16

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ISABELLA

"They were pretty nice," Addy acknowledges as we sit on the couch together. "You know they called my brother a day before me and told him they were leaving? Yeah, they called me last minute."

I frown and extend my arms out. She voluntarily leans in and snuggles into me. "I just wish they saw how hard I worked, I mean I'm out here kicking nursing school's ass and they don't even notice!" She exhales as I massage her head. "All they care about is Jayden and his law degree or whatever."

"Well, when you make beaucoup bucks and save lives, you can rub it in their faces."

Man, I am terrible at consoling.

She laughs, but I can hear the sadness in her voice. "Can your parents adopt me into your family?"

"You're already are a part of my family, trust me, I think my mom loves you more than me." We both giggle at the thought and she sits up.

"Anyway, have you talked to Miles yet? Is he driving you to school, or am I?"

I knit my eyebrows together, turning on my phone to check if I have any messages. "Actually, I haven't talked to him since he dropped me off at school yesterday..."

"Oh, that's really strange. Have you tried texting him?"

"Yeah, but I'll send him a message and tell him I can just go to school with you." I get up and head to my room to get ready.

Addy leans up against my door frame as I pull my hair up into a ponytail. "Bell, I don't think I can come to your gig tonight."

"You know you're not obligated to come to my gigs?" I laugh. "You have a job to attend, plus you need the free time."

"So you're not mad?" Her voice is now relaxed.

"Of course not, you don't even have to drive me again! I enjoy walking."

She snorts. "You need a car."

"I need the exercise."

I walk into my Anatomy class with a pounding heart. I haven't seen Miles since our little rendezvous in my apartment yesterday, and for some reason, I'm nervous too.

We had a sleepover.

I cuddled with Miles.

I shake the thought out of my head and amble to my seat, which to no surprise is empty. As I sit, I dig out my phone to see if I have any messages. I don't, which is strange because Miles normally texts me in the mornings. So, I send him a quick message before hiding my phone back in my bag.

"Where are you, Asswipe? Class is starting and you're not here... I even brought you a pack of pencils! - Bell."

Five minutes pass and class has started, but he's still not here.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, forty minutes and I realize he isn't coming, he hasn't even texted back. This is unlike him, so I make a mental note to stop by his apartment later tonight. I don't want to keep sending him messages or calls; it's most likely none of my business what he's doing.

After class, I saunter down the courtyard sidewalk to get a drink at a coffee stand, but I'm stopped when I see Noel and his little posse perched at a table. Wow, he looks like shit... He has a black eye and a bruised chin. Whoever did that to him must've been pissed off, but he's such an ass that he probably deserved it.

"Hey, Isabella, he looks pretty bad, huh?" a familiar voice says, stopping me from staring at Noel. I turn around and see the one and only Lucas Humphrey.

"Hi, Lucas." I smile. "And yeah, what the hell happened?" I question, intrigued.

We both sit down on a bench and he shrugs his shoulders. "I'm not so sure. All I know is that he got into a pretty nasty fight last night at the gym."

Oh.

"Don't worry," he adds, noticing my shocked facial expression. "He probably deserved it."
I raise an eyebrow. "You know him?"

"Not well, the only person I know from that group is Miles." Miles? As in my Miles? My eyes widen thinking back to how he was telling me I should watch out for Lucas. So they know each other.

"Oh! I didn't know you were friends with Miles."

He scoffs. "Figures." I look ahead, not sure what to say. Whatever happened between them doesn't seem like it ended well; I wonder what happened.

"I'm glad that you got home safe," he states, snapping me out of an internal investigation.

"Yeah, I told you I would."

"I'm coming again tonight."

"You are?" I say.

"Yeah, you're pretty amazing. How could I not?"

I thank him, then look around campus again for any sign of Miles.

Lucas stands up and swings his backpack over his shoulder, sticking his pointer finger out at me. "But I'm walking you home tonight this time, Gallagher, no arguing about it."

"Alright, Humphrey, see you later."

✤

The rest of the day consists of me studying and constantly checking my phone to see if Miles has responded. Which he hasn't, and of course the Asswipe doesn't have his read receipts on. I am a little bummed he hasn't reached out to me yet.

Okay, maybe I miss him.

Just a little.

"Bye, see you later!" Addy shouts from the living room. I say goodbye back and hear the door shut, which is my cue to turn up my music. I grab my phone, clicking the volume button until it stops moving.

