Page 23 of Liberating Bells
“Oh, it’s good. We’ve only got a few weeks left. I’m working on grading research papers and then writing the final. Summer will be here before we know it.”
I clear my throat and take another sip. “That it will. So what brings you here?”
Smooth transition, Ry. Smooth.
“I, um, wanted to apologize for this afternoon.”
“What happened this afternoon?” I ask, unsure of where she is taking this.
Izabel looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You know when Mark and I interrupted your lunch date. I hope your girlfriend wasn’t mad.”
Oh, I get it. I chuckle as I shake my head and look at her in amusement. “No, Bells, Josie isn’t my girlfriend.”
“Oh,” she says, “I thought I saw you two holding hands.”
“Yeah...I think I need to apologize toyou. It’s stupid, but I was jealous when I saw you holding hands with Mark, and I think I might have had a stroke ’cause I reached over and grabbed Josie’s hand in response.” I pause and rub my neckagain. “Don’t worry, she kicked my ass for it. But to answer your question, no, we’re not dating.”
“Juliet told me that Liam set you up with someone.”
I try not to let it get to my head that Izabel is actually here, asking me about my relationship status. Is she jealous too? That has to be the only explanation.
“He did. Josie and Ididdate for, like, two weeks. Then we decided to quit while we were ahead. I hired her as a business partner,” I tell her.
I owe Izabel nothing, I remind myself over and over again. I owe her nothing. But I can’t get over the glassy look in her eyes or how small she suddenly looks to me. She cameheretonight. She came tome. The least I can do is be honest.
“That’s what we were doing today at lunch. Going over plans for an important project I hired her for.”
Izabel’s eyes brighten at my admission, and she looks down at the soda can in her hands. I narrow my eyes as I watch her closely. I see her shoulders drop slightly, the muscles losing their rigidity. Her hands unclench, and she lets out a sigh.
“Izabel,” I start warily. Her eyes snap to me. They are clearer now, but I can still see the hurt in them. “What happened? Why are you here?”
I know it can’t just be about my date with Josie. Or maybe it is. Jealousy can consume a person.
“Today was just—” She pauses and shakes her head. “It was not a good day, and I don’t know. I thought seeing you would help sort everything out. It always used to.”
I sit up straighter at her admission. Memories flood my thoughts. Izabel and I had a very short period of time during our relationship that we were physically together. The rest of it we were countries apart. It wasn’t unusual for us to reach out to one another on bad days, simply to hear each other’s voice, and get some perspective.
“And has it?” I ask her.
She shrugs a shoulder and looks at me with a small smile. “I don’t know yet.”
I lean back onto the couch, extending one of my arms across the back. I notice that my hand rests on the edge of the couch right behind Izabel. It would take one little movement of my fingers to brush the skin of her shoulder or twirl a strand of her hair.
I should move it, but I don’t.
If she notices, she doesn’t say anything. She just sits quietly, sipping on her soda.
Time ticks by as we sit in silence.
“Want to tell me about it?” I’m aware that I’m asking about something I likely don’t want to hear, but the quiet and our proximity is starting to get to me.
Izabel lets out a deep breath and looks me fully in the eye for the first time all night. I see the resolve etched in those beautiful blue eyes. The redness is gone, and instead, there’s determination.
“I got into a fight with Mark.”
Oh boy. “About what?” I prod her, going for another sip.
“Or…well. It wasn’treallya fight. It was about our schedules next week. I have an important meeting for the Historical Society Gala that I need to attend on Wednesday. It just so happens that his firm has a happy hour that night thatheneeds me to be at.”
