Chapter 13: Crushed by Whispers

ISABELLA’S POV

I bolted from Sebastian’s office, my sneakers pounding the polished tiles of Crestwood’s hallway, my heart hammering in my chest. Tears blurred my vision, stinging my eyes as I ran, my red hair whipping behind me. I felt like an idiot, a complete fool for letting him hug me, for letting his touch unravel me. When his hand had brushed my hair in class, a strange peace had washed over me, like a warm tide calming my nerves. In his office, that feeling had but again, stronger, as soon as I stepped inside—like my pain, my fears, had melted away.

Even as I yelled, pouring out my anger, his arms around me had felt right, safe, a haven I didn’t deserve. My hands had twitched, aching to hug him back, to cling to that comfort, when Vanessa’s camera click shattered it all. Now, running, I cursed myself for craving him, for letting the mate bond—or whatever it was—make me weak.

The hallway buzzed with students, their whispers slicing through me like knives. “That’s her,” one hissed, pointing. “The professor’s girl,” another snickered, their phones glinting.

My cheeks burned, my stomach twisting. They were talking about the class scene—Sebastian patting my hair, his voice soft, possessive—or maybe Vanessa had already spread that damning photo of us hugging. I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. The rumors were alive, feeding on me, and I was suffocating. I needed a safe place, somewhere to hide, to breathe. The library, maybe, or an empty stairwell—anywhere but here, where eyes stabbed and voices mocked.

I rounded a corner, my breath hitching, and slammed into a wall of bodies. My brothers, Dylan and Lucas, stood there, their broad frames blocking the exit. Jake, my ex, lounged beside them, his smirk cruel, his eyes glinting with malice. My heart sank, my legs trembling. They were the last people I needed now—my own family, who hated me as much as the rest of Crestwood did.

“Where the hell do you think you’re running to, whore?” Lucas snapped, his voice sharp, his arms crossed. His dark eyes bored into me, cold, like I was nothing.

I froze, my throat tightening, my hands swiping at my tears. “I—I’m just leaving,” I stammered, my voice small, my chest aching.

They were my brothers, supposed to protect me, to stand by me when the world tore me apart. But they didn’t. They never had. I didn’t understand why—why my family, my own blood, despised me, why the whole school saw me as a curse, a pariah.

Dylan, the quieter one, stepped closer, his brow furrowing. “Why are you crying, Bella?” His voice was softer, a flicker of concern in his hazel eyes, but it felt hollow, too little, too late.

I shook my head, wiping my face harder, my tears smearing. “I’m not crying,” I lied, my voice breaking, my hands shaking. I couldn’t let them see me crumble, not more than I already had.

Jake laughed, a harsh, grating sound, stepping forward with a swagger. “Didn’t you hear the news?” he sneered, his eyes raking over me. “She’s leeched onto the new hot history professor now. She found herself a new target to whore around with.”

My stomach dropped, my breath catching. “That’s not true!” I cried, my voice rising, desperate. “I didn’t—there’s nothing going on!”

But the lie burned my tongue. Sebastian had taken my virginity that night at the bar, a secret I’d buried deep, a mistake I couldn’t admit. Not to Jake, not to anyone.

Lucas’s face twisted, his jaw tightening. “Are you serious?” he spat, stepping closer, his fists clenching. “I thought your whore phase ended with this asshole.” He jerked his thumb at Jake. “But now you’re chasing a professor? A fucking professor, Bella?”

“No!” I shouted, my hands flailing, my tears spilling faster. “It’s not like that! You don’t understand!” My voice cracked, my body shaking, the weight of their words crushing me.

I wanted to scream the truth—that the nude photo rumors were lies, that it was all a scheme to ruin me. But they wouldn’t listen. They never did.

A chorus of pings erupted—phones lighting up, mine included, buzzing in my pocket. The hallway grew louder, students crowding closer, their eyes glinting with excitement. Lucas pulled out his phone, his face darkening as he scrolled. Jake smirked, checking his, and I fumbled for mine, my hands trembling. My heart stopped as I opened the school group chat.

There it was: the photo Vanessa took—me in Sebastian’s arms, his hand on my head, our bodies close, intimate.

The caption read, “Professor’s Pet or Something More? 👀”

Comments flooded in: “Slut,” “She’s at it again,” “Poor guy doesn’t know what he’s in for.”

My knees buckled, the phone slipping in my grip.

Lucas’s eyes blazed, his hand shooting out. His palm cracked across my cheek, the slap sharp, sending me crashing to the floor. Pain exploded, my face burning, my body hitting the tiles hard. My right wrist took the brunt, twisting under my weight, a sickening pop echoing as it sprained.

“Ahhhh!” I gasped, clutching it, tears streaming, my sobs turning to wails.

The crowd gasped, some laughing, others whispering, their phones snapping photos, capturing my humiliation.

Lucas loomed over me, bending low, his hand gripping my chin, forcing my tear-streaked face up. “So it’s true?” he snarled, his voice low, venomous. “Mom and Dad pay a fortune to send you to school, and this is how you repay them? By screwing around, jumping from one guy to another, now a professor? If you weren’t my sister, you’d probably try to fuck me too, you dirty little slut.”

His words were a knife, slicing through me, each one uglier than the last. I sobbed, my wrist throbbing, my body shaking. “You’re supposed to be my brother,” I choked out, my voice raw, my eyes pleading. “You’re supposed to believe me, to listen to my side!”

“What side?” Lucas scoffed, raising his hand again, his face twisted with rage. “There’s no side when you’re a disgrace.”

“How dare you!” a voice boomed, sharp and commanding, cutting through the chaos.

I froze, my breath hitching, my eyes darting to the source. The new guy from history class—tall, blue-eyed, his leather jacket tight over his broad shoulders—pushed through the crowd, his face hard, his aura crackling.

He knelt beside me, his hands gentle but firm, helping me to my feet. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice softer, his eyes scanning me, lingering on my wrist.

He took my hand, his touch careful, inspecting the swelling. “This is sprained,” he muttered, his jaw tightening. He spun to Lucas, his eyes blazing. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you hit her?”

Lucas sneered, stepping forward, unfazed. “Oh, look, she’s got another one hooked. The professor wasn’t enough, so you’re seducing the new guy too?”

“Is that enough reason to hit her?” the new guy snapped, his voice sharp, his body tensing like he was ready to lunge. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

Jake laughed, cruel and loud, stepping closer. “Bella, I never knew you were such a whore,” he said, his voice dripping with scorn. “You’re now spreading your legs for anyone who’ll have you. Well too bad, you ain’t that good in bed, you ain’t even juicy or tight. You’re just a waste of time and effort.”

“That’s a lie,” a new voice said, low and dangerous, echoing my own.

I gasped, my head snapping up. Sebastian stood there, his blazer sharp, his green eyes blazing, his presence a wall against the chaos.

He stepped forward, his gaze locked on Jake, then softening as it found me. “You know that’s a lie, right?” he said, his voice steady, his words carrying a weight that silenced the crowd.

My heart stopped, my breath catching. If he kept talking, if he said more, everyone would know—about us, about that night. My eyes widened, fear and shock rooting me to the spot as Sebastian walked toward me, his expression unreadable, the hallway holding its breath.