Swiftly, I put on the first song that I'm performing tonight. "Out of My League" by Fitz and the Tantrums. Which is one of my all-time favorite songs and coincidentally describes my relationship with Miles. Well, it didn't take forty days and forty nights for him to come and save my life. More like one.

I was going to ask if he wanted to come to my gig tonight, but he never showed up to school nor did he answer my texts about it, so I took that as a no.

By six o'clock, I'm at The Wild Heart switching places with the previous performer, Phoebe, who is extremely sweet and talented. I step up to the microphone that's currently illuminated by spotlights and introduce myself.

After the cheering and clapping die down, I announce my first song. Just like every other night, the place is packed, but that doesn't stop me from noticing the redhead sitting at a round table right in front of the mini stage.

I walk over to the piano and delve into the song, slamming my fingers down onto the white keys.

After the gig is over, Lucas beams as we walk out of the restaurant. "You were incredible! Those song choices were awesome." We're the last two customers to leave, so the place is pretty vacant now. The sidewalk lights have turned on full blast, which attracts a bunch of moths.

"Thank you, they're all my favorites!" I proclaim. "But I'm in dire need of some new ones."

"Hey, I have a pretty similar taste in music, I can make you a playlist," he says.

"You don't have to do that, but alright." I smile.

"It's no problem, I definitely will."

"That actually might be nice because sometimes I listen to the same song over and ov—" My heart drops and I stop in my tracks. A figure in a black hoodie is standing right in front of us, but I know the face.

"Miles?" I breathe.

His hair is a mess, but not the perfect mess it usually is. The bags under his eyes are unnerving. It looks like he hasn't had an ounce of sleep. I step slightly closer and that's when I notice the enormous fat lip he has and nasty bruises.

He looks empty.

"Miles, are you alright? You haven't been answering my calls," I stammer, stepping closer to him, but it only makes him step back. I feel a sharp pang in my chest. "What's wrong?"

He says nothing but continues staring. Those eyes that normally say so much are blank. This is not the Miles I know. Then everything hits me. Noel has bruises just like him and I don't think it's just a coincidence. They both go to the same gym and I know for a fact Miles went last night. But why? Why did they get into a fight?

"You're hurt." I reach out to touch his face.

"Don't, Isabella," he says, causing my hand to fall limp at my side.

He called me Isabella.

"What did I do wrong?" My voice comes out weaker than I'd like.

He inhales sharply and closes his eyes, showing the slightest of emotion, pain. "I think we should stop seeing each other."

I let out a staggered breath, staring at him wide-eyed wordlessly as if I was just stabbed in the heart. This cannot be happening, not after how well everything has been going. I swallow repeatedly, trying to get the lump in the back of my throat to go away. But it doesn't work.

"You do not mean that." I reach for his hands.

"No," he says again, startling me. "I'm not right for you, and you know it."

"You can't be serious. You've helped me more than anyone has." I inch closer. Still, he shows no emotion, as if my words mean nothing to him. He stares at me with broken eyes.

"Where is this all coming from?" I whisper, needing answers. But he walks away. Anger courses through me and I stomp toward him, blocking him from going any further. "You don't get to walk away like that. Be the better person you said you wanted to be and communicate with me."

But he doesn't.

I need to get his attention, so I say, "You're just like him, you're just like Jake."

He finally looks at me. "I am nothing like him. I'm letting you go for your own good, I'm doing what's best for you."

"But Miles, you don't get to decide what's best for me. This is the absolute worst thing for me, right when everything is going right you ruin it all."

"You don't understa—"

"You haven't even given me a chance to understand!" I cut him off. He coils back. "Did I ever mean anything to you or were you just using me?"

He lowers and shakes his head. "Of course you mean something to me..."
"Then why are you running away?"

And just like that, I hear him whisper goodbye once more before he disappears into his car. The red lights illuminate the black pavement as he hastily pulls out, driving right past me like I'm a speck of dust.

I feel like I've just been chewed up and spit out faster than ever before. And to think I thought mine and Jake's breakup hurt. Miles and I weren't dating, and I feel one hundred times worse.

He just came into my life, made me feel more emotions than ever before, and walked out without a warning or an answer. Is it because he doesn't do relationships? If so, why did he tell me I meant something to him? It doesn't make sense.

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QOTD: What is your go-to coffee or warm drink order? 

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