Chapter 110 110
Chapter 110 110
CHAPTER 110
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PILLOW
ISABELLA
The first thing I noticed wasn’t pain but the weight on me… or inside me. My brain was still yet to figure it out.
Until it actually did.
The pain sat heavy in my limbs, like I had slept wrong or stayed in one position for too long. Except this was deeper than that. It wasn’t just my arms or my legs, it was everything. My body felt slow and uncooperative, like it was waking up long after the rest of me already had.
I tried to open my eyes, but my lids resisted at first. And when they finally gave in, the room came into view in pieces—blurred shapes sharpening gradually into something familiar. The curtains were drawn, letting in only a thin strip of light. The lamp on my bedside table was still on and the glass of water beside it caught the light faintly.
And then there was Julien.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back turned to me, shoulders slightly hunched like he was focused on something. It took me a second to realize what it was.
My phone.
For a moment, I just watched him, my thoughts moving slower than usual, like they had to push through something thick to make sense of what I was seeing. The screen lit his face faintly as his thumb moved across it, scrolling.
Then a quiet, uneasy feeling settled in my chest.
“Julien?”
My voice came out dry and maybe softer than I intended. But he froze instantly regardless, even though it was slightly. He turned around, and just like that, whatever had been on his face disappeared, replaced by something softer.
“Hey,” he said, setting the phone down on the bedside table as if he want just caught doing a criminal act. “You’re awake.”
I pushed myself up slowly, bracing my weight on my arms. The movement made the room tilt slightly, and I had to pause for a second to steady myself.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, watching me carefully.
I didn’t answer that.
“What were you doing with my phone?”
He didn’t look surprised by the question. If anything, he seemed ready for it.
“It was buzzing,” he said lightly. “Camille brought it in last night and it started buzzing again this morning. I just checked to see if it was something important.”
The explanation came too easily, but I reached for the phone without saying anything else even though my fingers still felt a little unsteady.
I opened and went through the phone. Messages, call, notifications. But everything looked jngibched. Which for some reasons didn't make me feel better.
And the reason my phone was buzzing nonstop was a picture I posted that has gotten a bit audience than usual.
“Why?” he asked after a moment, tilting his head slightly as he watched me. “You hiding something from me?”
I looked up at him then. His expression was calm and almost teasing, but there was something else underneath it. Something that felt… watchful.
“What did I drink last night?” I asked instead.
He frowned slightly, like he was confused by the question. “Wine. We shared a bottle, don’t you remember?”
“I remember having one glass,” I said slowly. “After that, I don’t remember anything.”
He leaned back a little, resting his hands behind him on the mattress.
“You were exhausted, Isabella. Yesterday wasn’t exactly normal, you just crashed.”
Maybe. That would’ve made sense.
Except…
I glanced down at myself, and I was still in the same clothes from yesterday. I hadn’t even taken off my shoes until… no, I had. I couldn’t remember when.
“Why didn’t I change?” I asked.
“You said you were cold,” he replied without hesitation. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
Another easy answer.
There was a quiet discomfort building at the back of my mind now, something I couldn’t fully explain yet but couldn’t ignore either. It was like trying to remember a dream you knew was important, but every time you reached for it, it slipped away.
“Can you get me some water?” I said.
He nodded quickly, almost like he was glad to have something to do. “Yeah, of course.”
He stood and walked out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. The second he left, the room, I allowed myself to breathe.
After a few seconds, I picked up my phone again, this time moving a little faster despite the lingering heaviness in my body. I opened my messages and scrolled through them, my eyes moving quickly from one conversation to another.
Nothing looked out of place.
Thank God he didn't find the hidden messages between I and Alexander.
A small breath left me, but it didn’t bring the relief I expected. If he had gone through it, he had been careful. Careful enough not to leave anything obvious behind.
Or maybe he hadn’t found anything at all.
I didn’t know which was worse.
My head was starting to clear now, the fog thinning just enough for things to settle into place, and the part of me that didn't believe him got stronger.
How the hell do you pass out from one wine? I wasn't really a light weight.
Without waiting for him to get back, I kicked the duvet off me and stood on my feet. The room tilted for a second and I held the edge of the bed to maintain my balance. When everything was more balanced in my vision, I walked out of the room, willing back the headache that was forming in my head.
Walking down the hallway and turning the corner, I moved my fingers into my head, sweeping it out of my face. My eyes weren't exactly fully opened, but they weren't closed either.
I was walking by a particular door when it suddenly went open and a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me inside.
My heartbeat dropped immediately and a subtle scream left my mouth. A hand clamped down on my mouth, and when their scent wafted through my nostrils, my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.