Chapter 5- Happy Birthday

-Isabella-

I glance away from Damian to look at the Hurricanes as Melody speaks up. I nod. I look back at Damian.

"It was nice meeting you. I'll see you around." I say and start to leave.

He takes a long step toward me and grabs my wrist, stopping me.

"Give me your phone number at least..." he says, and his brown eyes hold a hint of vulnerability.

I shake my head, "I'm sorry..." I pull my wrist out of his hold and start to walk away.

"Bella..." he calls out to me, but I don't turn back toward him.

I don't need this. Romance and hooking up would only complicate things further.

One of the hurricanes grabs my wrist and tugs me toward the exit with them.

Halfway through the club, I glance over my shoulder and see Damian rubbing a hand down his face. A pang of regret hits me, but I quickly shake it off and walk out of the club.

The hurricanes are still giving me looks, the questions practically hanging above their heads, unable to miss... I know what they're thinking.

Damian is handsome, and the connection was immediate. Plus, there is no doubt in the fact that Vanessa has told them everything that had transpired before I started dancing with him.

However, I don't say anything to them, and they don't push back. They are giving me my necessary space, but I know that in a day or two, the curiosity will win over and they'll start pricking and prodding.

My ride pulls up, and I bid my friends farewell. I just get into my cab and give him my sister's address. My body still burns with the memory of Damian's touch and kisses.

Twenty-five minutes later, I'm in front of my sister's apartment building. I scan the card, and the door to the building opens.

I walk into the lobby, my thoughts in shambles, thinking of Damian. Unaware of my surroundings.

"Evening, Isabella..." the doorman named Peter says, pulling me out of my thoughts. He is a young man in his mid to late twenties. Since the first day I moved in here, he has been nothing short of kind and gentle.

I smile at him, "Evening, Peter... long night?" I glance at him and notice his eyes lingering on my legs. I exhale an exasperated breath, doing my best to remain polite, unaffected and not blow up in his face.

He shrugs, "It's not too bad." I nod and start walking to the elevators. He scrambles to his feet and takes two steps after me.

"Mark told me it's your birthday today..." he starts, but I interrupt him.

"Was. It's past midnight, Peter." I get on the elevator and look at him from inside. The door to the elevator is still open.

"Have an easy shift."

For a moment, he looks dumbfounded by my words, before he nods and takes a step back from the elevator, and in a sense, a step back from me.

The doors close, and I lean against the back of the elevator and exhale. The interaction with Damian is still stuck in my mind. The way his eyes lingered on me, the hesitation, the banter.

It felt so natural and real.

It made me forget about everything that's been happening in my life for the past few months.

The elevator doors open, and I purposely make noise as I unlock the door to let Mark and Emma know I'm back home and give them time to prepare for my entrance.

However, I walk in and see that the lights are off. I just head upstairs toward my room. As I'm about to step into my bedroom, the bathroom door opens, and my sister walks out.

"Hey, you're back." She says quietly. I hum and nod.

"How was the party?" The light from my room spills into the hallway, and she takes a step closer to me.

I force a smile on my face. "It was good. How was your night alone with Mark?"

She smiles softly, "Wonderful... he went out a little while ago. He's meeting up with some friends."

I nod, "It's late, you should rest. I'll talk to you in the morning. Have a good night."

"Happy birthday, Isa." She says quietly, I smile softly and walk deeper into my room, closing the door behind me.

I change into my pajamas and lie in the dark, looking over Manhattan through my floor-to-ceiling windows.

The events of the night swim in my eyes before I feel them flutter shut from exhaustion. I let sleep pull me under, making me forget all about tonight. At least for a little while.

In the morning, I woke up slowly. I opened my eyes to a beautiful sunny day. I lay in bed scrolling on my phone for a while before I get up and head to the kitchen. I'm looking through job applications as I walk downstairs

I would want my job to be like the one I had applied for at Berkeley Publishing. I want to use my degree and facilitate my love for reading. I want to work in publishing.

Is that too much to ask?

I scoff and swipe left on every single ad. Until one of them grabs my attention and I bury my nose into my phone as I quietly walk into the kitchen.

A sound of soft humming pulls me out of my haze, and I look up from my phone. However, I'm unprepared for a sight that welcomes me.

I'm face to... well... back... Muscly back of a tall, dark-haired man.

That is not my brother-in-law