Last time, Isabella confronted Claire at the bookstore, and Ethan froze between them. But what happens when the storm passes and you're still standing in it?
Ethan didn't follow Claire out the door.
He wanted to. Part of him did.
The part that remembered years of quiet afternoons, shared homework sessions, and her always saving him the last gummy worm.
But that part didn't move.
Because Isabella was still standing in front of him.
And she hadn't looked away.
"You think I went too far," she said.
"I think..." Ethan ran a hand through his hair. "I think you don't care if you did."
She studied him for a moment. "Would it matter if I did?"
"That's not the answer most people give when they're asked if they care."
"I'm not most people."
He sighed. "You keep doing that."
"Doing what?"
Ethan hesitated, then let out a breath.
"Making everything feel like it's already decided. Like I'm just supposed to go along with it."
He looked at her.
"You talk like everything you say is obvious. But half the time, I don't even know how I'm supposed to feel."
Isabella took a step closer. Her voice dropped just slightly.
"Do you want me to stop?"
Ethan blinked.
She wasn't angry. She wasn't pleading. She was just... waiting.
And he hated that he didn't have an answer. Not a real one.
Not because he hadn't thought about it. But because some small, quiet part of him wasn't sure he wanted her to.
He should be alarmed.
But he wasn't.
Not really.
Isabella's expression softened. Barely. But he saw it.
"You're not used to someone choosing you first," she said. "That's why you hesitate."
"That's not fair," he said.
She shook her head. "It's not a judgment. Just something I've noticed."
Ethan looked away. The shelves suddenly felt too narrow, like the books were pressing in on him—full of stories that weren't his.
"You said you're not competing with Claire," he muttered. "But it sure felt like you were trying to win."
Isabella paused for a moment.
"I'm not in a competition," she said. "I just stand firm when I make a decision."
Then she brushed past him, light as air, heading toward the door.
"I'll see you tonight," she added, as casually as if they were already years in.
And then she was gone.
Leaving Ethan alone again.
Surrounded by strangers.
Surrounded by silence.
And unsure whose story he was in anymore.
She didn't raise her voice. But somehow, she made it hard for him to find his own.