Dance Again (Dancing Styles Sequel)

Chapter 22

I felt like Friday couldn't get here fast enough. My days started with waking up curled next to James, and then of course I struggled through my classes, enjoying American History a little too much (or maybe the attractive guy I chatted up the whole class). James and I were making a teensy bit of progress on our project, but we only had about the first 5 seconds of the dance figured out.

Right now, I was packing up my bag to go home for the weekend, just a few necessities like my shower stuff, and makeup. I had plenty of clothes at home to wear. Tristan and I had gone out a few other times for coffee, but I still hadn't gotten around to telling James about it. I just knew that he wouldn't react well, and I didn't want to cause problems. Not so early in the relationship.

There was a light knocking on the door, but before I could say come in, James came bursting through the door.  

"You really should wait. I could have been naked." I joked, placing my makeup brushes into my travel wrap.  

"Or you could have had a guy in here you needed to hide." He snapped.  

My head shot up.

"What?" What was he talking about?  

"Isobele.. Don't even act confused. I asked you to stay away from Tristan. Or at least not be alone with him. And now you're going out on dates...? I thought I was your boyfriend." He said the last part in a low growl.  

"Who told you about Tristan...?" I asked cautiously.  

We had been careful not to be seen.. Who the heck found out about it...?

"Everybody in the bloody city knows about 'Isobele Styles' New Boyfriend'" James snarled before taking a rolled up magazine out of his back pocket, flinging it onto my bed.

I gingerly picked it up, unrolling it and staring at the front cover.  

"Styles' Secret Love?"  

The headline read, with a photo of me and Tristan that first night out, it was when he was reaching over to pat my hand, telling me we should be leaving. He was smiling at me. And I had the stupidest grin on my face, and it looked like his hand was resting on top of mine.  

I gulped. It really did look like we were having some deep conversation.  

"James... We weren't on a date.... Just.. Two friends. We went for coffee... I didn't tell you because I didn't know how to tell you... I'm not cheating on you, and you need to believe me." I said nervously.  

If I had just told him from the beginning this wouldn't look so bad, but now it looked sketchy because I told him I was busy doing homework in the afternoons, and he now knew that I was going for coffee with Tristan.

James took a deep breath, shaking his head and looking over at my wall to the right.  

"Isobele... You lied to me to go out with this guy. You can't just... Do that and expect everything to be fine! Why should I believe what you tell me?" He exclaimed, hurt in his voice.

I bit my lip, looking down at the magazine.  

"James I just wanted a friend, and nobody here really seems to like me, except like one other person, and he was nice and wanted to go out for coffee. I promise you, that was it. If it was any other person, I would have told you right away, but I thought you would get mad at me.."

James sighed.  

"Bells, I just.. I don't trust him.."  

I reached over and grabbed his face so that he was looking at me.