Chapter 33: Not His

Isabella’s POV

For a moment after Enzo said it, neither of us moved.

Because I don’t.

The words hung between us, quiet but heavy, almost louder than the music filling the club. The bass pulsed through the floor, lights shifting across the crowded room, but everything around us suddenly felt distant.

Like the entire dance floor had blurred.

My heart was beating far too fast for someone who had absolutely no intention of being affected.

“You’re very direct,” I said after a second.

Enzo didn’t look away.

“I find it saves time.”

“That depends,” I replied, tilting my head slightly. “Sometimes it just creates problems faster.”

The corner of his mouth lifted faintly.

“Are you a problem?”

“I can be.”

“I noticed.”

My eyes narrowed.

“You noticed nothing.”

“You’re defensive.”

“I’m realistic.”

“You’re curious.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

I shook my head.

“This conversation is ridiculous.”

“And yet you’re still having it.”

I exhaled slowly.

That sentence again.

It was becoming increasingly annoying how effective it was.

Before I could respond, the music shifted again, the beat transitioning toward the end of the song. Around us, couples began loosening their hold, some drifting away toward the bar or the edges of the dance floor.

The moment of the song ending gave me an opening.

Finally.

I stepped back.

This time the crowd didn’t stop me.

Enzo’s hand slipped from my waist as the distance between us opened for the first time since the dance started. The sudden absence of his touch felt… noticeable.

Which was irritating.

“There,” I said, brushing invisible dust from my dress. “I walked away.”

Enzo watched me calmly.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

“That’s it?”

“What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Resistance.”

His expression remained annoyingly relaxed.

“You made your point.”

“And you’re just accepting that?”

“For now.”

Something about that answer made my suspicion rise instantly.

“For now?”

He shrugged slightly.

“You’ll be back.”

I blinked.

“That’s a bold assumption.”

“It’s an observation.”

“You really like that word.”

“It’s accurate.”

I crossed my arms.

“You’re very sure of yourself for someone who just lost the argument.”

“I didn’t lose.”

“You absolutely did.”

“You stepped away,” he said calmly.

“Yes.”

“But you’re still standing here.”

I looked down.

He wasn’t wrong.

I had only moved a step away.

Which technically counted.

But still.

“That’s because you’re blocking the exit.”

He glanced over his shoulder toward the wide path behind him.

The path that was very clearly not blocked.

My lips pressed together.

“That’s not the point.”

“Of course it isn’t.”

“You’re very smug.”

“I’m patient.”

“That’s worse.”

Enzo laughed quietly.

The sound was softer than I expected, warm enough that it caught me slightly off guard.

“Why are you smiling?” I asked.

“Because you’re trying very hard not to enjoy this.”

“I’m not enjoying anything.”

“You smiled earlier.”

“That was sarcasm.”

“You laughed.”

“That was disbelief.”

“You’re still talking to me.”

“That’s temporary.”

He nodded thoughtfully.

“I’m fine with temporary.”

My stomach flipped again.

I really wished it would stop doing that.

“You should go back to your friends,” I said.

“They’re busy.”

“Doing what?”

“Watching.”

My head snapped toward the edge of the dance floor.

Sure enough, a few familiar faces from Enzo’s group were leaning near the bar, trying very badly to look casual while absolutely staring in our direction.

One of them immediately looked away when I noticed.

Another lifted his drink in a subtle salute.

I turned back slowly.

“You brought an audience?”

“I didn’t bring them.”

“You definitely encouraged them.”

“They encourage themselves.”

“That’s not better.”

“You’re very popular tonight.”

“I doubt that.”

He gestured slightly toward the dance floor.

“Half the room has been watching you since you walked in.”

“That’s because people are bored.”

“That’s because you walked in like you owned the place.”

I blinked.

“I did not.”

“You did.”

“I was looking for Sasha.”

“You were ignoring everyone.”

“That’s because I didn’t want to talk to anyone.”

“And yet here you are.”

I groaned softly.

“You’re impossible.”

“So you’ve said.”

Before I could respond again, a familiar voice suddenly appeared beside us.

“Well,” Sasha said brightly, sliding between two dancers and appearing at my side. “This is interesting.”

I closed my eyes briefly.

Of course she found us.

“Hi,” she added cheerfully to Enzo.

Enzo gave her a polite nod.

“Sasha.”

She looked delighted.

“Oh good, you know my name. That saves time.”

I shot her a warning look.

“Sasha.”

“What?” she said innocently. “I was just coming to see if you were alive.”

“I was perfectly fine.”

“Mhm.”

Her gaze moved between Enzo and me, clearly taking in the space between us and the tension that was probably still hanging in the air.

Then she grinned.

“You two look cozy.”

“We’re not.”

“We’re not,” Enzo said at the same time.

Sasha’s grin widened.

“Oh, this is going to be fun.”

“It’s not,” I said quickly.

“It absolutely is.”

She turned toward Enzo.

“So,” she said casually, “how long has she been pretending she doesn’t like you?”

“Sasha.”

“What?” she repeated.

Enzo looked thoughtful.

“About ten minutes.”

“Impressive,” Sasha said.

I stared at both of them.

“Neither of you are helping.”

Sasha leaned closer to me, lowering her voice slightly.

“You’ve been on the dance floor with him for two songs.”

“It was one and a half.”

“Still counts.”

“It does not.”

She smiled sweetly.

“Sweetheart, the entire club saw you.”

I groaned.

“This is a nightmare.”

Enzo looked amused again.

“I disagree.”

Of course he did.

Sasha clapped her hands once.

“Well,” she said happily, “since we’re all friends now—”

“We are not friends,” I interrupted.

She ignored me completely.

“—I’m going to get another drink.”

She pointed at Enzo.

“You behave.”

Then she pointed at me.

“You relax.”

And just like that, she disappeared back into the crowd.

Leaving me standing there.

With him.

Again.

I stared after her.

“I’m going to kill her.”

Enzo chuckled softly beside me.

“That would be unfortunate.”

“Why?”

“Because then you’d have to explain to the police why you committed murder in a nightclub.”

“I’d say it was self-defense.”

“That might be difficult.”

“Why?”

He looked down at me calmly.

“Because you came back.”

I turned toward him slowly.

“I did not come back.”

“You’re still here.”

I stared at him.

Then at the space behind me.

Then back at him.

And realized something extremely irritating.

I had, in fact, stepped closer again without noticing.

Which meant—

He was right.

Again.

My eyes narrowed.

“You planned this.”

“I didn’t.”

“You definitely did.”

“I just stayed where I was.”

“That’s manipulation.”

“That’s patience.”

I sighed.

“This night was going perfectly fine before you showed up.”

“And now?”

I hesitated.

Which was a mistake.

Because Enzo noticed immediately.

His voice softened slightly.

“And now?” he repeated.

I looked at him.

At the calm confidence in his eyes.

At the way he still hadn’t tried to grab my hand again.

At the fact that despite everything…

I still hadn’t left.

“…Now it’s complicated,” I admitted.

Enzo smiled slightly.

“Good.”

I frowned.

“Why is that good?”

“Because,” he said calmly, “simple things are boring.”

And unfortunately…

My phone rang, yanking me out of my thoughts....