All Chapters of Brotherzoned: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Isla’s POVWhat is he even blabbing about?When I finally walked away from Zayne, my pulse was still erratic, my head still spinning with his last words. I do.He said it like a warning and a promise all at once, the kind that stuck under my skin long after I left the hallway.By the time I made it back to my room, my hands wouldn’t stop trembling. I told myself it was nothing, that he was just being his usual cocky, impossible self. But every time I closed my eyes, I saw the way he’d looked at me… like he meant it.And maybe that’s what scared me most.I tried to bury myself in work editing Silas’s wedding photos. But it didn’t take long before another kind of storm hit my screen.Silas Reed.His name popped up on my phone, the text sharp and unmissable:“We need to talk. In person. Bring the edited photos while coming.”My stomach dropped. I didn’t even need to finish reading. I knew what it meant.He could’ve just requested them by email, like a normal client. But no, Silas never w

Isla’s POVThe next morning, I started avoiding him. He started it first, and I plan to follow through. I choose different hallways in the house. Different breakfast times. Different everything. I tell myself it’s because he’s nosy and annoying, because his smirk gets under my skin, because I can’t read what’s going on behind those eyes, and that makes me uneasy. But deep down, I know that’s not the truth.The truth is, Zayne is dangerous.Not in the way Silas was. Silas was an obvious danger, smooth words and a beast underneath. Zayne’s danger is hidden, like a fuse already lit but pretending it isn’t.Every time he’s around, I feel that fuse burning closer.Sienna notices, of course. She always does.She’s in the living room scrolling through her phone when I pass by with my camera bag, trying to look normal.“You and my brother…” she says without looking up, voice sing-song. “You’ve been acting weird.”My fingers freeze on the strap of the bag, Sienna must’ve noticed. “Weird?”S

Isla’s POVMy head felt heavy.I sat up slowly, pressing a hand to my temple as the dull ache pulsed behind my eyes. I hadn’t been sleeping well lately, not since the threats and messages from Silas. That damn picture had rooted itself in my mind, replaying every time I closed my eyes, every time I thought I was finally getting over him. The way his hand gripped my waist, the way my hair fell across the sheets.. Exposed. Raw.Brutal in its reminder that I had loved a man who saw me as nothing more than something to touch, not someone to keep.The light from the morning bled through the curtains, soft but insistent. Sienna’s laptop sat open on the desk beside my bed, the glow of unread emails blinking like tiny reminders that the world didn’t stop just because my heart did.I dragged myself out of bed, slipped my feet into slippers, and shuffled toward the desk. My coffee had gone cold hours ago, a thin layer of foam clinging to the cup’s edge. I sighed and sat down, refreshing my inb

Isla’s POVThe drive back to Dustfield felt longer than usual, the road stretched like it didn’t want me home. Maybe I didn’t either. The rain had started somewhere around the outskirts, soft at first, then heavier, pelting the windshield until the world blurred.By the time I pulled into the driveway, my nerves were buzzing. I killed the engine and just sat there, staring at the dim porch light flickering like it was struggling to stay alive. Kind of how I felt inside.The whole drive back, I kept replaying Isabella’s voice in my head, that soft, cheerful tone, the way she said my name like we’d been friends for years. Isla, right? I’ve seen all your work, except her wedding pictures, of course.Of course.My stomach twisted. What if she found out Silas and I used to date? How could Silas let me cover his own photos just to drag me into this mess? I mean, I shouldn’t be scared, I didn’t do anything wrong actually.I took a deep breath, trying to shove it all away as I stepped out int

In two strides, he closed the distance. He grabs me and my back hits the nearest wall, hard enough to steal my breath. His palm lands beside my head, the other gripping my waist, fingers pressing into skin like he’s fighting himself.“You have no idea what you’re asking for,” he says, voice rough, low, and dangerous.But he doesn’t move away.His thumb drags across my lower lip, slow, and deliberate. My breath hitches. His eyes follow the motion like it costs him something not to give in completely.“I do,” I whisper. My voice sounds nothing like me.Zayne exhales through his nose, a sound halfway between a curse and a growl. “You really don’t.”Then his restraint snaps.He tilts my chin up and crushes his mouth to mine. The kiss isn’t gentle, it’s control breaking, patience unraveling. His body pins mine, heat rolling off him in waves. I taste the faint trace of smoke mixed with mint and something I can’t name.His hand slides from my waist down my hip, slow enough that I can feel e