Semua Bab The One I Can't Escape: Bab 51 - Bab 60

Isabella beams at me like I’m supposed to clap.My hands stay at my sides.Oliver lifts the glass to his lips, watching me from over the rim. His eyes don’t betray a thing.“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Dad says with a nervous chuckle. “But this is good news. We’re finally moving forward.”Forward?Is this what forward looks like?I want to yell. I want to beg him to stop—to look past her lipstick and lies, to see what we’ve all missed.But instead, I nod slowly. Like a good son. Like someone who doesn’t have a folder full of surveillance photos hidden under his bed.“Congrats,” I manage.He pulls Isabella in closer. “Thank you, son. That means the world.”She leans her head on his shoulder, her red nails gleaming in the light.My stomach turns.“I think we should celebrate tonight,” Dad adds, clinking his glass with hers. “Something simple. Just us. A real family evening.”Family.I feel the word slice through me.Oliver finally steps forward, eyes still on me. “You in?” he asks, v

He doesn’t look at me. His eyes are on the lockers behind her. On the floor. Anywhere but me.“It’s better this way,” he says, flat and hollow. “For both of us.”I swallow hard, but it sticks in my throat.Samantha stares at him, then turns to me. “Is this true? Are you okay with this?”I want to scream no. I want to ask why—even though I already know.Because it’s safer for him this way. Or maybe for me. Or maybe for both of us, if what i fear about Isabella is true.Samantha narrows her eyes and steps closer, her arms still crossed tightly.“As far as I know, your relationship was fine not that long ago. Solid, even,” she says sharply, looking first at me, then at Oliver. “So what is it, Oliver? You’re the one who just said you’re ending it. Is it infidelity? Lack of respect? Or did you just wake up one morning and decide you were bored?”Oliver’s jaw tightens. His fingers twitch at his sides.But he doesn’t answer.Samantha scoffs. “Seriously? You can’t even give me a reason?”She

I take my phone out as soon as I’m alone in the hallway. The weight of my father’s words still presses down on me, but I push it aside, needing to let the air out of my lungs. I tap out a quick message to Jace and Lea, both of whom have been part of my life long enough to know what this whole mess feels like.Jude: Just a heads-up. My dad found out about Oliver and me.I stare at the message for a moment before sending it, a lump growing in my throat. Then, I lock my phone and pace, waiting for their responses.Lea’s comes first.Lea: Wait, what? But I thought you guys broke up?I let out a shaky breath, quickly typing back.Jude: We did, but Oliver came to apologize. And... we got back together.I press send before I lose my nerve. My thumb hovers over the screen, heart pounding as I wait for her response.A few minutes later, Jace chimes in.Jace: I thought you two were done. What happened?I groan inwardly, rubbing my forehead.Jude: Long story short: Oliver apologized. We kissed.

The car ride is quiet.Not uncomfortable, not tense—just quiet in that way mornings sometimes are, when sleep still lingers and everything feels too big to speak aloud.Oliver’s hand rests between us, close enough that our fingers occasionally brush, like gravity hasn’t decided whether to pull us together or not. I don’t move mine. Neither does he.Isabella drives with one hand on the wheel and the other on her phone, typing a message at every red light. Her lips are tight, her eyes sharp beneath a pair of oversized sunglasses. She’s not saying much—but that’s never stopped her from thinking too much.When we finally pull up near the campus entrance, the car slows and then glides to a stop.“Alright, boys,” she says, tapping her manicured nail against the steering wheel as she looks at us in the rearview mirror. “This is where you get out.”I reach for the door handle, but her voice stops me.“And one more thing.”Oliver and I glance at her.“There’s no point pretending anymore. Chris

The room doesn’t move. Time seems to stretch on, unhurried, as Isabella sits there, her face slowly darkening. The air feels thick, heavy with the words that just dropped. Dad's declaration hangs between us like a weight, and I can feel the tension pulling tighter with every second that passes.Isabella’s jaw tightens, her fingers curl into fists in her lap. I know her well enough to see the anger building in her, but she’s trying to keep it contained, trying to make it look like she’s not as upset as she truly is. But it’s hard to miss the fire in her eyes, the way she sits a little straighter, her back stiffening with every second of silence that follows Dad’s announcement.“You’re postponing the wedding?” Her voice is cold, controlled, but there’s something raw underneath, a sharpness that makes me feel like I’m watching a volcano ready to erupt. “After all the planning, after everything we’ve gone through… You’ve decided to just cancel?”Dad sighs, rubbing his temples as though he