Page 8 of Captured Love

I want to believe her. No—I do believe her. But knowing something and feeling it are two different things.

“So that's why you've been hiding?” she asks. “Because you’re afraid to run into him?”

“No, I just didn’t want to hear ‘I told you so.’”

“Selene, come on,” Isla says a little louder than she should. “You know I’d never rub it in like that. I'm your best friend first and foremost.”

A wave of guilt washes over me. Isla's been nothing but supportive, even when she has her own stuff going on. I glance around to see if anyone is paying attention to us before letting out a long, deep breath.

“I know,” I say quietly. “I'm sorry. It's just...hard right now.”

Isla leans over to give me a big hug. “We love you, you know that, right? Me, Asher…we want what's best for you.”

After a few more seconds, Isla pulls back, and her eyes search mine. I can see the concern for me in her gaze. “So what now?” she asks.

“I don't know,” I admit. “I guess I’ll just ignore him if I see him on campus.”

“And delete his number,” Isla says with a small nod, as if she's already made the decision for me.

“Yeah, that too,” I lie.

The thought of erasing Knox from my phone feels weird, but I know she's right. Keeping his contact is just holding ontofalse hope. And it sucks because our conversations were actually entertaining.

I unlock my phone and pull up Knox's contact, staring at his name for a long moment. My thumb hovers over the delete button, but I can’t bring myself to press it. Instead, I lock the screen and slip the phone back into my pocket.

“I’m here for you,” Isla says, her tone softening. “You’re not alone in this.”

I nod, grateful for her friendship even if I'm not ready to let go of Knox completely. Why is it so hard to move on from something that wasn’t even a real relationship?

“Enough about me,” I say, desperate to shift the focus. “How’s Asher? Are you guys still good?”

“We're great,” Isla says with a smile. “He's been busy with practice, but he still makes time for me. We had the cutest date night a couple of weeks ago. He cooked dinner at his place, and we binge-watched a couple of old horror movies.”

“That's awesome,” I say, genuinely happy for her. Isla's relationship with him when we were seniors in high school ended with him breaking up with her, so seeing it be more stable this time around makes me believe that maybe it’s possible for the rest of us too.

Isla's smile lingers and I assume she’s thinking about her boyfriend. I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy—not because I want what she has with Asher, but because I long for that kind of stability and warmth. Something consistent, where I don’t have to question how the other person feels.

I force a smile even though I am truly happy for her. “I'm really glad you guys worked things out.”

Isla's eyes soften. “I’ve learned that relationships take work. It's not always easy, but if both people are willing...it can be worth it.”

I nod, digesting her words. Relationships take work. It echoes in my mind like a mantra I need to believe in. Maybe that's what I had been hoping for and that has mixed with my thoughts about Knox. Maybe we could have put in the effort and made something worthwhile. But that made me do something a little foolish and hope for more.

And hope, I realize, is the real enemy here.

“Do you want me to grab you a drink? I think I’m going to refill my water bottle.”

Isla’s voice brings me back to the present. “Sure,” I say, handing her my empty bottle. “Thanks.”

While Isla walks away, I pull out my phone again, unable to resist the urge to check it. No new messages. Part of me hopes that Knox will text with an explanation or even an apology, but the rational side of me knows better. He’s probably already moved on to the next girl.

“Here,” Isla says as she returns, handing me my water bottle. She quickly covers her mouth as she yawns. “I’m not sure how you manage to stay awake to work here this late.”

“It’s a gift—much like me in your life.”

That makes Isla snicker. “Now you sound more like yourself.”

I smile, taking a big sip of water. “Seriously though, you can head out if you're tired. I know you have an early class.”

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