Uncomfortable.

That's an understatement.

Things around the house have been tense, but not in a good way. It's a specific type of tense in which anyone is afraid to utter a word. Pitch silence every single day. Breakfast, lunch, school lessons, dinner — it's never-ending. Since Damien's visit, something has shifted within Julian, and I can't pinpoint what it is.

My insecurities claw at me like the demons they're. Was I too aggressive? Did it turn him off? Am I not pretty enough for him? Ugh. Mrs. Sarasota's lesson travels through one ear and out of the other, incompetent to retain anything because of my lack of focus. Here I go, acting like every other girl in the universe, sidelining my goals because of a freaking guy!

Boys are a waste of time, anyway. Someone like Julian is way out of my league—don't forget to mention my bodyguard. I'm genuinely surprised he almost let me suck him off since he prioritizes his codes over anything else. It might be embarrassing to say, but I'm disappointed.

Not because I didn't get to please him.

But because he can smoothly act like there's nothing between us while my heart goes frantic around him.

Mrs. Sarasota clicks the controller to the last slide. "Ten-minute break. Use this time for the bathroom or snacks because math is next."

I groan, dragging my cheek against the palm of my hand.

Great! My favorite subject.

Everleigh spins around in her chair, the speed causing her hair to swat Hanni in the face. "Isabela... you know, Hanni and I are noisy bitches, so we are about to question the fuck out of you."

Heat scorches the back of my neck. "W-Why? There's nothing to ask about. I'm an open book."

Hanni narrows her eyes, sending me the 'are you fudging kidding me,' look. "If you're an open book, then why did your best friend move to the back of the classroom? Is there something you're not telling us?"

Dang, it!

Slowly, I twist my head to the side, catching in the corner of my eye an aggravated Julian doodling in his notebook. I don't know why he moved away from me. I get it at home because things are different there, but we created an illusion for my friends, which I'm left to take care of. It all started when Damien left-- I wondered if he said something.

Scowling, I look back at the girls. "Oh, that. We just got into an argument. It's no big deal."

Everleigh's dark brown eyebrow shoots up. "Really..." A teasing smile crawls across her face. "Because a little birdie told me he saw you guys making out at the club the other night."

My eyes widen in horror, and I wave my hands desperately. "Shitzus. Did Jaxon tell you that? It's a misunderstanding. H-h." I struggle to find a believable excuse. "He was helping me look for my contact lenses."

Hanni explodes into laughter, banging her fist against her wooden desk. "Seriously? I could've come up with a better excuse. What are you so embarrassed about? You wouldn't be the first girl to have feelings for her best friend."

"I don't have feelings for him!" I reply, a little too loudly and roughly for my liking, shocking Everleigh and Hanni.

Hanni nudges Everleigh on the shoulder. "Everleigh, drop it. Isabela doesn't want to talk about it."

Disappointment hits me when they recoil into their seats, facing back toward the whiteboard. I didn't mean to lash out at them. I'm just frustrated with the entire situation. Instead of chastising my friends, I should be villainizing Julian. But it's hard. All I want is a reason, but apparently, I'm not important enough for one.

I sigh, raking my fingers through my hair. "I'm sorry, guys. Mr. Lui and me... I'm just confused--and I'm taking it out on you guys. Please, forgive me."

Concern washes over Everleigh's face. "Uh-oh. What did that asshole do? Tell me! I'm not afraid to take him if he hurt my baby girl."

A faint smile rests on my face. "It's okay. Seriously." I gnaw at my lip as my mind churns, trying to figure out how to explain the situation as vaguely as possible. "Okay. Maybe we did share a tiny kiss in the club, and he was totally into it, but then the next day... he acted as if nothing happened. Completely ignoring me."

Everleigh rests her hand over mine, rubbing her finger along the side of my thumb as I slowly exhale. "I don't get it. Did I do something wrong? I thought we both wanted it, but now he's pulling away. I just feel like a freaking idiot."

