Chapter 21
Chapter 21:
After a few minutes of trying to pacify the raging thoughts in my head, I muster the strength to leave the kitchen, my footsteps the only sound echoing softly through the empty corridor.
Just as I step into the living room, I stumble upon Isla grabbing a bottle of wine and a glass from the mini bar in the dining area. Her eyes meet mine, surprise flickering in them. What is she doing here at this hour?
“Hey,” she calls softly. “You’re still up p>
“Yeah. I came downstairs to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen,” I answer, raising the bottle in my hand to show her.
My eyes shift to the wine she’s holding. It’s Chardonnay Red, and it’s already past midnight.
“What’s with the wine?” I ask, pointing at the bottle. “It’s a little late to get yourself drunk, don’t you think p>
She chuckles. “I’m not trying to get drunk, Asher. I’m going to have a little. Besides, you’re joining me p>
I scoff. “And who said I am p>
“Me, of course,” she blurts out, and before I can protest, she walks over and shoves the bottle into my free hand. Then she turns back to grab another glass from the bar shelf.
After retrieving the glass, she faces me again. “Alright. Let’s go outside by the pool. I want to dip my feet in the water while I drink this wine with you p>
Her voice sounds playful, but I’ve known Isla long enough to notice the crack beneath it. And why does she even want to drink red wine at this hour of the night?
Or should I say early morning?
“Isla, is something wrong p>
“Asher p>
“Answer me, Isla. Are you feeling alright p>
She exhales a sigh, her shoulders dropping. “You don’t know how to let go, Asher. I want to tell you something, but first of all, we’re drinking p>
I sigh and let her have her way.
Whatever it is she wants to tell me must be serious, judging from the way her smooth, perfect legs move with each heavy step as she leads us outside toward the swimming pool.
When we reach the sparkling blue water, we settle down beside each other. Our skin grazes, and I gulp as bolts of electricity shoot down my spine from the light touch.
Fuck. She’s dating someone else. Why can’t I stop having these feelings for her?
She offers me a glass, and when I take it, she opens the bottle of wine and pours it full. Before I can complain about her pouring me so much, she’s already filling her own glass nearly to the brim. I watch in silence, confused, as she sets the bottledown beside her. She clinks her glass against mine in a toast, then gulps down the wine until only a trace remains near the bottom of her glass.
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She lets out a light burp and slips her tongue across her lips, licking away the red stain.
God. looking at those full, perfect lips is already giving me a hard-on.
“So what is it, Isla?” I cough out, taking a small sip from my glass to distract myself from the wild thoughts brewing in my mind.
“Dominic asked me to marry him p>
I nearly choke, spitting the wine back into my glass. My hands tremble as I lower it to my lap, and to avoid spilling the red liquid into the pool, I carefully set it on the tiled floor beside me.
My heart is pounding. My head is aching. I can’t… I can’t even breathe properly.
“When…” God, my voice sounds like I’ve caught the flu. “When did he ask you that?” I manage to croak out.
“This night. a few minutes ago p>
My brain races. He probably asked her to marry him right after that suspicious phone call in the kitchen.
Screw this guy.
“And… and what did you tell him?” I stammer.
It takes every ounce of strength in me to get the question out, knowing my heart is fully exposed and at risk of being shattered.
“I didn’t say anything reasonable. I was kind of… surprised.” She takes in a deep breath. “I told him I need to think about it and left the room. Then I came downstairs to grab a drink and saw you p>
My mouth gapes open for a while, not knowing what to say. I watch her tilt her head back as she takes another gulp of wine. When she’s done, she wipes her glistening lips with the back of her hand.
I clear my throat—both to calm the deep burn in my belly and the wild pounding of my heart. My mind is fighting through a hazy tsunami after the bomb Isla dropped on me.
“Why didn’t you know what to say to him?” I ask. “I mean, you love him. You seem happy with him. It shouldn’t be hard for you to know what to say p>
Isla turns to me. Her eyes linger on my face, staring hard and long. Too long, almost as if she wants me to know the answer.
But it can’t be possible. She made it clear herself.
I tear my eyes away from her, fixing them on the gentle blue swirls of the pool as the night breeze ripples across the water.
I don’t want to give in to the urge swelling inside me—to crash my lips against hers, to disregard everything and everyone else and claim her as mine. I don’t want to make the same mistake I did last time.
A mistake she even called amistake.
“Asher, why haven’t you ever considered dating anyone p>
I snap my eyes back to her, startled by her question. My throat tightens with the truth. Every nerve and fiber of me wants to tell her I can’t date anyone else, can’t love anyone else, because I’m madly, completely, stupidly in love with her.
But once again, I let the cat cut off my tongue. Once again, I take the easy way out.
“I simply love my life as it is now,” I lie.
Her eyes search my face, maybe trying to catch the flicker of truth behind my words. I clench my jaw, hoping she doesn’t see anything that could detonate the bomb of a lie I dropped.
A bomb I can feel hanging heavy over my head like a dark cloud swollen with black rain.