Chapter 72 | Jealousy is not a good look

Isabella:

I think Lucas has hypnotised me or something.

Seeing him this morning has just thrown me off completely because for some odd reason; I can't stop thinking about him.

Leo had hugged me in greeting when meeting me and all I could do was compare him to Lucas; compare him to the way his body felt flushed against mine in comparison to Lucas, compare him to the way he smelled good but not as good as Lucas, compare him to the fact because he's a little shorter, my head reached the crook of his neck rather than his chest like I did with Lucas.

Then, as we had been walking through the park, I had been only half into the conversation happening with Leo. He had been going on about God knows what - probably his nana again - and all I had been thinking of what that fucking note had said and over analysing every minute detail of what Lucas had written.

God, that had been the sweetest thing anyone had every said to me and my heart still thrashes like mad when thinking about it. I genuinely think a silly, permanent smile is stuck on my face that Leo probably thinks is from his company. Poor guy.

I find it crazy how anyone could ever view me like that, see me the way Lucas had written about me, and a part of me, the negative part of me, believed it was kind of all...bullshit. No way could I be that impactful on someone's life.

That part of me was wary that Lucas might have been simply exaggerating on my behalf...just to make me feel good but the other part of me just told me that I was being too paranoid.

The latter part of me was winning however, I believed more that Lucas was being sincere with his words. I had seen it in his eyes and they way he had assured me after I had asked.

Anyways, like I was saying before, all I could do was think about Lucas, think about Lucas and I, it sent my mind spiralling.

The domino effect had begun to play out in my mind and I began thinking about and over analysing every moment I've had with Lucas. Thinking about how he reacted after our drunken kiss, all the times we've hung out, the times we've just comforted each other on our issues, the way he's been helping me...and all the instances where other people have thought there has been a thing between the two of us.

Jesus, thinking about that made me realise how much it has happened where people have mistakened Lucas and I for a couple or ridiculously hoped that we were; my mom, Imani, Dylan and Aidan, Mia, Grace...the list went on.

It's like a curtain has been pulled open from away my eyes and I was realising this all for the first time.

Good God I wanted to bash my head against the table.

Did we really come across that way?

Regardless, I was completely distracted in my meeting with Leo - am completely distracted in my meeting with Leo. I'm more focused on dissecting the feeling of warmth that's rushed through me, the rapid beating of my heart and the butterflies swarming my belly as my mind replays all of this rather than on what the guy sitting next to me is currently talking about.

"Hey, Isabella...are you alright?" Leo asks me warily, snapping me out of my thoughts, a curious tone lacing his voice. "You look...not okay."

I lift my head from the table and gaze back at him before nodding my head slowly. "I'm okay."

"You sure?" He quirks an eyebrow, the look on his face telling me he doesn't quite believe me.

"Yes." I hesitate. "No. I mean yes. Um kinda...I guess." I scrunch up my nose. "Do I not look alright?"

"Not really, you look like you're drowning in your thoughts and you also have been kinda distracted all day," Leo says and immediate guilt washes over me for not paying attention when I'm supposed to be spending time with him.

Stupid Lucas. Stupid brain. Stupid boys.

"And plus you've been banging your forehead against the table for the past 30 seconds."

"What?" My eyes widen.

"Yeah," Leo chuckles. "You've been creating quite the racket."

Oh my God. I did that out loud?

Sure enough, when I quickly scan my surroundings and the booths around us. I notice how everyone is staring in my direction, straight at me weirdly. Betty even mouths, 'Are you okay?' from the front and I nod slowly.

Oh fuck. I slump back down in my seat and feel my cheeks begin to burn. "Maybe I'm not alright," I squeak in reply to Leo.

"You wanna speak about it?" He asks sincerely, his eyebrows drawn together.

I'm about to shake my head but then pause.

He quirks another eyebrow at me.

I wince. "You don't mind?"

"Not at all," he gestures with hand, his lips tipping up into a boyish smile. "Go ahead."

