All Chapters of CRAVING ISABELLA: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

ISABELLAThe car feels about ten degrees colder the second those words leave my mouth. Hardin doesn't slow down. But I can see his face in the glow of the dashboard. He's tense. He's waiting for an answer.All my boyfriend knows about my family is that my father is an accountant and he's the greatest dad any daughter could pray for. Which are lies, by the way. Total fabrications. So he's probably wondering how my dad got arrested. What did the role model do that warranted an arrest. "I... it wasn't a big deal," I stammer. "He just... he got into a disagreement. With a neighbor. About a property line or something stupid."Hardin glances at me. "You said it was a really bad time for the family, Bella. Usually, a property dispute doesn't qualify as a traumatic family event.""It was nothing. It was just the stress of it all, Hardin," I say, my voice rising a pitch higher than I intended. I look out the window, watching the streetlights blur into long yellow streaks. "My mum was a wreck.

ISABELLA"You're defending him? Do you have any idea what he did? Do you know how badly hurt those guys were?" I don't know. My head falls to my chest as I remain mute. Kol takes my silence for approval as he signals Officer Miller and he opens the metal door."You know that you can't string brothers along, right? If you're going for Hardin, stick with him. But if you have a thing for Noah..." Diva starts saying but she doesn't get to complete her words as Hardin cuts her off."She doesn't.""Fine. I was just trying to let her know. Come on, get out." She extends a hand toward me, but I can't bring myself to take it."Go," Noah says from beside me."He's right, Bella. You don't belong in there. He does." Hardin says.I shake my head and walk out of the cell, pushing past Hardin and breaking into a run. I need some air. Fuck! I can't believe I slept in a cell. Hardin is following me, I can hear my name as he runs after me until he eventually catches up with me outside."Bella, wait."

NOAHGiovanni scoffs when I nod, a wicked grin that I recognize from our wild days together is spreading across his face. He reaches into the center console and pulls out a fat pre-rolled joint and flicks a silver lighter. The interior of the car fills with the pungent scent instantly. He takes a long drag and hands it to me."That's my boy," Giovanni says, smoke curling out of his mouth as he talks. "Welcome back to the land of the living. Enough of that moping bullshit."I take a hit, letting the smoke burn in my lungs. "Turn the music up," I mutter. "I don't want to hear my thoughts. They're getting too damn loud."Giovanni cranks the volume. He starts thumping his hand against the roof of the car, howling along to the lyrics."'I'm a cold-blooded killer with a heart made of stone!'" he bellows, completely off-key.Giovanni eventually pulls up to my apartment and we get down, stumbling out and laughing like maniacs. I open the door, walking in and frowning as the scent of something

ISABELLAIt was just my regular cargo pants and long-sleeved basic top. Yeah, I've stood in front of my mirror for hours trying to figure out why Noah was staring at me like that. And let's be honest, I'd almost chickened out of wearing the outfit I'd borrowed from Chloe and wear the same damn clothes I wore to school today. I keep looking at the denim dress hanging at the back of my door, then back at my baggy cargos.I mean, Noah was staring. And his opinion mattered right? I shake my head, trying to dispel the thoughts as I put a video call across to Chloe. I set my phone on my vanity area, propping it against a candle, and step back as the call connects."Hey bestie," Chloe's hair shows first, then I see her face, she's grinning from ear to ear. "You're not ready yet?" She arches a brow as she takes in my towel-clad body. "Bella..."I shrug, dropping the towel. I don't mind that she can practically see everything. We’ve been changing in front of each other since forever. I just g

NOAHI'm kissing my brother's girl. The same girl I thought I was wrong for. The same girl I didn't want to try and get a taste of because... once I got a taste, I didn't know if I could live with one taste. Isabella moans hungrily, opening her lips to my tongue as I slip it in, groaning into her mouth. She's frantic, trying to match my pace, but I'm gladly slowing it down. She's keeping up, getting accustomed to the way I kiss. And she's a fast learner. "Noah..." She moans loudly as I break the kiss to nip and suck at her neck. I press a kiss down her tight, little, aching body, my hands slipping down to her hips to pull her impossibly closer.The erection I'm sporting is definitely rubbing against her thigh as I claim her mouth again, pressing her body into mine. "Uh..." The sound of Trisha's voice is why we pull away. Fuck! Isabella's cheeks instantly turn pink, and her gaze is locked to the ground. She doesn't even look at me as I turn to Trisha, trying to regulate my breathin