Caged

20

He studied me for a few more seconds, and I knew he didn't believe me, but he didn't push. Instead, he changed the subject.

I needed a distraction, so I decided to ask him about something I'd also had on my mind for a while.

"Hey, Seb?" I cut him off while he was in the middle of going on about something he had planned this weekend with his friends. He was trying to convince me to come along, but I was distracted. "Can I ask you a question?"

He nodded, his brows furrowing in confusion. My eyes drifted to the wood on the table, and I traced a finger over the splinters.

"When you said you didn't have a choice about leaving me, what did you mean?"

I risked a look up at him and saw that he had gone still, his eyes averted. "What do you mean?"

I narrowed my eyes at him because it was clear he was playing innocent. "You know what I'm talking about," I told him firmly.

He held my gaze for a few seconds, his eyes searching mine, before he sighed. "I told you I can't talk about it."

"There's no one else here," I pressed, leaning forward a bit. "It's only me."

He smiled bitterly. "I wish that was true."

I did a double take, and my eyes subconsciously roamed our surroundings. I had been right, we were the only two here.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nevermind."

My eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Then, what?"

I was at a point where I had too many questions in my life, and not enough answers. I needed something to be answered. I needed some sort of closure so I didn't feel completely lost and out of control.

Sebastian wouldn't meet my eyes. "Izzy, please," he pleaded quietly.

"Why can't you tell me?" I huffed, frustrated and I guessed he could feel the glare I was throwing at him because he still refused to meet my eyes. "Sebastian."

"Jesus Christ, Isabella, I said I can't fucking tell you, why can't you understand that?" He snapped, slamming a hand down on the table hard and I flinched.

His heated glare met mine, and I took a deep breath. "Well, I'm sorry that I would like to know why one of my best friend's walked out of my life without a fucking explanation," I replied calmly, and his glare died down. "Not to mention that you've been acting so weird these past few weeks. Like that day when you left with Ethan and Chase? I've asked you so many times and you refuse to tell me anything about it," he opened his mouth to speak, but I was not stopping now. I was going to get everything out. "Every time I ask you where you went, or why you went with them, you change the subject. And don't bother telling me that bullshit about you two being friends! I don't know if all of you think I'm some kind of fucking idiot, but I don't believe that for a second!"

He didn't say anything, so I continued. My emotions were driving me insane, and I felt the urge to burst into tears.

I was mad, I was frustrated, I was upset, I was tired, I was anxious, and I was afraid. The last few weeks had left me feeling drained. Sleep didn't help; nothing did.

It seemed like every new day that came brought with it a new problem, a new secret, a new revelation and I didn't know how much more I could handle. Last night was the worst one.

"But fine," I snapped, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. "If you don't wanna tell me why you left with my brother and his friends that day, you don't have to. At least tell me why you felt like you didn't have a choice with me."