"You sure?" I relent. "I mean it would be nice to have an outsiders point of view on this," I begin to ramble, twisting my hands in my lap uncomfortably. "I need to speak to someone or my head is gonna burst but everyone else I can speak about this to has a bias on the subject already but I don't want to turn this into a therapy session or something and I'm already ruining this day by not being 100% focused but it's only been a couple of hours thinking about this issue and I'm going crazy and if I keep holding this in I think I might just combust."

Leo's eye widen and he grasps my shoulders, levelling me with a look. "Breathe," he tells me and I let out a shaky breath. "And then speak. You're not ruining this day out, I'm running out of things to talk about and I don't think you're particularly interested in hearing anything else about my grandmothers up coming cataract surgery so..."

He trials off, allowing me to fill the silence.

"Okay then," I breathe again, running a hand down my face and fiddling with the straw of my empty milkshake. Damn, I had been so much in my thoughts that I literally ate a whole burger meal and had an entire milkshake. "Um," I laugh nervously, "this is going to sound dumb but...there's this boy-"

"Wait let me get comfortable!" Leo cuts me off excitedly. "Lines that always start off like that always turn out to be interesting stories." I laugh as he shuffles in his seat before turning his full attention onto me. "Okay you may proceed."

"Okay, so there's this guy..." I begin again, grimacing. I can't believe I'm saying this out loud.

Leo nods understandingly. "And you're in love with him?"

My eyes fly wide open and I practically choke on my spit as I splutter out a defensive: "Oh my God no!"

Leo grins. "You sure?"

"Yes!" I shoot him a look at his accusation.

"You're really, really sure?" He continues teasingly.

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes!" I repeat exasperatedly before pausing unwillingly as I give Leo's accusation a second thought. "...I think."

"You think?"

"Well..." I start off again, my eyebrows drawing together. "What I feel for him definitely is more than platonic...and I had been madly in love with him before...but only when we were kids...and I'm pretty sure I don't love him anymore..." I speak slowly and unsurely.

Oh fuck off, Leo is putting more thoughts into my head.

"You don't sound quite convinced." There's a sly smile playing on his lips as he brings the rip of the glass of mango soda up to his mouth.

I roll my eyes.

"Okay, I guess...my feelings for him have always been more than platonic," I admit, substituting the 'L' word for 'platonic' but giving Leo a look to assure that he understands what I'm inferring.

He nods and places his glass back down onto the table top, waiting for me to continue.

"So yeah, now, I guess I've come to acknowledge and accept that I definitely see him more than just a friend."

"How comes only now?"

"Because he did some things that hurt me a lot when he was younger."

Leo winces on my behalf. "Uh oh."

"Yeah," I nod my head solemnly. "So it was easier to disregard and just push away my feelings because I was so focused on hating him for what he did y'know," I say and gaze up to Leo who nods his head understandingly.

I spin the straw around the glass and pick at the left over tomato I had picked out of my burger and is resting on the side of my plate. "But now..." I sigh, continuing. "He's making up for it and it's like that cloud of hate is being lifted from my vision and it's getting harder and harder to not focus on my feelings for him..."

"And why is that a bad thing?"

"Because it's scary," I point out. "It's scaring me because it's just hit me now, and I mean now, like probably a couple of hours ago, the intensity of what I'm feeling and I've just also realised how lately I've been struggling to push away those emotions like I could do before."

"A part of me still doesn't want to have these feelings for him...I mean I forgive him but there's that nagging voice right in the back of my head that thinks it's wrong and the conflicting emotions is fucking with my brain," I exhale frustratedly. "And plus, I don't even know if he likes me back-"

"Wait," Leo cuts me off and raises his plan to silence me for a second. "So sorry for interrupting but can I ask something?"

My eyebrows furrow together and I shut my mouth closed. "Sure..." I then say reluctantly, continuing to eye Leo weirdly as he contemplates something.

After a beat passes he begins to speak again.

"Is this about Lucas?"

I freeze and my straw slips from my fingers and back into the glass. I clear my throat. "Huh?"

