Chapter 11
I turned on my heel, marching down the staircase toward the living room. My phone was in my hand, I had to call Olivia and make sure she was okay. She is my priority at this moment.
“Isabel,” Liam’s voice followed me, soft but firm, each word carefully measured.
“You’re upset, I get that. But think about what you just said.
You’re making this all about your friends again, instead of us.
I’m trying to protect you. That’s what love is-don’t you want someone who puts your safety first? ”
I stopped mid-step, jaw tight, but didn’t turn around.
“I’m not saying I don’t appreciate that.
I just… I can’t live in a bubble where the only thing that matters is your version of what’s safe.
I shook my head, refusing to give him the satisfaction.
“No, Liam. I’m not going to let you make me feel guilty for caring about my friends.
I can protect myself, and Olivia needs me.
This is not about choosing you or them. I’m not a child, and I’m not yours to control. ”
He paused, a flicker of frustration crossing his face, before masking it with calm.
“Fine. Call her. But remember-this isn’t just about her.
This is about us, and about me knowing that my girlfriend is truly safe.
You need to trust me.” I gritted my teeth, moving to the couch and dialing Olivia.
My hands shook slightly, a mix of anger and residual fear.
As the line rang, I knew one thing: Liam could try to manipulate me all he wanted, but I wasn’t letting him stop me from being there for my friends.
He looks at me completely dumbfounded, because I have never spoken to me like this. I have never stood my ground when it came to him, and that ends today.
I pressed the phone to my ear, my fingers still trembling from the argument with Liam.
“Hello?” Olivia answered immediately, her voice a mix of relief and panic.
“Liv! Are you okay? What happened with Brad?” I asked, lowering my voice so Liam wouldn’t hear.
“Oh my God, Bella! It was a nightmare. He stormed out, slammed the door, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I’m freaking out,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“Breathe, Liv. You’re going to be fine. Just sit down, calm yourself, and tell me everything from the beginning. Start with what happened before he left,” I said, keeping my tone firm but soothing.
As she talked, I could feel Liam behind me, leaning against the railing, arms crossed.
He said nothing, but the tension radiating from him made me want to hang up and leave the house.
I forced myself to ignore him. Behind me, Liam cleared his throat.
“Bella… are you seriously still talking to her? In the middle of the night, in this storm?” His voice was tight, controlled, and it made my blood boil.
I ignored him. “Liv, I need you to promise me something. Whatever happens, you stay somewhere safe. Don’t go chasing after him or doing anything crazy.”
“I promise, Bella. Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you,” she whispered, and I felt a pang of relief.
“Okay, good. Just sit tight, and we’ll figure this out. I’m not leaving you alone in this,” I said.
I hung up, taking a deep breath. Liam finally moved closer, his expression unreadable. “See? Nothing happened. Everything’s fine.”
I turned to him, voice low but sharp. “Fine for me maybe. But don’t think this makes it okay for you to control who I talk to or when I talk to them. My friends matter, Liam. And I’m done justifying it to you.”
He blinked, silent for a long moment, before nodding slightly. But I could feel the storm inside him, just under the surface, ready to break at the slightest provocation.
“I’m leaving in the morning,” I said flatly. “Olivia and Brad broke up, and she needs me.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off.
“And maybe,” I snapped, “you should be talking to Sydney and not me-because you brought Noah back into our lives. Not me.”
His jaw tightened.
“Oh, and while you’re at it,” I continued, my voice shaking with anger now, “maybe mention that he was dating me at the same time. See how she likes that. See if you’re still so comfortable forcing her to see him at family functions after that, because I bet you won’t be.”
I laughed bitterly. “And don’t insult me by pretending you’d never met him. I have a very hard time believing that you didn’t know exactly who he was at Olivia's party, while he was dating your almost step-sister for six months.”
I ripped the blanket off my shoulders and threw it at him.
“I’m done,” I said, already walking away.
I took the stairs two at a time, my chest burning, and slammed the bedroom door behind me-hard enough that the walls rattled.
For the first time all weekend, the storm outside felt quieter than the one he’d created inside me.
I lay in the bed-the bed I’m supposed to share with the man I love-completely heartbroken.
I didn’t realize he felt this way. He’s never spoken to me about any of this, and I haven’t even talked to Noah since that day, so I don’t understand where this is coming from.
And now he expects me to act like everything is normal, to keep his family in the dark about me, to be cordial with Noah, and then gets angry because I answered a phone call about our friends.
I stare out the window, watching the storm lash against the beach, and the chaos outside mirrors the storm inside me.
We were just talking about me moving in with him, about having a family…
not even eight hours ago. And now? I don’t even know if I want any of this anymore.
I hug my knees to my chest, trying to make myself small, to find some space where his expectations don’t crush me.
My mind races. Do I even want this? Can I trust him?
Every promise he made-the beach house, moving in, the future he painted-it feels like a lie now. Or maybe it was true for him, but that doesn’t change how controlling he’s been, how easily he twists my feelings into guilt.
The sound of rain hitting the windows is deafening, a rhythm to my thoughts.
Part of me wants to storm downstairs and demand answers.
Part of me wants to pack silently and leave before he even wakes up.
Finally, I stand, walking to the window.
The ocean looks violent, waves crashing against the sand below, foaming white.
It’s chaotic, beautiful, and terrifying-exactly like this weekend, exactly like Liam.
I breathe in the salty air, trying to untangle the love I feel from the fear, the excitement from the suffocating pressure.
I love him, I admit to myself, but love shouldn’t feel like this.
The storm outside isn’t just on the horizon-it’s inside me too.
I hear the bedroom door creak behind me. Liam is awake. I don’t turn around.
“Baby…” His voice is low, almost pleading. “Please, just… don’t do this. Don’t shut me out.”
I stay facing the windows, pretending not to hear.
“I… I didn’t realize-” He steps closer, hesitation in every movement. “I didn’t realize how much I was pushing you. I never wanted you to feel trapped. Please, look at me.”
I finally turn, and he’s there, eyes wide and honest, or maybe carefully rehearsed. “I love you, Isabel. I’ve loved you since the moment we met. Yes, I screwed up with Noah… with Sydney… but that’s all in the past. You’re my present. You’re my everything. I never meant to hurt you like this.”
I cross my arms, skeptical. “And yet, you expect me to be cordial with Noah, hide from your family, and swallow all of this while pretending it’s normal?”
His lips tremble slightly, and he drops to his knees in front of me.
“I was stupid. I was blind. I thought I could handle it all, but I didn’t think about you.
I should have told you everything. I should have protected you instead of making you feel like this.
Please… I’m begging you, don’t walk away.
I’ll do anything to make this right. I’ll move slower.
I’ll wait. I’ll let you set every pace from here on out. ”
I stare at him, my chest tight, because I do love him. And hearing him grovel like this, so raw, so desperate, it tugs at something in me. But part of me screams that words aren’t enough this time.
“Liam… love doesn’t hurt this much. Not if it’s real. You keep promising, but I can’t keep feeling like I’m just another thing to manage in your life. I need more than words.”
He lifts his head, eyes glistening. “I know, I’ll prove it. I’ll show you every single day. Please… just give me the chance. Don’t make me lose you.”
The storm outside has quieted, but inside me, it rages. I’m torn between the man I love and the man who keeps putting me through chaos