My Safe Place

Chapter 15

Ethan

"Hey."

Isabelle lifts her head and looks up at me. I can tell she's holding in tears. I take a seat at the cafe table across from her.

"Hi." She breathes out.

We sit quietly for a few minutes.

"Isabelle, I'm so sorry."

Isabelle looks up at me. "Why didn't you tell me? I told you I loved you."

I swallow the lump in my throat. "I didn't want to loose you, Iz. I know that I should have told you but I was just scared."

She nods in return. "But that girl that you were trying to get over a year ago... that was Adelyn, wasn't it?"

Her eyes glass over with tears as I don't respond. I look away unable to watch her suffer. Isabelle sniffs sitting back in her chair.

"I can't believe she never told me." Isabelle sobs slightly. "We've been best friends our whole lives and I knew nothing."

"Adelyn and I connected at a time were she was going through- major things. She never told anyone about her issues and she wouldn't have told me if I wasn't- I hadn't- well- been involved. We were toxic and by the time she was ready to for me to leave I went through my rough time- which brought us back together. We were so back and forth, and toxic it was-." I stop myself realising how much I've said. "One day, maybe she'll be ready to tell you about her past."

Isabelle takes a deep breath. "What about you and me?"

I sigh. "I want to be with you, Isabelle. But I also respect your choice if you don't want that."

"Well, how do you feel about me?"

I swallow the lump in my throat.

Just say it Ethan! Or she'll leave you like everyone else!

"I uh- love you, Isabelle."

Isabelle can't help but smile. She reaches for my hand across the table. I intertwine our fingers and she continues to smile.

"But Iz, I can't be with you knowing that I'm the reason you and Adelyn aren't friends." I say softly squeezing her hands.

Isabelle looks up at me slightly. "I don't want to not be friends with Adelyn. She wrote me a note and I know she's sorry. I know she still wants us to be friends, I just don't know."

"How can you forgive me and not her?"

"Because I trusted her more than- myself."

4 years ago

"I don't trust her, Ethan."

"Then why are you even friends?"

"If I don't have Isabelle, I have no one." Adelyn whispers poking around at my desk.

"What are you doing over there?" I ask looking up from my laptop.

She turns around. "I'm bored." Adelyn walks over and sits beside me on my sofa. "What are you doing?" Adelyn asks peering over to my laptop.

"Organising some old photo albums." I yawn.

"Why?" Adelyn asks moving to lay her head at the opposite end of the couch. "Olivia wanted to hang up some photos in her new apartment. Apparently she also wanted to get some put on canvas for Sadie or something." I exclaim closing the laptop.

Adelyn nods. "How's your dad?"

"Just being Dad. Being talkative but not talkative enough to seem like he's not ok." I explain with a groan.

I move Adelyn's legs to lay across my lap. She sits up and smiles at me small. "Ethan." She breathes out.

"I know." I smile. "I know."

Adelyn's smile widens slightly as she leans in and kisses my lips. She pulls away after a second.

"Dinner first?"

I chuckle and nod. "Let's go." I laugh as she stands up. Adelyn pulls me off the couch and out of my room.

Present Day

"Ethan? What's wrong?" Isabelle questions.

"Oh, sorry. I just dozed off for a second." I mutter.

Isabelle nods. "So, will you be my plus one to the wedding?"