"Sorry, I'll touch back on everything else you just said in a sec but I'm curious," Leo waves his hand dismissively and tilts his head to the side in interest. "Is this about Lucas?"

"What?" I blink.

"Is this about Lucas? Who you're talking about?" He repeats for the third time. Leo's face stays fairly passive but the twinkle in his eyes tells me he knows exactly who I'm speaking about and that he's just waiting on my assurance.

I'm about to deny and shake my head no but I take a second too long on hesitating saying my answer and within that time, my reluctance causes Leo's mouth to tip into a smirk and an all-knowing expression settles on his features.

We fall into a silent stare off for a second and as a moment passes, I give in to his knowing look and let out another exasperated breath.

"Fine, yes it is," I sigh.

"I knew it," Leo's grin broadens before he throws me an almost perplexed look. "And you really think the guy doesn't like you back?"

"What-"

"Do you really not see it?" Leo asks me in disbelief, eyes scouring my face to check if I'm telling the truth.

My eyebrows draw together confusedly. "See what?"

"Wow," his mouth gapes open. "I've only met the guy on maybe two instances and I can clearly tell that he's basically madly in love with you."

I blink in shock. "What?"

"Yeah," Leo nods. "He looks at you with pure adoration Isabella."

"He does?"

"Yes." He levels me with a straight look to make sure I understand. "And plus Sammy said that Mia said that Lucas kind of hates me for getting to spend time with you and I see it too. Every time I'm with you I swear the guy burns holes into my head, like he's literally doing it right now, I'm scared he's going to come over here and like kill me or something."

"Wait what?" I say even more confusedly now, still at a loss for words at what Leo is telling me and even more befuddled at the end part of his statement. "What do you mean...now."

"There," Leo points his finger in the direction of one of the booths tucked in right at the corner, near the jukebox. "He's there."

"What?"

"Look."

Sure enough, when I glance in the area Leo is gesturing to, I catch a glimpse of a guy with dark hair that undoubetdly resembles Lucas' unruly locks and my mouth falls open in shock.

"When did he come here?" I swivel my head back to Leo and stare at him in disbelief.

Leo blinks at me. "You didn't notice?"

"Notice what?" I groan and bury my face in my hands. What the fuck is going on?

"He's been following us this whole time," Leo returns and I peek through my fingers to long at him. "I thought you noticed, he's not doing an exactly great job of hiding himself."

"I didn't notice that!"

"No way," Leo quirks an eyebrow and grins like all of this is hilarious to him. "I noticed Lucas when we were walking in the park but I just thought it was a coincidence but then I caught him following us as we were coming here, then spotted him sliding into that booth when our food came."

I simply gape at Leo in shock, before my eyes begin to dart back to the booth Lucas is hiding in. His head is no longer visible but the side of his right shoulder and arm still is, but that arm belongs to Lucas I just know it.

"Holy fuck what the fuck is happening right now." I let my head fall back onto the table top with a clang not caring if it makes noise to direct attention towards me. After grovelling for a quick second, I lift my head again and shoot Leo an apologetic look. "I'm going to go and speak to him this is ridiculous."

Leo leans back in his seat and drapes an arm against the back of the booth before gesturing with his hand for me to go right ahead. "I'll be watching from right over here," he tells me, sipping on his drink. "You wanna get payback on him when you come back?"

"Of course," I hiss, tightening my ponytail and beginning to slide out of the booth am about to begin to storm up to Lucas' booth. "I vote screaming at him before kicking him in the balls."

"Eh I have a better idea."

"A better idea than castrating him?"

"Yep." A mischievous glint makes an appearance in Leo's eye and I pause, cocking my head to the side, suddenly very interested in what he has to say.

"What is it?"

"Jealousy," Leo responds smoothly, a grin spreading on his lips as he speaks. "Lets make him jealous."

+

Lucas:

I don't know what's overcome me. I think I've regressed back into a caveman.