"Boys are stupid," Everleigh begins, her tone coated in sincere honey. "Especially boy best friends. Maybe he doesn't want to ruin the relationship you guys already have. It's a massive risk, you know. One nasty breakup, and a year-long friendship is down the drain. Have you tried talking to him since then?"

I pout my lips. "Not really. He sort-of gave the impression that he didn't want to discuss it. So I left it alone. I'm petrified. Is this how crushes feel like?"

Hanni snorts. "You never had a crush before?"

I blink. "It's kind-of hard to when I was homeschooled for most of my life. Mr. Lui is the only one I've spent a lot of time with. I guess it's normal to grow feelings, right?"

Everleigh side-eyes me. "Why do you refer to Julian by his last name?"

Suddenly, the room becomes warmer, and I'm fanning myself. "Because it's respectful in his culture. He told me to use his last name."

Confusion dawns on her. "Okay... Why didn't he tell us to call him that if it's important to him?"

I shrug. "I don't know."

Hanni rolls her eyes. "Are you really asking about the last name issue? We have more pressing issues! He's being a complete asshole to Isabela."

Everleigh's mouth drops. "That's an overstatement. I think he's just scared--probably afraid of what will come out of this. My advice is to do a sweet gesture and talk to him about it. Don't let him go until he talks to you, okay? That's the critical point of this. You deserve an answer. Not him acting all wishy-washy."

Hanni scoffs. "Wow. You actually gave pretty decent advice for having the most dysfunctional relationship I've ever witnessed."

Everleigh gasp. "Shut the fuck up. We're working on it. It's an everyday progress. We can't all be satisfied in friends with benefits situation."

I laugh as Hanni flips her middle finger at Everleigh until Mrs. Sarasota storms back in with a coffee cup. The whole room falls silent as Mrs. Sarasota struggles to change the tab on the whiteboard.

Everleigh's advice weighs heavily on my thoughts. Julian is a statue. He doesn't show any signal of emotion, but maybe he's scared of where this could go. I get it. We can't exactly have a relationship because of the contract with Damien, but what's wrong with a little fun? He can help me experience all my first times-- first hand-holding, first kiss, first time.

That's all I want to experience before I'm forced to wed Damien.

After school, I asked Julian to stop by Micheal, and I brought items for my specific project. My heart thuds as I use my teeth to secure the last knot on the navy blue bracelet. It's two bracelets in one with a golden fiery sun in the middle, illuminating from being in the center. I made a matching one except with a moon in the epicenter for me.

While everyone sees us as the opposite, Julian's a brighter soul than he lets anyone see. Something in his life forced him to snuff out the light. He wants to be a big, tough man, but he's so much more than stereotypes thrown at him. I saw it that night on the bridge. If only he opened up a bit more, I would've fully seen him for who he is.

A tainted, brilliant shadow.

Nerves tingle at my fingertips as I rub the sun.

It's now or never.

Sparing an extra glance in the mirror, I fix the gloss on my lips and beeline downstairs to an empty living room-- my eyebrows brunch in confusion. Where is he? I poke my head into the kitchen to find it vacant as well.

Unease curls in my stomach like spoiled milk. He has to be somewhere. He wouldn't leave me alone without telling me, especially after the scene in Damien's house. We might not be on talking terms, but he was hired to protect me. My eyes land on the open screen door leading to the backyard.

The light blue sky collides with ombre pink and yellow mesh, creating a scenery to die for. It's like a layered pie-- every bit of everything. The sun gets ready to say goodbye for the night and make room for the moon. The orange-tinted lantern string lights twinkle under the sunset. Smoke expels from the firepit in the middle of my yard, surrounded by wooden chairs.

No Julian to be seen.

My ears perk up at the creaking of the swinging bench. Julian's black hair peeks over the white pillows on the chair, his feet enforcing force to move him back and forth. His head peers down like he's immersed in something. My heart races as I hesitate to go through my mission, but my legs have different plans.

