Chasing Blue

#36: Didn't see this coming?

Present

Isabella 

Despite the heavyweight that dropped from my mouth to my heart and then to my stomach, my face breaks into a smile and then a chuckle. I look at my shoes and the heels have never looked so tempting as a weapon. I clasp the bridge of my nose and meet the eyes of the woman who just told me the most bizarre thing to do. 

"Yeah, okay Julie. We're done playing your little game of vengeance." 

"No," she says gritting her teeth. "We're done only when I say we are." 

I let out a shaky breath when I saw her face switching emotions every ten seconds. It's visually horrifying when I don't know what's coming next. 

"Why do you want me to break up with Austin? What has neither of us done to you now?" I raise my eyebrows when she doesn't answer. "Because you and I both know I'm not going to do whatever you asked me to do now. The only way you can even it out is if you tell me how you were wronged and I'll apologize and try to make it right." 

Her fists balled up with so much intensity that I could imagine how deep her nails are piercing her palms. I take a cautious step back because her face has agonized. She's flaming with anger and annoyance. 

"You don't tell me what to do, Isabella Cosmo." She whispered and I shiver. "I've had enough of your unasked advice. You either do what you're told or you watch your sister's rape tapes go viral all over the internet." 

"Stop it, Julie. Are you even hearing to yourself?" I try sounding strong and maintaining my stance but I'm too scared with the things at stake. 

She clenches her jaw and narrows her eyes. "Are you challenging me?" 

"God, no." I immediately blurt. "I'm trying to talk to you." 

She brushes her hands through her blonde hair groaning and grunting. I watch her stride around in irritation. I begin to think of all the reasons why she'd want me to break up with Austin. A strong thought pops into my head and I wonder if Julie likes him. Austin could never wrong anyone. There's no one in my life that I've met to date who hates Austin. She couldn't hate him. 

Then it's definitely a jab to me. I've done something wrong to her. I try to recall all the memories of her and me and I can't place her in any instance before I met her at my house. But we've been great since then. I struggle trying to make sense out of this whole sick game she's playing with me. 

"Fine, you want to talk? Let's talk." She says turning to me and crossing her arms against her wine red dress. "I'm in love with Austin." 

I close my eyes, "I knew it." 

She laughed mockingly, "Oh, took you long enough to figure it out then, more brownie points to you, Isabella." She looked away and looked back with cold eyes. "I've been in love with him since freshman year, did you know that? I've been in love with him before you even knew him properly. And how much ever I tried to make Austin Cooper even notice me, he's always been in love with you. No matter what I do for him, it's always going to be you." 

This is the first time in a very long time I felt my lips tremble. My throat feels numb and my eyes prick with threatening tears. 

Julie looks hurt and angry, the two deadliest emotions combined on the face of this woman who holds everything important to me at stake. She hates me.  

"You don't have anything to say now? Cat got your tongue, Cosmo?" 

I slowly clear my throat. I need to choose my words wisely. I can't make a mistake here. "B-But Julie, you can't make people fall in love with you. You can't control who you fall for--"