Ever since hearing about Isabella's plans of hanging out with Leo, this immense feeling of jealousy has just surged through me. It's something I'm not exactly proud of, especially because I have no right of feeling this possessive over Isabella but fuck, it's taking over all my logic.

What I pulled this morning, hugging her like that and giving her the note that was much more...out there, to ensure that I'm on her mind all through out her day out with that idiot weirdo, was already too much, but Christ, now I'm full on stalking her? What the fuck is wrong with me?

To be fair, I hadn't meant to follow them. Amber, had let me catch an early lunch and asked me if I could change my second shift at work to an evening one, instead of being consecutively after my first shift and I had agreed so I had left and driven straight home. On the drive back however, I had been craving Boba so had stopped to get some obviously and the Boba shop just coincidentally happened to be right across the street from the park Leo and Isabella were hanging out in.

After picking up my drink, I had decided to take a leisurely walk through the park to take advantage of the good weather, as you do when it's sunny and you have a tasty pina colada bubble tea clutched in your hand but as I had been walking past the children's playground, from a distance I had spotted L*o and Isabella.

I had frozen in place for a moment, not being able to draw my eyes away the way they were standing close to each other as they walked on the parks trail and every so often when Leo's elbow would brush against Isabella's side. I had then taken a seat on the park bench beside a young teen couple making out and groping each other and finished off my drink, just enjoying my time in the park sitting in the sun and so not telepathically telling Leo to trip and die.

After my Boba had finished, it coincidentally had been the same time Leo and Isabella had finished circulating the park trail and began to exit the park and and begin walking towards Millie's, the same time my stomach had coincidentally started rumbling and my brain had decided it was craving a burger.

Now it only makes sense that I would go to Millie's also because it's the closest restaurant next to the park and also had the best burgers so I had decided to make my way over to the diner too.

So I guess...maybe I wasn't stalking them, it was just a huge coincidence . It was basically inevitable that I would end up here, right at this moment, happily enjoying my steak burger meal with a side portion of sweet potato fries coincidentally in the same place where Isabella and Leo were enjoying their own meal.

I pop another fry into my mouth, chewing on it as my gaze suddenly draws on Isabella walking out of her booth. She scours her surroundings leisurely and I duck even despite the fact I'm tucked in the corner of my booth so she can't see me right of this moment, maybe except my arm or something.

Bella brushes her hands down the front of her dress, straightening the skirt and my eyes drop down her body unwillingly. My breath hitches as I take her in and after a momentary pause, my heart begins thrumming against my ribcage again.

It's crazy how pretty Izzy looks today wearing the dress I had chosen for her, the dress that sits perfectly on her frame, stretching across her bust and dipping slightly at the waist before loosening around the hips and flowing around the legs, the white looking beautiful against the tan of her skin. That paired with her pretty makeup free face and strands of her hair escaping her ponytail, framing her face gives Isabella a fresh look on her.

Isabella looks gorgeous everyday of course, but there is something different about her today. Maybe its the fact this outfit is different to what she normally wears or the fact that she has a slight glow from the teensy bit of confidence she's gained as of morning, but regardless I can't seem to draw my eyes away from her.

I've also noticed lately that she's making a conscious outfit to try and stop wearing super baggy clothes all the time and to try and go some days wearing outfits that are slightly on the tighter side and out of her comfort zone. Since noticing that, I've been keeping a hoodie in my bag or my car at all times, just in case she starts to get uncomfortable but so far that has only happened once and I'm so incredibly proud of her for being able to make this little change. It may not seem drastic but I know it's a huge accomplishment for her.

Bella toys with the necklace around her neck as she strolls through the diner and as she walks past me and I cower further into the booth but luckily, she doesn't notice me sitting there and continues making her way towards the bathrooms at the back. Leo remains seated in their booth, scrolling mindlessly on his phone and I shoot him nasty glances once in a while instinctively.

When I'm looking away however, I get an odd feeling that he's staring right at me when I look up again, his gaze is glued to his phone so maybe I'm just being paranoid. I've been doing a pretty good job at hiding anyways, so I'm 99% sure I haven't been spotted yet. If I had, undoubtedly Isabella would have come up to me and screamed at me so I think I was good for now.