Before I know it, I'm in front of Julian, sketching in his school notebook. His attention doesn't shift. He rearranges in his seat and continues to doodle on the page. Apparently, I must be a ghost because he's acting like someone isn't trying to get his attention. Quiet game, huh?

I clear my throat. "Mr. Lui."

"What do you want?" he frowns, averting his gaze from the notebook to me. "Are you hungry? Dinner is in the microwave."

I tilt my head, gnawing at my lip in hesitation. "No. No, I'm not. I wanted to give you something." My heart thuds, conquering every other completing sound as I hand over the bracelet. "It might be sort-of childish, but I made us matching bracelets. It's my way of saying thank you for always looking out for me."

"Okay."

A grimace lines my face. "I also wanted to talk about the other night..." An exhale escapes my lips as I take the empty spot on the bench. "When we were seconds away from crossing the line."

Julian slams his book shut. Irritation stains his face. "What about it?"

My cheeks roast like meat on a grill. "Mr. Lui, I was seconds away from giving you head. Are we just going to ignore that?"

"Yeah. Actually, we are," he snaps, his tone merciless on my heartstrings.

"I don't understand..." I drawl, staring at his lips that are pressed into a line. "I thought we had something. I don't know-- feelings, maybe? We both wanted it that night. Or did I read the signals wrong?"

Julian thrust his fingers through his hair, bobbing the bandana on his head. "Did you seriously come out here to bother me with this shit? It was a lack of judgment. A mistake. Just forget about it, Miss Arias. We can't cross that line."

"Bother?" My mouth falls open in shock. "I think I deserve some freaking answers! You haven't been acting like yourself ever since Damien left. Did he say something to you to scare you away?"

Julian's composure crumbles like a deck of cards as he hops onto his two feet, his jaw ticking with frustration. "What don't you understand? I don't want anything to do with you, Isabela. This is me talking-- not Damien. Get that through your thick skull."

He bends forward, his irises black like an underground cave as he taps the side of my head. "You and I are never happening. You're nothing more than Damien's fiance to me. So, stop trying to be my friend, stop talking to me-- just leave me the fuck alone."

Any resemblance of a heart is on the ground when Julian tosses the bracelet on the floor, straight into a muddy puddle. Agony spread through my chest like an invasion. Have I been a nuisance this entire time? Was every moment we shared all in my head? I thought I'd experienced every type of pain manageable, but heartbreak ranks in the top five of that list.

I'm paralyzed by his outburst.

I'm genuinely at a loss for words.

My fingers yank at the knot of the matching bracelet on my wrist, and it falls with a simple pull. I feel like such an idiot.

Tears blur my vision as I lift from the swinging bench. "Y-You." My voice cracks, exposing me fully. "You didn't have to be so mean!"

He doesn't deserve me.

I sling my bracelet into the firepit, sinking into the raging fire as I zoom inside the house, slamming my bedroom door shut. Thwarted tears stream from my eyes, staining my satin pillow. I'm such a freaking idiot. Why did I even think we had a shot?

This chapter hurt me a lot 🥹🥹🥹it definitely hurt our girl Isabela too... I wonder how much Julian is hurting too.

Is Julian in time out now? How do you think he can make this up? What do you think is Isabela next step 🤭🙈do you think she's going to try again or let it go?

Also random question— I asked this same question for Mika's story... so, who do you want whenever the time comes for Julian and Isabela's first kiss 😝🤭who's POV do you want it in?

I have the person in mind, but I'll love to hear your thoughts and why it should be in their POV.

Who wants to back to two chapters ago when Isabela was about to give Julian a blowie? 😂😂😂

Thank you for all the support on this story and I can't wait to chat with you guys in comments💜❤️💜❤️💜I think the story is going to really surprise you guys at least I hope...

Love ya💜❤️💜