"Isabelle." His voice was cold, emotionless, and yet I could still hint the slight emotion in it. The longing, the regret.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my body tensing at his presence and I knew he wasn't far from me. No, he was right behind me. I could feel him.
I closed my eyes tightly, wishing this was just a dream, a nightmare, but the way his fingers brushed against my hand, I was fully convinced that it was not actually a dream.
Slowly turning around, I let myself drown once again in those deep, midnight blue eyes like th darkest of nights that seemed to soften in the slightest at the sight of me.
I was not prepared to see him. Not yet at least. Or ever for that matter.
He looked so... broken.
His stubble looked a bit over grown, his hair slicked back haphazardly and his eyes dull, his complexion pale.
And yet, he stole everyone's attention and took everyone's breath away.
Including mine.
"Isabelle- Rose... I-It's really you." He whispered, taking a step closer to me but I took one back.
No.
"Isa." Aaron stepped beside me protectively, wrapping an arm around my waist and almost immediately, his eyes flitted down to it and his jaw clenched shut.
"Mr. Thorne, the deal-"
"Is cancelled. I have personal matters to take care of." Adam cut off the man I just noticed behind him who nodded once, pursing his lips before he looked between me and Adam suspiciously.
"I understand. I'll wait for your call if you change your mind." The man said before leaving and Adam didn't deem it necessary to provide him with an answer.
"Belle, I-"
"Don't." I held up my hand to stop him when he had taken a step closer to me.
"Don't come close to me." I said and he nodded dejectedly.
"I understand. Can we talk?" He asked softly, his expression begging me to let him talk to me but I had enough.
"No. You may not talk to me. We were done. We are done. There's nothing left to talk about." I said firmly.
"Please, I need yo- I need to talk to you." He corrected himself, but I was no fool to miss what he was about to say.
He needed me.
"Why?" I asked automatically when he ran a hand in his hair in frustration.
"I-I can't really say, but please, I really-"
"Then no. I don't want to talk to you now, or ever again." I said gritting my teeth when he gulped.
"Please, Belle, just give me a chance." He pleaded when Aaron stepped in front of me.
"She said she didn't want to talk, so it means she doesn't want to talk." He said when Adam glared at my best friend.
"This does not concern you so I'd suggest you get the fuck out of my way." Adam said with clenched teeth.
"Ronny, we're leaving." I said, grabbing my friend's hand and tugging him with me.
"Isabelle-"
"Don't, Adam. Please, just don't. I had made it very clear that we were over. I'd like it very much if it could stay that way." I said and saw his crestfallen expression before Aaron and I left the restaurant.
* * *
It seems as if crying is th only thing I do these days. I mean, I just balled my eyes out a few minutes ago and the roses on my door step aren't exactly helping right now.
"What the hell?" I mutter, picking up the bouquet and inhaling the fresh scent of the roses, I know exactly who they're from but I still pick up the card with them.
'I hope you'll give me a chance to talk and to explain. I owe it you, my love.'
My love.
I read the card once more and sighed, deciding that the roses were too pretty to toss out so I placed them in a vase just as Aaron barged into my flat announced.
"This man is relentless." he asked looking at the roses when I shrugged, eyeing the other flowers from yesterday.
He had sent me flowers for a week now, since Aaron's birthday, and the same thing had been written on the card.
I showed him the card that came with it. He snatched it from my hand, reading it a few times before frowning.
"What are you going to do?" He asked.
"Ignore him. Or try to, at least." I said and saw him nod.
"I think you should talk-"
"No, Ronny. I can't let him ruin me again. I'm still trying very hard to pick myself up and I'm nowhere near even yet. I just... can't." I said shaking my head and he nodded, pulling me into a warm hug.
"Whatever you do, I'm always going to be by your side, even if you forgive that asshole." He mumbled and I giggled.
"Not likely, but thanks, Ronny. I can always count on you." I said and he smiled, ruffling my hair up.
"That you can." He said and I smiled, pulling away from him.
"Tay Tay's calling." Aaron mumbled, handing me my phone from the kitchen counter and I sighed, swiping at the screen before putting the phone to my ear.
"Hi Taylor." I spoke, settling in the living room with Aaron beside me who turned on the television, looking for something to watch.
"Hey... I heard he's there." She spoke slowly and I hummed in response, looking at the ceiling.
"He is. I uh-... I saw him last week at a restaurant." I said.
"Oh. What'd he say?" She asked.
"That he wanted to talk to me. Really needed to talk to me." I said rubbing my temples.
"Listen, I need to tell you something important." She said.
"Of course, go ahead." I said.
"When the news came out... Adam- he uh-... he came to my place to see Dylan." She said and I instantly sat up frowning.
"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart beating faster.
"I think he knows, Belle. I think he figured out your plan and maybe that's why he came looking for you. I mean, he's been looking for the past two months." She confessed and I bit on my lip.
He's been looking for me?
"You think so?" I asked.
"Yeah... As much as I hate his guts, I think you should talk to him. See what he has to say and why he said all those things to you in the first place." Taylor said.
"I mean, I really feel like someone doesn't want you two together, although we already established that fact six months ago, I still feel like there's someone out there whom we don't know of. So I feel like you should talk to him." She finished and I took a deep breath.
"I'll think about it... considering everything, that is." I said.
"Yeah, you go ahead and do let me know what happens, yeah?"
"Yeah I will. How's Tristan?" I asked, changing the topic completely.
"He's good, coming to visit in a while." She said and I practically see her blushing and smiling like a maniac.
Yup, Tristan finally got the guts to ask Taylor out. I mean, we all knew they fancied each other, but both were too dumb to make a move.
"That's nice. Tell him I said hi, will you?"
"I will. Take care B, bye." She said and I mumbled a small goodbye before hanging up.
