won the lottery. She had figured it out.

"You... You were blackmailed!" Isabel jumps up from the bed and starts pacing in front of the distressed boy. "That's why you couldn't tell anyone! And why you pretended to date Jess! It must have been the day I came out of my coma! Right? That's why you weren't there! But who blackmailed you?" She questioned.

And then her cheerful state turned to a regretful one, which caused her to stop pacing and just stand in front of Daniel. "Wait... that's why you shut everyone out... you were... protecting us. All of us... and... and we blamed you..." She realizes. Her face full of regret and disgust at her own actions.

She looks up at Daniel in time to see him wipe a tear off his face.

"Oh my God. Daniel, I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." She says with a voice full of pity. Daniel just shrugs, not making eye contact. He didn't really want anyone's pity. All he really wanted was Isabel. The Issa he knew 5 months ago. Before the car crash. Before the blackmail. He wanted his Angel.

But he didn't say that. He didn't say anything.

He just sat there shaking his head slowly.

Isabel sat back down next to him, contemplating her options.

The poor boy had been keeping all this inside his mind the entire time. So, she decided to do the only thing that felt right at the moment.

"Daniel? Look at me. Please?" She asked softly. The disheartened young man turned to face her. His vulnerable side showing, as his shoulders hung low and his eyes were a faded grey.

Isabel lifted her hand to wipe some of the tears running down his cheek.

"It's okay Daniel. I promise you, it's going to be okay." She whispered, looking into his eyes which were now forming tears. He nodded softly, before he began to break down crying beside her.

She opened her arms to him, and he wrapped his strong arms around her tiny waist. Burying his face in her neck as soft sobs raked his whole body. Isabel in turn put her arms around him, one hand rubbing his bare back and the other running through his messy hair.

"I should have told you! I felt so alone!" Daniel cried. Muttering apologies through his sobs into her neck.

"Shhh, I know. I know." Isabel gently cradled him.

Just the sound of Daniel crying was enough to cause a few tears to slip out of Isabel's eyes.

In an attempt to comfort him, she started to softly hum the tune of 'If The World Was Ending'.

After some time, his cries subsided, and for a moment Isabel thought he may have fallen asleep. But when he shifted slightly, she knew he was probably just thinking about everything now.

This whole thing reminded both of them of the time when he comforted her. That one night when she thought she had no one. The night she would never forget. And now it was her turn to comfort him. To make him realize that she would always be there for him, just like he had promised her when she had needed him most.

"Daniel?" She breathed. He just hummed into her neck, making the butterflies in her stomach go even crazier.

"I- I just want you to know... that... that I'll always be here for you. No matter what." She said quietly, biting her lip nervously. She didn't really know how he was going to respond.

Daniel stayed quiet for a second, making Isabel's worries grow.

But when he smiled against her skin, Isabel couldn't help it when her own mouth curved into a small grin.

Isabel continued to hum as she ran her hand through his hair.

As she held him, she realized something. Something that made her worries grow. Something that made her shiver internally. But yet, it also somehow managed to warm her heart.

At that moment, Isabel realized that she physically could not live without Daniel. And that scared her.

Because what happens if she loses him again?

A/N:

I really hate it when authors create a scene in a book/story and you're just like 'CAN THEY KISS ALREADY?!' 

I feel like Ally Carter is the queen of that. But then again I kinda do that... whoops...

ANYWAY. 

FALLIN.

IS.

JUST.

SLSMFNDKSK.

I mean like- sis is shook. 

What's y'all's favorite part?

Stay safe! These are trying times for everyone right now :/

love you!

~Ari