Page 54 of Isabella

“He broke my heart, Lux,” I whisper, and the stinging behind my eyes works its way up again. “He didn’t have to and yet he did. How can I forgive something like that?” The internal battle I’m experiencing is too much to handle, nearly suffocating me as we speak.

Lux lets out a breath before speaking. “I’m going to be devil’s advocate here, but remember I am always team Izzy.” She looks at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to give her the go ahead, so I nod.

“It sounds like he did this to protect you.”

“Lux, please don’t tell me you’re taking his side.”

“I will always be on your side, Izzy, but hear me out. We all know Giuseppe Silvestri is a coldhearted son-of-a-bitch. He will do anything he has to do to get his way.”

I let out a sigh and reluctantly nod.

“You two were desperately in love. If his dad threatened you in any way, whywouldn’the go to extreme measures to protect you?”

“So you are taking his side.”

“I’m not, but I want you to see the situation from his point-of-view.”

“He could’vetalkedto me, Lux. Ibeggedhim to tell me what happened with his dad that night.Begged him.And he still lied to my damn face. Iknewsomething had happened, and I gave him multiple chances to tell me. Do you want to know what would’ve happened had he just talked to me?”

Lux’s face morphs into sadness while she waits for me to continue unloading the trauma of that night on her.

“We could’ve made it work. We could’ve stayed together. We could’ve?—”

“You don’t know that,” Lux says. “You don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“Exactly!” I yell. “And he didn’t give us a chance to find out!”

I bring myself to a seated position, resting my back against my headboard and pulling my knees to my chest. “He didn’t give us a chance, and maybe I’m petty for feeling the way I do, but thatinfuriatesme, Lux. He made a decision that affected us both. A decision he didn’thaveto make.” I wipe the tears that have fallen from my eyes. My voice is a whisper this time as the helplessness from our past makes its way into my heart again. “We could’ve worked together to continue keeping our relationship a secret, but instead, he decided to break my heart andleaveme.”

Lux sits up next to me, our shoulders touching. “He did what he felt was right in the moment. Was it the right answer? Maybe not, but we will never know because that’s not how life works. But he did what he thought was right foryou.”

“He left me when Ineededhim, Lux. I had a…” It hurts my heart to say the words. “I lost our baby, and he wasn’t there,” I whisper. “He wasn’t fucking there.”

I turn my head toward Lux but can’t bring myself to meet her gaze. It remains focused on a random spot on my comforter.

She wraps her arms around my shoulders. “I know. I’m so, so sorry, Izzy.” She pauses before saying, “Did you try contacting him… after it happened?”

“No, I didn’t bother. There was nothing he could’ve done, and he made it pretty clear he wanted nothing to do with me anymore.”

“Are you planning on telling him?”

“I’m not sure… What do you think?” I ask, bringing my gaze to hers.

“I think you should do what your heart is telling you to do. But I do think there’s therapy behind getting everything out there between the two of you. I really think it’ll help you heal.”

While I hate to admit it, there’s truth to what Lux is saying. There’s so much to Nicco’s and my history, and if he’s going to be honest with me about the decision he made to leave me, then I need to be honest with him about the other reason I’m so angry with him.

“I know you’ve had a long night,” Lux says, “so I’m going to head back to my room.” I bring my attention to her again. “Unless you want me to stay, of course.”

I laugh softly. “You know Teo will just come and scoop you out of my bed at some point.”

Lux lets out a small laugh. “Yeah, you know your brother all too well. But if you want, I can definitely stay. Teo can deal,” she says, giving my shoulders a light squeeze.

“No, no, you can go. I have a lot to think about, and I just want to do it in the darkness of my room.”

“That was so insanely morbid for a girl who has pink accents in her room, Izzy.”

I laugh. “Rose gold, Lux.”

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