CRAVING ISABELLA のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 111 - チャプター 120

NOAH"What?" She says quietly.Fuck."I was," I repeat, slower this time. "Gonna ask you to marry me."She turns to face me, properly this time, eyes wide and searching my face like she's looking for a joke. For the gotcha. For me to smile and say 'Just kidding.' But I don't. I won't do that to her."Noah... don't do that to me. You looked confused when I said that. I caught your facial expression. It was like... Like you didn't even understand what I was saying."I shrug, my head a mess. What now? "Okay... I admit I was confused by what you said. But I'm not doing anything okay? I care about you so much.""Okay." She turns away, pacing once, then stops and faces me again. “Do you want to marry me?” she asks bluntly. Is that question supposed to be asked? Of course. I fucking want that more than anything. But now? I don't think that would be possible. She said it herself. She's not even ready. But I go ahead and nod. “Yes.”"Great." "But you're not ready," I say."You're right. I'm

ISABELLAFor a second, the only sound in the room is the clink of Harriet’s spoon against a ceramic bowl as she feeds one of the twins. Then, that stops too.I feel the blood drain from my face, leaving my skin cold and clammy. My heart isn't just racing... It’s attempting a break from my ribs. I look at Noah, my eyes wide, pleading with him to tell me I heard him wrong."Engaged?" The word comes from Chloe. She's staring at me with disbelief, her mouth slightly agape. Yeah, that's earned. There's no way Noah and I got engaged and Chloe, my best friend, doesn't know. "Noah," I say under my breath. My hand finds his leg under the table and pinches... hard.He doesn't even flinch. He just shifts his hand, covering mine and lacing our fingers together. His palm is warm and calm. Not quivering or anything like that."Engaged?" Diva finally finds her voice, and it’s screeching. I knew she'd be more upset by Noah's decision than anyone. She drops her fork and it clatters against the fine c

NOAH The apartment is too quiet. It’s the kind of quiet that presses against your ears until your thoughts get louder than they should be. I’ve been sitting on the couch for over an hour, staring at nothing. My phone rests on the coffee table in front of me, its screen dark and silent. No calls. No messages. Nothing from her. I drag a hand down my face and exhale slowly, my chest tight in a way I can’t seem to fix. I fucked up. I know I did. I didn’t mean to call her a child. The words had come out wrong. But that doesn’t change the fact that I said them. That I hurt her. And she left. The sound of a knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts. My head lifts, brows pulling together in confusion. I’m not expecting anyone. For a second, I consider ignoring it. The knock comes again. I push myself off the couch and walk to the door. When I open it, I blink. Harriet stands there, one twin balanced on her hip while the other clings to her leg. They both look up at me with w

ISABELLAI watch Chase walk away, his stride lighter now that the double date is settled. I stand there for a moment, enjoying how the evening air is starting to bite through my thin sweater. Alright, I do feel like the world's biggest idiot.I don't even know if Noah is answering my texts. I don't even know if we're speaking. And yet, I just signed us up for a night of playing happy couples with my best friend and a girl I’m already prepared to politely dislike.I start walking toward the gate. I’m about halfway to the bus stop when a familiar black car slows down beside me. The window rolls down. Noah’s profile is against the twilight."Get in," he says. I don't even break my stride. "No. I'm walking.""It's getting dark, and you're miles from home. Get in the car.""I'm perfectly capable of navigating a sidewalk, Noah. Go away."I hear the tyres screech slightly as he manoeuvres the car ahead of me, swinging the nose of the vehicle across the narrow path, blocking my way. I stop,

ISABELLAShe just called Noah toxic. She just stood in my face and said rude things about my boyfriend while he's sitting right beside me. Yeah, I know Noah can be an ass but still... that doesn't give her the right to be rude about it. She barely knows him. "Toxic?" I repeat. My fake smile doesn't just fade, it evaporates."Jodie, let's just go," Chase says quickly, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. He reaches for Jodie’s arm, but she doesn't budge. She's wearing that same 'nice' smile, the one that doesn't reach her eyes, looking at me with pity."I’m just being honest, honey," Jodie says. "A man who can't show basic respect to his friends' partners? That’s a red flag. I’m doing you a favour by pointing it out. You’re far too pretty to be dragging around dead weight that doesn't know how to act in public.""Dead weight?" Noah says. He starts to rise, but I put a firm hand on his chest."I've got this," I snap, my eyes locked on Jodie.I stand up slowly, smoothing out my dress. "