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作者: Dannywrites
last update 公開日: 2026-03-31 06:11:06

ISABELLA

I let out a shaky breath, a small, giddy smile still tugging at my lips as Noah’s face fades from the screen.

"Fiancée," I whisper to the empty air. The word does feel like a cool balm on my overheated skin.

The heavy rooftop door creaks open, cutting my moment of peace short. I jump, nearly dropping my phone as Leo's cousin, Maya, steps out into the night air. She’s holding a half-empty glass of prosecco, her eyes scanning me with a perspective look.

I am so not ready for any talk ri
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  • CRAVING ISABELLA   191.

    ISABELLA I nod. It's subtle but he's Noah. I'm sure he can catch the faintest of nods when I'm the one nodding. Well, things happen. If I do tell him, I'm sure he'd tell me to do what I want to do. Shut everybody out."If you don't feel talking..." he starts."I want to. I just don't know how to start." I say truthfully.He eyes me, then nods. "Let's start with this. I dropped by the hospital earlier to check on you and give your mom some fruits." I don't tear my gaze away from him. Does he know? Did she tell him anything when he got there? I hope she didn't. I want Noah to hear this from me. "I was with her." He nods. "Your mom?"I don't nod. I just focus on the road ahead and think of the next words. "We talked about you and then she started talking about dad. She seemed mad that he didn't come to see her at the hospital. I tried to tell her that even though he didn't come..." My voice trails off."That he loved her?" Noah continues."Yeah. That. I thought we'd bond. I told you

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   190.

    ISABELLA"I'll understand if you need time.""Time? You're fucking kidding me. I want space. I want a year from you people."The silence that follows is unbearable. I can hear everything... my breathing, his uneven exhales.“I’m sorry.”It’s quiet. So quiet I almost miss it. I frown. “What?”“I said… I’m sorry.” His voice cracks this time, and that’s new. That’s never happened before. “Not just for this. Not just for what you found out today. For everything.”I swallow hard, but I don’t say anything. Because if I do, I might fall apart.“I should’ve told you,” he continues, stepping forward slowly. “I should’ve been honest with you from the beginning. You deserved that. You deserved the truth about your mother… about who you are.”A tear slips down his face, and it does something to me.“I thought I was protecting you,” he says. “But I see it now. I wasn’t protecting you. I was scared,” he admits. “After that night… everything changed. I wasn’t the same man anymore, Isabella. I made c

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   189.

    ISABELLA The way I make my way back to the house is a miracle. I walk, taking slow steps while I try to assimilate. Was she right? Or was she lying to me? She's the woman I know. I don't know anybody else. I don't have a dead mother.I'm walking to the one person who can give me answers. I'm not crying though. I think that it'd be too dramatic to cry. Not until I understand everything."Dad?"No response. I step further inside, shutting the door behind me. I glance around, but now, I'm staring at everywhere different? The couch. Did Dana ever sit there?“Dad!” I call again, louder this time.A sound comes from the stairs. And then he appears. He looks tired. More than tired... wrecked. His shirt is wrinkled, sleeves rolled up unevenly, like he’s been running his hands through his hair over and over again.“Isabella…” he breathes. “You’re back. I was just about to...”“Don’t. When I left... you didn't look like that. Tell me, js she lying?” I ask.Straight to it. No warning. His face

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   188.

    ISABELLA"No," I say immediately, but it comes out thin and I almost do not recognize my voice. I've been loud and dramatic but this is me being a helluva confused. "No, that's not... you're not making any sense." I say, because she isn't. "You're my mom. You raised me. You.. you.. "“I raised you,” she says carefully. “Yes.”Something inside me twists. “No,” I shake my head, stepping back. “No, don’t do that. Don’t start choosing your words now like... like that means something different.”“It does mean something different.”My pulse pounds in my ears. “Then say it,” I demand. “Say what you’re trying to say.”She inhales shakily. “The woman who gave birth to you…” she starts, then falters. "was Dana Adams."My knees almost give out, and I grab the edge of the hospital bed to steady myself. "No." I shake my head, once, twice, harder the third time. “No, that’s not funny. Don’t... don’t do that.”“I raised you,” she says quietly. “I held you when you cried. I fed you, clothed you, wat

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   187.

    ISABELLA "So he outed his Dad to the bad people?" "The cops." I correct her."For what reason?" She is confused. Yeah, she's definitely confused. I mean, she has that scrunch on her face. I don't want to make her think about this too much. I didn't even want to tell her anything about it. If she hadn't pressed, I wouldn't have divulged a word."I think his Dad must have done some pretty personal things for him to have swung on him like that. How lucky your father and I are..." Her voice trails off at that word.Wow. Just wow. My eyes widen and I press my lips shut. This is the first time she's mentioning him since she got in the hospital last week. "Don't say anything. I know what you want to say. I don't want to hear it." She holds a hand up."I wasn't gonna say anything, mom." I'm smiling now, though it's a sad smile. "You okay?" She rolls her eyes. "He didn't come to see me." She mutters."He did call." I offer. "Like that would make it better." "No, I know it doesn't but...

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   186.

    ISABELLAI'm staring at Noah while I hold my breath. Can words hang between us? Because... yeah, these ones do. I mean, I'm not just his girlfriend anymore. I'm his freaking Fianceé. And if he doesn't respect that, I don't know what he will.I get it. He's hurting. He made a promise to Hardin. Hardin his his brother. But it just baffles me that both brothers are so willing to take down their dad's in this manner. Even though the men in question are brutal people. Noah’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, his knuckles paling, his jaw ticking like he’s grinding down everything he wants to say but can’t quite release yet.“…What?” he finally asks, his voice quieter now. Careful.I don’t back down. “You heard me,” I say, softer than I expect, but steadier than I feel. “You made a promise to your brother. Fine. I get that. Loyalty, blood, all of that.” I swallow, my fingers tightening in his. “But I’m right here, Noah. I’m the one who’s going to be standing next to you when all of this

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   147.

    ISABELLA Noah and I aren't speaking. I gave him an ultimatum. Like... until Madelyn leaves, he shouldn't say a word to me. And Madelyn isn't leaving. I don't think she has any plans of leaving at all. She stayed for breakfast this morning, slept on the couch when I left for a class at noon and I d

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   146.

    NOAHI'm not surprised. What did I expect? The drive home is quiet. I think I already knew it'd be like this.Isabella sits in the passenger seat with her hands folded in her lap, staring straight out the window like the passing streets are the most fascinating thing she’s ever seen. She hasn’t loo

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   145.

    NOAHOf course she would come here. I should have known that telling Isabella not to do something was the fastest way to make sure she did exactly that. And of all the places she could have gone to figure out her little business, she chose this place...My father's house.I glare at Mason. He just

  • CRAVING ISABELLA   144.

    ISABELLAMadelyn is Noah's cousin. I don't doubt that. It's... nice to know he has family. It's also nice to know that he can help her when she needs help. Like now, he's given her a place to stay. I've watched their interactions these past few days with little interest. What I'm keen on now, is m

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