Chapter 60 Chapter 60

Chapter 60 Chapter 60
  Isabella’s POV
  It’s been about a week now… and I haven’t heard a word from Asher.
  Maybe I was stupid to think he actually loved me. I wanted to believe it—God, I did believe it. But maybe that was just me being foolish again.
  “He’s probably curled up with Zara,” I muttered, the words like splinters in my chest. Just saying it out loud made it harder to breathe. I know I agreed we needed a break, but… I didn’t expect him to actually take it seriously.
  I’ve been hurt too much already. I don’t want to feel like this anymore. I hate how easily I fall. I hate that I gave my heart to another man—his brother, of all people. And now, he’s doing the same damn thing to me.
  A broken sob slipped from my lips, then another. Soon, the quiet of my room was filled with the sound of my crying. I tried—really tried—to stop the tears, to muffle them into my pillow, but it was no use.
  “Isabella, you’re crying,” Tessa said gently as she stepped into my room. I must’ve forgotten to lock the door.
  I quickly wiped my face and forced a smile. “No, I’m not. You got it wrong.”
  “I’m your sister, Bella,” she said softly. “I know when you’re lying. This is about Asher, isn’t it? You miss him.”
  The second his name left her lips, I jumped to my feet, panic rushing through me. “Don’t be crazy. I don’t miss him, okay? Like I said, I wasn’t crying. And I definitely wasn’t thinking about him.”
  She gave me a look—sad, knowing. “He came here… looking for you.”
  I froze.
  “What do you mean?” My voice cracked.
  “I blocked his number on your phone,” she admitted, guilt heavy in her voice. “I told him you didn’t want to see him anymore. I chased him away whenever he came.”
  My eyes widened, but I quickly looked away, trying to steady my breath.
  “Why would you do that?” I asked, barely holding back the shake in my voice.
  “You needed space. I thought I was protecting you. But now… seeing how miserable you are—I don’t know if I did the right thing.”
  I shrugged, avoiding her gaze. “I’m not miserable. And you did the right thing, keeping him away. Thank you.”
  But that wasn’t the truth.
  Because deep down… I was happy. Not a little—a lot. Just knowing he came, that he tried—it meant everything.
  Maybe he hadn’t let me go so easily after all.
  “So… should I unblock him for you?” Tessa asked, her voice casual.
  “No. It’s none of your business, Tessa,” I snapped, though my tone lacked the usual fire. She just smiled, clearly amused.
  “Alright, alright,” she said, holding her hands up in mock surrender. “So, any updates about getting a job?”
  I jumped at the opportunity to change the subject. “Yeah. What’s going on with that?”
  “Well,” she said, her face lighting up, “I got accepted as an intern at a fashion house! Can you believe it? You know how much I love fashion. It’s literally the perfect job for me.”
  “But it’s just an internship,” I said, tilting my head. “How’s that a job?”
  She rolled her eyes. “It’s a start, Isabella. I’ll get the job eventually—don’t worry about me.” Her grin was infectious, and for a moment, her excitement warmed something in me.
  “Alright then,” I said with a small smile. “Do what makes you happy.”
  “Thank you, sis. And guess what?” she added mischievously. “I’m about to make you happy.”
  I blinked. “What do you mean?”
  “Asher is outside. Waiting in the living room.”
  My heart dropped. My eyes widened as if she’d just said a ghost was in our house. “What?!”
  “Yes,” she said, trying not to laugh. “He’s waiting for you.”
  My chest tightened, and I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears. “What the hell, Tessa?! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I look like a mess right now!” I spun toward the mirror, my hands flying to my hair. I wasn’t wrong—I looked like someone who hadn’t slept in days.
  “What are you saying, Isabella? You don’t look bad, okay? You’re just panicking.” She smirked. “And why are you even panicking, huh? I thought you didn’t miss him.”
  “Ugh, screw you,” I muttered, grabbing a brush and yanking it through my tangled hair. I threw it up into a messy bun—still chaotic, but better than before.
  “Calm down,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Are you really going to go see him?”
  I didn’t answer. I just kept moving—fixing myself like a woman on a mission. I changed into something presentable, sprayed way too much perfume on myself, and shoved a piece of minty gum into my mouth. Okay. Now I didn’t feel like a disaster.
  “You sure you’re not excited to see him?” she asked, barely hiding her laughter.
  “I don’t care about him anymore,” I lied without flinching. “I’m just trying to lighten my mood a little. Dressing up helps.”
  “Hmm,” she hummed, and then—too casually—she raised her voice. “You heard that, Asher? She doesn’t want to see you.”
  My heart stopped.
  No.
  “Bella.” His voice came from behind me, low and familiar, and something inside me fluttered.
  I froze.
  My hands were still. My breath caught. Slowly—too slowly—I turned around to meet his gaze.
  And just like that, my stomach did a somersault.
  I didn’t even know that was physically possible.
  Our eyes met for a moment—one, maybe two seconds—and I quickly looked away, like his gaze was fire and I was already burned.