The Showdown

The Showdown
Luckily, when she arrived, she found James at home. His face lit up when he saw her. “Isabella! I’m so glad to see you!” he exclaimed, rushing toward her without hesitation. 

Isabella’s heart skipped a beat. “What? He isn’t angry? Has he seen the video?” she wondered. “Okay, I won’t bring it up unless he does. I just want to feel his warmth right now.” 

They embraced tightly, and when they broke apart, Isabella asked, “Wouldn’t you offer me a seat?” 

James, still beaming, said, “Oh, of course! Come sit down!” He gestured for her to follow him to the living room. “I’ll get you some tea.” 

“No, you don’t have to do that, James. I just came to check on you because you weren’t in school. I was worried,” she said, her concern genuine.

James paused, “Speaking of school, I thought you were supposed to be in school right now. Why are you out?” 

“I left early,” Isabella replied, hesitating. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him what had happened. She was relieved to see that he seemed unaware of the chaos surrounding them. 

“Just forget about it, please. Will you just give me that coffee? I think I might really need it now,” she said, trying to change the subject. 

“Of course!” he replied, eager to please. He headed into the kitchen, brewing coffee for her. 

When he returned, he handed her a cup. “Here’s your coffee,” he said, sitting beside her. 

“Thank you,” she said, smiling at him. 

“You don’t know how happy I am to see you today. I was just thinking about you, and then boom! You walked into my place!” he said, his joy infectious.

“I thought I’d come check on you since you weren’t at school. I was worried something might have happened,” she said, trying to gauge his state.

“I’m perfectly fine. I just didn’t feel like attending school today,” he replied, but Isabella couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. 

“But it’s unlike you to skip school. Are you hiding something?” she probed gently.

James looked surprised. “Hiding something? No, nothing happened. I just didn’t feel like coming in today,” he insisted. 

Isabella watched him closely, sensing there was more to his story but deciding not to press further. They sat in comfortable silence, sipping their coffee, until James suddenly moved closer to her. 

“Isabella, I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to get you off my mind. I’m obsessed with you,” he confessed, his expression earnest. “When I saw you lying unconscious in the hospital, it felt like my whole world was crashing down. I can’t imagine living without you.”

Isabella felt a flutter in her chest. “What is this feeling I’m experiencing? Why do his words affect me this way?” she thought, captivated by his sincerity. 

As they stared at each other, the air around them felt charged. James admired her, feeling the warmth radiating from her. He struggled to contain his desire, concerned about how she would react if he crossed the line. 

“Why did you really leave school today?” James asked, breaking the tension. Isabella’s heart sank; she knew it was time to tell him.

“Actually, that’s why I came here. Something big happened at school, and I’m sorry, but I know what I’m going to tell you will affect your career,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. 

“What happened?” James asked, concern creeping into his voice.

Isabella took a deep breath. “Someone posted a picture on the school blog. It’s a picture of the both of us. My face is covered, but yours is exposed. It seems the person was trying to tell everyone that we were in a relationship. Now everyone at school knows our secret.” 

James sat in silence, absorbing her words. Isabella watched him closely, waiting for his reaction. 

“Why do you look calm? Aren’t you worried about losing your job because of me?” she asked, anxiety creeping into her voice.

“Don’t worry, Isabella, just calm down. Nothing bad is going to happen. Besides, what do you care if they talk about you? My reputation isn’t on the line here; I already resigned,” he said, his gaze steady.

“What? You did what? Why would you resign?” Isabella asked, shock washing over her. 

“I resigned to protect you. I didn’t know about the picture until now, but I was trying to keep you safe,” he explained.

“Why would you go to such great lengths for me?” Isabella wondered, feeling a whirlwind of emotions. 

“Don’t worry, Isabella. You and Alex are no longer together, and I’ve already resigned from that job. So our relationship won’t affect your schooling or my career anymore. The rumors will die down sooner or later,” he reassured her, his sincerity touching her heart. 

In that moment, Isabella realized how deeply James cared for her, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a glimmer of hope.

Meanwhile, Isabella felt that she needed to be home as someone would already be worried about her. So she immediately stood up. 

“I need to get home now, James. I just hope everything turns out fine just the way you predicted it,” she said.

“So, Isabella,” he replied, “just know that it’s okay. It’s fine, don’t worry, you don’t have to think much about it, and please don’t cry. Everything is going to be fine, and the rumors will die down. Some people will soon forget about it. You don’t have to worry about my career also,” he said to Isabella as he walked her to the door. 

He bade her goodbye as she left his place. He went back inside to go into his bedroom and find his phone. He had so many missed calls on his phone, and it was all calls from big investors. He already knew why they were calling him, so he didn't bother to call them back because he didn’t feel that it was a matter he wanted to undo right now. 

He thought to himself as he saw a text message from the counselor: “Get your ass back here at school very early tomorrow morning. It is urgent.” 

As he read it out loud, he immediately threw the phone away. This matter wasn't something he wanted to undo right now, so he didn’t care about the text that was sent to him. Besides, he was quitting soon, he thought to himself as he tossed the phone away. 

He went into the bedroom to take a quick shower before preparing to sleep. But just right there, as he walked out of the bedroom, he saw his phone ringing, and he immediately picked it up. 

It was one of his university friends, so he immediately picked the call.