However, I think I speak to soon about being caught as when, as a few minuets later, Isabella emerges out of the bathrooms again and she begins to approach my booth, her eyes meet mine and she backtracks a little when recognition floods through her features. I hold my breath and try not to look panicked.

"Oh," she says breathlessly in surprise, pressing her hand against her chest. "Hey Lucas."

I pretend to look surprised too and place my milkshake glass back down onto the tabletop.

"Oh hey Izz," I return with a wary smile, hoping it doesn't come out as nervous as she slides into the seat opposite me. Oh God, she's sitting down.

"I didn't see you come in, Leo and I are just sitting over there." Bella waves her hand in the direction of the booth at the opposite end of the diner and I make a show of peeking my head out the side and pretending that I've just spotted their booth for the first time and hum when I see Leo.

"Oh is it," I say, trying to appear nonchalant. "What a coincidence."

"I know right." Isabella rests her face in her hands, staring at me wistfully. "So what are you doing here? I thought you're meant to be at work."

"Oh I was allowed to catch an early lunch," I wave my hand dismissively and point down to my almost empty plate. "I didn't know you were hanging out here too...that is so...cool," I quickly explain myself, lying straight through my teeth to make it seem more believable that it is just merely a coincidence that I'm eating lunch at the same spot Leo and her are eating at too.

"Very cool," she says with a nod of her head, eating up my explanation, the grin on her face widening as she flits her eyes across my face. Aw, I think she's happy to see me. I don't blame her, she must be bored out spending all that time with Leo.

Bella takes a fry of my plate and chews on it thoughtfully.

"So how's your little date going?" I ask her and immediately Isabella's face lights up and she clasps her hands together.

"Great!" She says excitedly and my stomach drops. She didn't even deny it wasn't a date this time around. "We're having so much fun, y'know Leo is so funny and sweet and really, really cute."

"Oh is it," I respond, trying not to sound sarcastic and forcing myself to plaster on a smile, although I'm certain it comes out looking like a grimace.

"Yeah, he's been making me laugh like crazy, I don't think I've met anyone as funny and amazing and attractive as him," she levels me with a look and widens her eyes. "I mean his hair is so lovely and soft."

"Yeah?" I say through gritted teeth and Isabella's nods eagerly.

"Yeah and he has such a cute smile."

"Mm, nice," I chew on a sweet potato to prevent my teeth form grinding together angrily.

"Yeah, well I better get back," she juts her thumb back in the direction of their booth, completely oblivious to unnerving envy. "He's gotta go in an hour and I wanna treasure my time with him. Y'know I think I might take up on his offer and ask if he wants to mess around with me if he's still up for it."

"What?" My entire body stiffens and I grip the milkshake glass so hard I'm surprised it doesn't shatter is my grasp.

"Yeah, I've had a change of heart about my whole fling rule..." Isabella trials off, a soft expression crossing her features.

Before I can even reply she gets back up, straightens out her dress and bounces past me, ruffling my hair as she makes her way back to Leo.

"See ya," she tells me, smiling widely.

"See you."

I watch her retreating figure stroll through the diner as my leg bounces up and down in a highly pissed off manner. I would have preferred to have been shouted over whatever that was.

Fuck, she actually likes him a lot. Holy shit, she's going to have a fling with him?

I have to physically restraint myself to wait a moment before allowing myself to spy on her and Leo again and when I do finally take the chance to peek a look at them; I almost fucking choke on my lettuce and chuck my plate across the diner at the two of them.

Isabella is sitting so close to Leo, she might as well be on his lap, his head is near hers as she he speaks animatedly and his hand around her shoulders. He says something and Isabella laughs loudly, her rich laughter carrying through the diner as she swats his chest playfully before letting her hand rest there. On his chest. On his chest! She's touching him!

That is disgusting.

