Page 27 of Isabella

Lux rolls her eyes and waves him off with a flick of her wrist and then gives Teo a kiss on the cheek.

I finish the rest of my espresso, then she walks over to me and grabs a hold of my wrist. “Come on, let’s go,” she says before pulling me back toward my room.

Once we’re back in my room, I head straight to the couch and lie down while Lux lies on the loveseat across from me.

“So…” she says, leaving the space open for me to fill in.

“So…” I repeat, not even knowing where to begin.

“You saidhebroke up withyou, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Well, the way he marched after you last night did not look like a man who broke things off with you. Every step he took was with pure determination.”

I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter.”

She narrows her gaze on mine as if she’s trying to figure out if she believes me. “So, what happened when he followed you off the dance floor?”

“He said he wanted to talk.”

“Talk about…”

“Us. He said he hasn’t stopped thinking about me, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t need to hear anything he has to say.”

I’m still so frustrated with Nicco and how he thinks he can come back into my life and demand I speak to him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk to him, Izzy?”

I push myself up to a seated position and pull my legs up to sit cross-legged. Grabbing a pillow, I prop it on my lap and run my hand over its beaded embellishment.

“I’m angry,” I admit to Lux. “I’m angry that he left me. I’m angry that he’s back. And I’m angry that he thinks he can barge into my life and demand I speak to him as ifI’mthe one who cut him out of my life completely.” I’m panting by the end, struggling to find the oxygen I need in my lungs while the frustration boils inside of me.

“Did you ever think that maybe you might need this?” Lux suggests softly. “Maybe this is the closure that’s needed from your guys’ relationship.”

I shake my head once more, not wanting to listen to any voice of reason when it comes to Nicco. “I don’t want to give him the satisfaction.”

“What if it’s not for him? What if this is for you? You’re the one who needs that closure. Maybe speaking to him will finally get that for you.”

I mull over those words for a moment because she’s right. As much as I hate to admit it, Nicco left me broken and with questions. He acted as if our entire relationship was nothing to him, and that freaking hurts. What if hearing what he has to say can help me to understand what our relationship was? Help me to move on?

Then again, what if it’s not? What Lux is saying is rational. This could give me the closure I need, but Nicco doesn’t deserve that. He doesn’t deserve my attention. He doesn’t deserve for me to give him the time of day.

* * *

SOPHOMORE YEAR AT CENTENNIAL UNIVERSITY

A soft knock sounds at my door while I lie in bed curled up in a ball, holding my pillow to my chest like it’s the only lifeline I have. The only thing keeping me from shutting myself off to the world and spiraling until there’s nothing left of me.

Ignoring the knock, I continue to cry as quietly as I can, but it’s no use. I’ve been in here for the past thirty minutes wallowing in self-pity, and the shudders quaking through me are beginning to be too much.

I’m trying to figure out where I went wrong.

Wherewewent wrong.

And I just don’t understand.

Another knock comes through, except this time accompanied with Liana’s voice and the sound of my door opening. “Izzy?”

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