Gangster's Paradise // Rio (Good Girls)

7. I Told You

Isla sat alone in the break room, her coffee cup in hand as she let out a heavy sigh. She had just lost a patient, and the weight of the loss was heavy on her heart. She had lost patients before, but this one was different. The boy was only 17, with so much life ahead of him. It was difficult for isla to reconcile the loss of such a young life.

"lzzy," Lexi's voice interrupted her thoughts, as her friend walked into the room, sensing Isla's distress. Isla took a sip of her coffee and looked up at her friend, grateful for the support.

"You can't win them all, you know that," Lexi said, her voice soft and comforting. Isla managed a small smile, appreciating the reminder.

"I know, it just... sucks, Lexi. He was so young," Isla said, her voice filled with sadness and regret. She knew that as a surgeon losses were inevitable, but it never got easier to bear the weight of each loss.

"I know," Lexi said, giving Isla a comforting side hug. "Make it home safe, okay? No more car accidents or scary men, alright?" she said, her voice filled with concern.

Isla rolled her eyes and smiled at her friend's words. "That was like a 2 weeks ago," she mumbled, scrunching up her nose. "I don't even know why I told you about that," she said, shaking her head.

Lexi gave a big smile. "What part? That he scared the shit out of you or that you thought he was hot?" she teased, nudging Isla playfully.

"Lexi!" Isla exclaimed, looking at her friend with big eyes. "I didn't say I thought he was hot. I simply said he was very good-looking," she defended herself.

"What about the part where you can't get his oh-so-dark eyes out of your head?" Lexi continued teasingly, but Isla cut her off, blushing and feeling embarrassed.

"Lexi!" she protested, but her friend just laughed and threw her hands up, walking out of the room. Isla couldn't help but smile, as she too walked out of the room
When her phone rang, Isla quickly pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the caller ID. It was emma. Without hesitation, she answered the call.

"Isla!" emma voice sounded frantic. "Are you okay?"

Confused, Isla walked toward her car as she replied, "What? I'm okay, emma. Are you?"

"No, no! I mean, yes, I am," emma stuttered. "Have you met a man?"

Isla raised an eyebrow, unsure of where this conversation was heading. "What?" she asked.

"He would have had a tattoo on his neck and dark eyes," emma continued urgently. Suddenly, Isla's expression turned serious as realization dawned on her.

"Oh no, you have!" emma exclaimed.

"emma, stop. I'm fine, okay? Nothing happened!" Isla reassured her. "He ran into my car and blamed me. That was it. It was like a weeks ago."

"But, Isla!" emma persisted.

"How do you even know about that!?" Isla interrupted, her voice filled with surprise. "I didn't tell you."

"Just... just come over tomorrow, and I will explain everything!" emma urged, her voice tinged with concern.

Isla drove home, her thoughts still consumed by the events of the past few days. She parked her car in the driveway and took a deep breath before getting out. As she made her way to the door, she huffed out another breath, feeling the weight of exhaustion and fear weighing her down.

Unlocking the door, she stepped inside and slipped off her shoes before walking towards the kitchen. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the laundry basket on the table and the red wine sitting on the counter. Her confusion was interrupted by a movement at the slightly open window in the kitchen. She frowned, but dismissed it, assuming it was just the wind.

As she reached the table, she pulled out a white tank top and shorts before changing right there, discarding her scrubs into the laundry room. She walked over to the counter and poured herself a glass of wine, hoping to find some semblance of peace and calm.

"Isla," she heard a voice behind her, and she jumped, her heart racing as she turned around on her heels to see the dark-eyed stranger. Her mind raced as she tried to process his sudden appearance in her home.

"What? How?" Isla gasped, almost to herself, as she looked at him. she had thought she would never see him again in her life. Yet, there he was, standing in her living room, uninvited and unwelcome.

"I told you, didn't I? I would see you later," he said, his voice low and menacing as his dark eyes locked onto her blue ones. Isla stood there, frozen in shock, wondering how he had even gotten into her house. Most importantly, how did he know her name? She was sure she hadn't told him.

"How... how did you get in here? Or find out where I live?" she asked in a shaky voice, her heart skipping a beat when he took a step forward. She quickly moved to step behind the counter, putting distance between them.

"I have my ways," he said, walking to the counter and grabbing a glass, pouring himself some more wine. "Sit with me," he instructed, walking to her living room and sitting down on her couch. Her house was very open, with no walls between the kitchen and the living room.

"No, get out!" Isla said, trying to sound braver than she felt. "If you don't get out right now, I will call the police," she threatened, her voice shaking.

"And how will you do that, Isla?" he asked, his voice calm and collected. Her heart sank as she realized her phone was missing. She scanned the room frantically, hoping to find her phone, but it was nowhere in sight. Her eyes met his, and she saw him holding a glass of wine, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

Isla's gaze shifted to the house phone on the other side of the living room, and she contemplated making a run for it. She knew it was a risky move, but she couldn't just sit there and let him scare her.

"I wouldn't do that," he warned, as if reading her mind. But Isla didn't listen. She made a run for the house phone, hoping to call for help, but her efforts were in vain. He was too quick for her, and his strong arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground and tossing her onto the couch.

"Please! Just leave!" Isla pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. She held her hands up slightly as she sat up on the couch, looking at him with a mix of fear and desperation. "Please, just leave me alone."

"Isla," he said, his voice low and almost warning her. She quickly fell silent, but the tears continued to stream down her face, betraying her fear and unease. "Now let's talk, yeah?" he continued, sitting back down and looking at her intently.

"From our frst encounter, you said you worked at the hospital. What do you do?" he asked, his eyes piercing hers.

"I-I'm a surgeon," Isla replied, her voice shaking slightly. She kept her gaze fixed on him, but her mind was racing with fear and uncertainty. How was she going to get out of this? What was he going to do to her?

He nodded his head, and there was a few minutes of tense silence before he spoke again. "Good. Come on, then," he said, standing up and motioning for her to follow. Isla shook her head rapidly, backing up against the couch.

"No, no, please," she pleaded, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Now, Isla," he said sternly, leaving her with no choice but to follow him.