Another surge of jealousy courses through me and I force myself to look away before I do something stupid like go up to them and yank her away from him. However, my looking away only manages to last maybe a fraction of a second before I'm gazing up at them once again and nausea hits me like a fucking truck.

Leo is inching his head closer to hers and a smile is drawing up her face.

Fucking fuck.

Okay, Isabella is allowed to do what she wants. She's allowed to kiss who she wants.

But fuck, this hurts. Why does this hurt? What the fuck I'm not even jealous anymore, I'm just hurt.

Fuck, they're about to actually kiss right now, her hand is knitting into the back of his hair.

Okay, nope I'm still jealous. Yep, I'm still jealous. Fuck I'm still jealous.

I push my plate away and get up in haste and begin to storm up to them doing the stupid thing I swore u wouldn't do only 10 seconds ago. Fuck what am I doing? Christ, I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot.

"Isabella there's been an emergency," I state frantically when I near her causing the two of them to prise away from each other, allowing me to fucking breathe again.

Isabella swivels her head around to meet my gaze and for a second there's annoyance that flashes in her eyes but when she blinks it's gone.

"There's been an emergency," I repeat, waving my phone in the air for emphasis.

She sighs slightly and side glances at Leo. "Oh no what is it?" She then asks me, a hint of almost a bored tone in her voice as she responds.

"Erm," I rack my brain quickly for an excuse.

She gestures with her hand in an impatient manner, telling me to hurry the fuck up with whatever it is I want to say. "Lucas what is it?"

Dammit I should've come prepared.

"Ah, erm your grandma's friend," I hastily blurt. "Yes," I nod enthusiastically. "Her friend...Steve...died and she wants you to come home because she's sad and wary you might be...next..."

Fuck off. Really??? Isabella might be next???

Isabella blinks. "She's worried that I'm going to...die?"

"Ahem yes," I chuckle nervously. "You know how abuela is." I try to justify as Isabella gazes down at her nails in a wary manner.

"Yeah...abuela..."

I then turn to Leo and try to look upset. "So sorry that your date had to be cut short." I force an apologetic tone into my voice and jut my bottom lip out for emphasis.

"Oh no worries," he grins flitting his eyes back and forth between Isabella and I, looking awfully happy for a person who just got told that Isabella's grandmother thinks Isabella might die soon. "I have to leave...in 45 minutes anyways."

"Cool, so sorry once again Liam." I nod.

"It's Leo."

"Oh sorry Leonardo."

"Erm, no 'nardo' just Leo."

"Okay, Leonardo diCaprio, da Vincy whatever," I say, feeling irritated. God he's so annoying.

Before Leo gets to protest again, I speak up and turn towards Bella agin. "C'mon Izzy," I nudge my head towards her. "Let's go and help abuela with her...mourning."

"Okay," she nods her head, almost solemnly, and begins gathering her things. I glance down at her worriedly, watching how her movements are slow and that she looks...upset. Oh my God she looks actually upset.

Shit she believes this. Fuck, how am I going to explain this?

I wait to the side as she throws the chain of her bag over one shoulder and leans down to hug Leo goodbye. She whispers something in his ear and this causes a large grin to bloom onto his face and I clear my throat impatiently. Isabella kisses his cheek which makes my stomach churn and straightens up again before turning back to me. She stares up at me with big doe eyes and I loop my arm through hers and begin pulling her towards the exit.

"Message me when you get home," Leo calls out to Bella as I'm hauling her away. "So we can finish the conversation from before."

"Sorry," I reply on behalf of Bella, shrugging my shoulders and ushering Izzy closer towards the exit. "She doesn't have a phone."

Leo simply bites the inside of his cheek to stifle a laugh, looking amused and waves his hand in goodbye at me as I narrow my eyes at him in return.

When we get outside and the door to Millie's shuts closed behind us, I quickly turn to Isabella.

"Hey Bella are you okay? You looks upse-"

She promptly shoves me away, cutting me off and moves to stand directly in front of me.

