All Chapters of Ruin me, Gently : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

ISABELLESunday morning blurred into afternoon in a haze of tangled sheets and lazy conversations. We never left the bed except to grab food from the kitchen or coffee that went cold before we remembered to drink it. Matt’s hands seemed to find new places to explore every time we thought we were done, and I was learning that “one more time” was becoming our most-used phrase.We talked about everything and nothing—childhood memories, favorite books, places we wanted to visit. He told me about building his first company. I told him about the disastrous camping trip Sage and I took when we were teenagers.It felt easy. Natural. Like we’d been doing this for years instead of days.But as the afternoon light started to fade, reality crept back in. Tomorrow was Monday. Tomorrow I’d go back to work, back to my apartment for three days, back to the world outside this house.The thought made my chest tight.“What are you thinking about?” Matt asked, his fingers tracing patterns on my bare shou

MATTEOI came to a stop in front of my office door, Trey’s broad frame squarely blocking the entrance. He stood with his arms folded, expression set— like a man who had been rehearsing this moment for hours.I raised a brow at him.“We really underestimated just how unbothered you could be,” he said.I tucked a hand into my pocket, reining in my temper. I’d had the best weekend I could remember in a long time, and I wasn’t about to let anyone drag me out of it.“I can’t believe you didn’t show,” Trey pressed on. “Not after the way everyone appealed to you. Don’t you feel anything—not being there for your sister on the happiest day of her life? Strangers showed up to honor her. Strangers. And you couldn’t?”“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” He said flatly. “Your grudges run deep.”“Then why are you still standing in my way?”“To show you pictures.” He shifted, just slightly. “And to convince you to be in Iceland for the white wedding.”The look on my face gave him his answer b

ISABELLEI held my breath as I tiptoed through Sage’s apartment, my heart pounding so loud I was sure she’d hear it from her bedroom.The floor creaked slightly under my bare feet, and I froze, waiting.Silence.I exhaled slowly and continued toward the door, slipping my feet into my sneakers as quietly as possible.My phone buzzed in my hand.Matt: Outside.I unlocked the door with trembling fingers, wincing at every tiny sound—the click of the lock, the soft squeak of the hinges, the gentle thud as I pulled it closed behind me.The hallway was empty, dimly lit by emergency exit signs. I hurried toward the elevator, my pulse racing with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.What was I doing? Sneaking out of my sister’s apartment at midnight like a teenager to meet a man who’d called just to hear my voice.A man who made me feel things I’d promised myself I wouldn’t feel.The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside, watching the numbers descend. Ground floor. Then I was pushi

ISABELLEI woke to sunlight pressing through Sage’s guest room curtains and the smell of coffee already brewing in the kitchen.My phone showed 6:02 AM. No new messages.I stared at the screen longer than I should have, my chest tight, before I made myself put it face down and get out of bed.Sage was at the stove when I shuffled in, still in her pyjamas, prodding at scrambled eggs with a spatula.“Morning, sleepyhead,” she said without turning around. “Want some—” She stopped the moment she looked at me. Her expression shifted. “Whoa. You look terrible.”“Thanks,” I muttered, making a beeline for the coffee pot.“I’m serious, Bella. You barely slept, didn’t you?” She set down the spatula and came closer, studying my face. “What’s going on?”“I’m fine. Just a rough night.”“Bad dreams?”“Something like that.”She didn’t look convinced. But she let it go and went back to the stove. “Sit down. Coffee and food fix everything.”I sat at her small kitchen table, both hands wrapped around t

AURORA“Nobody,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Just spam.”Dave’s eyes narrowed. “You’re shaking.”“I’m tired, Dave. I’ve had a traumatic day—remember?” I let my hand drift to my stomach. The universal signal. The one that never failed.His expression softened immediately. “Right. Sorry. Get some rest.”“I will.” I waited until he stood, until he bent to press a kiss to my forehead—gentle, obligatory. “Thank you for being there today. For choosing us.”Something moved across his face. Guilt, maybe. Or the beginning of doubt.He nodded and left without another word.The moment the door clicked shut, I grabbed my phone.The message was still there on the screen, each word sitting like a stone.“I warned you once. You didn’t listen. If Isabelle’s name comes out of your mouth again—to anyone, in any context—what happened to your Instagram will look like a kindness. You have enemies you can’t afford, Aurora. Remember that.”My hands were trembling so badly I nearly dropped the ph