chapter fifteen

The wedding ended, and even Cole's speech was cute. After Hayley and Will's first dance, everyone stood and moved to the dance floor. Isaac held out his hand.

"Dance with me?" he asked.

As we stepped off the dance floor, Isaac's expression turned serious.

"I don't want this to be private anymore," he said quietly.

I froze. "Private? You promised-"

"I know, but I can't hide how I feel," he interrupted, frustration in his voice.

We argued quietly for a few minutes, voices low so no one else would hear, each of us trying to make our point.

Later that night, after the wedding celebrations had died down, I went to my room to change into something more comfortable.

Just as I was finishing, there was a soft knock at the door. I froze for a moment, then called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me," came Isaac's voice from the other side.

My heart skipped a beat. I hesitated, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face, before answering, "Come in."

Isaac stepped into my room, and the moment the door closed behind him, the tension between us was impossible to ignore.

"I don't get it, Evelyn," he started, his voice tight. "Why do you keep wanting to hide us? I like you and I want everyone to know."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Isaac, I told you from the beginning that I wanted this to be private. It's important to me. But you... you keep ignoring that, making decisions for both of us without even asking."

His jaw tightened. "I just thought-"

"No!" I cut him off, my voice rising slightly. "You never think about what I want. Maybe Marcus would be better. Maybe he would respect my opinion without trying to push me around."

Isaac's face fell, hurt and disbelief flashing in his eyes. "Are you... saying you want him instead?"

I shook my head quickly, but the words had already left their mark. "No. I mean... I don't know. I just know that this, us, it's not working if you can't listen."

Isaac's face went pale, and for a moment, I thought he'd argue. Instead, he took a deep breath and said quietly, almost painfully, "Evelyn... I can't do this anymore. I'm done. We're over."

I froze, my heart lurching. "What?" I whispered, disbelief choking me.

He looked down, unable to meet my eyes. "I can't keep feeling like I'm walking on eggshells. I love you, but this isn't working for me."

"I... I don't want this," I stammered, my hands trembling. "I don't want us to be over!"

He shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry. I think it's better this way."

And just like that, he walked out, leaving me standing there, stunned and heartbroken, unable to stop the tears that threatened to fall.

The next morning, the house felt emptier than usual. My suitcase was already packed, and the silence around me made my chest ache.

"I can't stay here," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.

Jackie appeared in the doorway, checking her own bag. "Same here. I think it's time we head back to New York," she said, giving me a small, understanding smile.