Dropping the sad look on her face, she places her hands on her hips, cranes her neck to look up at me and shoots me the dirtiest, most scariest look I've seen her make. I step back slightly, feeling a little scared at her sudden change in demeanour but Bella promptly steps forwards again, close so that our chests are bumping against each other. She opens her mouth to speak but promptly shuts it closed again and swivels her head around to take in the busy part of the sidewalk we're standing in.

"You know what," she glowers. "I'm not doing this here, where's your car parked?"

"What?" I say, confused at her sudden mood change.

"Where. Is. Your. Car. Parked." She grits out angrily.

"Erm, near the park," I reply carefully and a little timidly at that.

Bella's mad. Mad Bella is scary Bella. It's worse than cranky, sleep deprived Bella. Oh my God why is Bella mad?

Isabella nods curtly and grabs my arm, beginning to pull me in the direction of the park. Her grip on my arm is lethal and she walks so fast I'm basically running after her as she drags me towards my car. The walk is 15 minuets from Millie's to the park but Bella manages to get us there in 5.

She stops and scours our surrounding to try and spot my car and finally she spots the navy Toyota across the road. Without even looking both ways before crossing, she hauls me to my car, almost getting us run over in the process.

She reaches the drivers side and turns back around to face me. From all this fast walking and angry-ness, Isabella's breathing is laboured, her chest rising and falling and her hair is a little messy, her ponytail looking saggy and all the hair escaping from it. I attempt to try and fix her hair, but she swats my hand away when I reach over and touch her scrunchie.

Instead, she digs into the pocket of my shorts in search of my car keys. She pulls the key chain out a moment later and beeps open the car, before pulling the drivers side open and shoves me forward, ushering me inside. Then, she stalks over to the passenger side and tugs open that door and briskly gets inside the car. Once getting seated, she slams the door shut with so much force the whole care shakes and I physically wince.

She takes a deep breath before turning to face me. "Stalking me?" She exclaims incredulously. "You were stalking me?"

My eyes fly open.

Oh fuck. How did she know?

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Er..." Is all I can say in response.

"No," she shakes her head wildly. "You don't get to sit there and look all adorable and lost, explain yourself asshole."

"I-"

"What the fuck were you thinking Lucas?"

"Honestly...I don't...know." I blurt out hastily, scared at how angry Isabella looks. My eyebrows then draw together. "I'm confused...how did you know-"

"Leo saw you following us the whole day," she explains, her jaw set, cutting me off and narrowing her eyes at me. "I didn't notice until he told me."

"Oh..."

"Yeah," she scowls before swatting me on my arm. "And we were getting you back by making you extra jealous when I found out." Isabella looks me up and down. "It seems to have fucking worked. I hope you felt tortured."

I shift in my seat uncomfortably as she continues to have a go at me. I probably deserve it.

"Lucas you can't go stalking me whenever I hang out with a guy that's not you." The frustration in her voice is evident and it causes me to wince and shut my eyes closed.

My shoulders slump defeatedly knowing that she's right. "Shit, I know, I just...fuck, I don't even have a proper explanation."

"Yeah, yeah whatever," she rolls her eyes and grumbles. "Just drop the jealous fucking boyfriend act and drive me home."

My heart constricts. "Izzy," I apologise, feeling guilty and logic finally fucking returning to my brain telling me how stupid the stunt I pulled was. "I'm really sorry, I wasn't thinking."

She ignores me. "You're apologising to Leo when we get home, you're so rude to him for no reason it's not nice."

"I-" I begin to say before pausing, processing what she had just said, then groaning. "Do I have to?"

"Yes," Isabella says firmly and in finality.

I pull my lips into my mouth. It's for the best. I am a little bit of a prick to the guy.

But he's annoying.

But you're rude.

But he's really fucking annoying.

But you're really fucking rude.

Ugh, shut-up brain. I'll apologise sheesh.

"Alright," I tell Isabella. "I'll tell him I'm sorry and I promise I'll stop being rude to him."

"Good." She nods curtly. "Now, tell me why you even got jealous in the first place? Actually wait, fuck that, tell me why you always get jealous whenever I hang out with Leo?"