"What'd she say?" Aaron asked and I took a deep breath, telling him all what Taylor had told me. He already knew about the plan I had made with Dylan and everything so he knew the background of it all.
"So now what?" Aaron asked me and I shrugged.
"I don't know. I guess we... wait for an opportunity?" I suggested in confusion and saw him furrow his brows before nodding slowly.
"Okay... Movie night?" He waved the remote in the air and I beamed immediately and nodded.
"Definitely."
* * *
Halfway through the comedy movie we were watching, there was a furious knocking on the door, making us frown as we paused the movie.
I checked the time, noting it was two a.m..
"Did you order more pizza?" I asked eyeing the two large empty pizza boxes but he shook his head.
"No... I'll go check, wait here." He said and I nodded as I watched him walk away. I waited a few minutes before getting up just as Aaron called out to me.
"Uh... Isa?" He called.
"Yeah?" I started to walk towards him, and froze in my tracks when I saw who was standing at the door.
"Uh... Opportunity has presented itself." Aaron smiled sheepishly at the man who was glaring daggers at him before his eyes flitted to me and softened.
"Baby..." He called and I crossed my arms over my chest.
"What are you doing here?" I questioned when he leaned against the door frame and as I neared him, I smelled the alcohol.
"He's drunk." Aaron whispered to me and I sighed, nodding my head.
"I came to see you baby, why else. I mush-... mish-... miss you." He said and hiccuped when Aaron burst out laughing.
"Shut it, Ronny." I glared at my friend who held his hands up in surrender while Adam swayed dangerously.
"Oh no, he's about to fall. Should we get him inside?" Aaron asked and I bit my lip in thought, measuring the pros and cons of inviting Adam inside.
Definitely not a good idea.
And yet, the words that left my mouth were completely different.
"Fine, get him in." I made way for the two men to pass through and didn't dare touch Adam as Aaron basically dragged him to my living room.
Adam looked around and glared at Aaron. Looks like glaring at my friend is his new hobby.
"What are you doing here? Get out." Adam barked at Aaron who scoffed in return.
"Gee, thanks mate. I help you in and this is what I get in return. He's a real barmy, this one." Aaron said and I sighed heavily.
"Tell me about it." I muttered, eyeing the man who was now observing and scanning my flat with his scrutinizing gaze that made me aware of all the mess, even though it was clean before his eyes fixed on something in particular.
His face suddenly contorted into a huge, breathtaking smile that knocked the air out of my lungs and even Aaron whistled.
"Blimey, that's one hell of a smile. I'm questioning my sexuality at this point. Is this bloke real?" Aaron turned to me surprised when I nodded absent minded before Adam turned to me.
"You kept my flowers." He stated and I briefly glanced at the red roses on the counter before shrugging.
"They were too pretty to throw away." I said coldly and saw his smile slowly fade when he gulped, nodding slowly.
"I think I should... go?" Aaron looked between the two of us when my eyes widened.
"Yes."
"No."
Both Adam and I said at the same time and I glared at him before turning to Aaron.
"What am I supposed to do with him? I can't let him stay here!" I whispered to him.
"You can't exactly send him off drunk in the middle of the night either, what if he dies in an alley somewhere? I can't bail you out of jail!" He said exasperated when I rolled my eyes.
"Then what in the bloody hell am I supposed to do with him?" I asked when he thought for a few moments.
"Throw him in the guest room." He stated and I pursed my lips.
"I'll see."
"Okay, goodnight then." Aaron said and before I could even voice out my protests, he had disappeared like the wind.
Traitor.
"Is the fucker gone?" Adam asked from the couch and I rolled my eyes, going to stand in front of him while he eyes me lazily with half lidded eyes.
"Aaron, is gone, yes, and so are you." I said and shoved his foot with mine when he groaned, throwing his head on the back of the couch and staring at the ceiling.
"Please don't throw me out. I have nowhere to go." He pleaded looking back at me when I scoffed.
"You're a literal billionaire, Adam, I'm sure you must have plenty of places to go to, or hotels for that matter." I said crossing my arms over my chest when he huffed.
"I checked out of the one I was staying in. I really have nowhere to go. And besides, the media is onto me. I can't go out anywhere." He grumbled and I frowned.
"Why are they after you?"
"I'm Adam Thorne, have you seen this." He gestured to himself when I rolled my eyes.
Cocky much?
"I have, yes." I said and immediately regretted it the way his eyes lit up and he smirked.
"Of course you have... We know every inch of each other's body, don't we baby?" He said huskily, standing up from his place from the couch.
Oh no.
He stalked over to me but I didn't move an inch from my place as he towered over me, hardly a foot of space left between us as he looked down at me.
"God I missed you." He mumbled, his eyes raking over my face as if he was memorizing every feature, every imperfection, every curve to his mind.
I missed you too.
The simple sentence nearly had me giving in to him, but I deserved more than that. I deserved a fucking apology. And a good one at that.
With that thought in mind, I squared my shoulders and stepped back from him.
"I'll let you stay the night. One night. In the guestroom." I said pointing to the room's door and he nodded in defeat before looking down at his clothes.
"I need clothes. And a shower. I stink." He mumbled.
"No shit." I replied and walked over to the other flat quickly, knocking on Aaron's door furiously before he opened.
"He needs clothes." I said and Aaron nodded, rushing inside while I waited out for him before he came back a few moments later.
"This might fit him." He handed me the clothes and I nodded, thanking him before marching back to my flat and handing the clothes to Adam.
"Wear these. Go to sleep. See you in the morning when you're sober." I said and walked over to my room after shutting everything off, just when his voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Thank you." He whispered.
I nodded once, not looking back before I closed my room's door and sighed heavily, my back resting against the door.
God help me get through this night.