Christ. That's a heavy questions Bella.

I let my head hit the back of my seat, shutting my eyes for a second. "I just don't like that guy."

"That's not a proper reason."

"Yes it is." I lie.

"No it's not." She argues back. "It's bullshit and you know it. Give me the truth."

"The truth?"

"Yes, the truth. I know there's another reason why you have this random hatred for him-"

"Fine, fuck," I cut her off. "You want to know the real reason why I get so fucking jealous whenever you get to spend time with Leo?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Jesus, yes."

"It's because I like you Isabella."

The words hang in the air the moment they leave my mouth and Bella stiffens immediately. The tension in the air shifts and I let out a sigh and running hand down my face and wincing at what I had just admit. "I like you a lot okay? And I don't like that Leo likes you too because I'm scared that you might like him back."

I lift my head off the seat and turn so her gaze is locked onto mine. Her face is passive which is fine by me, if she had a reaction and it wasn't good, I think it'd break me.

I peer into Isabella's eyes and make sure that she understands what I'm saying. I sweep a lock of her hair off her face and tuck it behind her ear. "Is that enough of an explaination for you?" I then tell her seriously. "I'm really sorry for being rude to him, that's a really asshole move from my part, I'll apologise to him okay? Then I'll make a conscious effort to not be a dick to him even if it kills me. And I'll also make an effort not to stalk you again."

Isabella swallows, suddenly looking like the timid one between the two of us and nods her head. I can't dissect if her sudden shyness is a good or bad thing so before I begin to overthink it, I move away from her and push my key into the ignition, turning it on and beginning to peel away from the parking space.

There is silence for a while as I drive and that is enough to allow slight panic to shoot through me as I think about the fact my confession might have scared her. But before my mind can begin to go even deeper into a whirlwind of thoughts, the quiet is broken when Isabella speaks again.

"I don't like him like that," she says. "And Leo doesn't like me like that either."

As she tells me this, her tone is almost soft, like what she's admitting is a bit out there for her. However, that doesn't last long as when I glance back at her again, my heart soaring at her confession, the slight dazed expression on her face has wilted away and is replaced by a scowl.

"Also, you're such a fucking creep you know that?" Isabella scoffs and crossing her arms across her chest protectively. The scrunchie finally falls down her back and lets her hair escape the ponytail. "Be prepared, I'm going to be mad with you for 3-5 business days."

"That's justifiable," I return, reaching behind her with my left hand and picking up the scrunchie before pulling it onto my wrist for safe keeping.

"You better promise again that you won't pull that stalking, possesive caveman shit again." Isabella says seriously with a raise of her eyebrows. "Or I'll never speak to you again. I don't like that toxic shit, I'm not going to let you dictate who I get to hang out with alright?"

"I promise." I nod, my words are sincere.

"I'm not saying you're not allowed to be jealous," she continues. "That's a human feeling and there might be something wrong with me because a little bit of jealousy can be hot at times but there is a line," she pauses again to glower at me. "And stalking definitely crosses it. So does being this possessive over someone you're not even with."

"I know," I nod again, understandingly. "I promise I'll keep my emotions under wrap. This won't happen again."

"Good." Bella sits back properly in her seat. "Now hurry and drive along, I drank too much milkshake and need to pee."

━

AUTHORS NOTE:

**chapter needs editing**

confession time: i was so close to making them kiss this chapter but i didn't cos it'll mess up the plan i have for the rest of the story.

please don't murder me in my sleep and please hold out a little whole longer, lucas still gotta do a couple more stuff and then i promise they'll actually get together and make out all you guys want djiscnciewjsdnisjkz

and omd we hit 2.5k followers on tiktok that is amazing!! thank you so much, ily all <33

OH MY GOD after publishing this chapter i just noticed that we hit 700k reads!! OH MY GOD THANK YOU FOR 700K READS THAT IS SO AMAZING!!! i appreciate every single one of you will all my heart!! thank you thank you :,)