UNDECIDED (Wisemen Series #1)

7 | Pure Jealousy

ISABELLE
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Returning back to the club, the night throbbed with pulsing lights and pounding music, the air thick with the heady scent of alcohol and sweat. I stood at the edge of the dance floor, my gaze fixed on Riccardo as he leaned against the bar, a slight frown marring his features.

My heart clenched with a pang of jealousy as I watched Chloe sidle up to him, her movements too familiar for my liking. I knew I shouldn't care-I had told myself a million times that Riccardo wasn't mine to claim-but the sight of her touching him, her lips dangerously close to his ear, filled me with a sense of possessiveness I couldn't shake.

And then it happened-Chloe leaned in, her lips finding Riccardo's in a drunken embrace that sent shockwaves of anger coursing through me. I felt a surge of betrayal welling up inside me, hot and suffocating, threatening to consume me whole.

Without thinking, I downed the rest of my drink in one gulp, the burn of alcohol searing its way down my throat. I needed to numb the pain, to drown out the ache of seeing Riccardo with someone else.

I ordered another drink, then another, until the world around me began to blur and sway. The music pounded in my ears, a relentless drumbeat that matched the rhythm of my racing heart.

Before I knew it, I was stumbling through the crowded club, my vision swimming as I searched for Riccardo and Chloe. I needed to confront them, to make them see the pain they had caused me.

But as I approached, my steps faltering and uncertain, Riccardo's gaze met mine, his eyes widening in alarm as he saw the storm brewing within me. In a flash, he was by my side, his hand wrapping around my arm in a firm grip.

"Isabelle, wait," he said, his voice urgent but gentle.

I shook him off, my movements clumsy and uncoordinated. "Let go of me, Riccardo," I slurred, my words slurring together in a drunken haze.

But Riccardo didn't relent, his grip tightening as he pulled me away from the chaos of the club. And then it happened-the anger and hurt that had been simmering beneath the surface boiled over, erupting in a torrent of emotion that I couldn't contain.

I turned on him, my vision swimming as tears blurred my vision. "How could you, Riccardo?" I cried, my voice cracking with emotion. "How could you do this to me?"

Riccardo's expression softened, his eyes filled with regret as he reached out to cup my face in his hands. "Isabelle, I didn't want-"

But before he could finish, I slapped him across the face, the sting of my palm against his skin echoing in the empty street. "Don't you dare," I spat, my voice trembling with anger and hurt. "Don't you dare try to explain it away."

For a moment, we stood locked in a silent battle of wills, the weight of our unspoken emotions hanging heavy in the air between us. And then, with a sigh, Riccardo pulled me into his arms, holding me close as I trembled with the force of my emotions.

"Belle," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the noise of the street. "Belle, please..."

And as he held me, the tears flowing freely down my cheeks, I felt a sense of calm wash over me-a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos of my fractured heart.

In Riccardo's arms, amidst the cacophony of the club and the turmoil of my own emotions, I felt a fragile sense of peace settle over me. His touch was a lifeline in the storm, grounding me in the midst of chaos.

He rubs the back of my head softly.

"Belle," he murmured again, his voice a gentle whisper against the tumult of the night.

But I couldn't bring myself to respond, the weight of my hurt and anger still pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket. I wanted to push him away, to lash out at him with all the pent-up fury that had been building inside me since I saw him with Chloe.

Yet, despite everything, I found myself clinging to him, seeking solace in the warmth of his embrace. In that moment, the lines between love and hate blurred, leaving me tangled in a web of conflicting emotions.

Riccardo held me close, his arms a shelter from the storm raging within me. And as I melted into his embrace, I felt the walls I had built around my heart begin to crumble, leaving me vulnerable and exposed.

"Mia cara," he whispered again, his voice a soothing balm against the raw edges of my pain.

But this time, I couldn't ignore the pleading note in his voice, the desperation that echoed in the depths of his gaze. Slowly, tentatively, I leaned into him, seeking comfort in the familiarity of his presence.

And as the tears continued to fall, soaking into the fabric of his shirt, I knew that despite everything, despite the hurt and the betrayal, I couldn't let him go-not yet, at least.

For better or for worse, Riccardo had become a part of me, woven into the fabric of my being in a way I couldn't begin to unravel. And as I clung to him, lost in the tumult of my own emotions, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was still hope for us after all.

As I stood in Riccardo's arms, his whispered words of comfort mingling with the echoes of the club, I felt a surge of conflicting emotions coursing through me.

The anger and hurt still simmered beneath the surface, threatening to erupt at any moment, but so too did a flicker of longing-a desperate desire for things to go back to the way they once were.

But as I looked into his eyes, the weight of his betrayal heavy on my heart, I knew that I couldn't go back-not after everything we had been through. The scars of our fractured friendship ran deep, etched into the very fabric of our souls, and no amount of whispered apologies could erase the pain of his betrayal.

"Mia cara," he murmured again, his voice soft but pleading.

But I shook my head, my resolve hardening with each passing moment. "No, Riccardo," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging within me. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending like everything's okay when it's not."

Riccardo's expression softened, his gaze searching mine for any sign of forgiveness. "Belle, please," he pleaded, reaching out to touch my cheek with a trembling hand. "I know I messed up, but I can't lose you. You mean everything to me."

But his words fell on deaf ears, the pain of his betrayal still fresh in my mind. "You already did, Riccardo," I said, my voice catching on a sob as tears welled up in my eyes. "You ended our friendship the moment you chose to betray my trust."

And with that, I pushed him away, the weight of my hurt and anger too much to bear. "Leave me alone," I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'll be with whoever I want, and you need to stay out of my life."

Riccardo's expression crumbled, his eyes filled with regret as he watched me walk away. But I couldn't bring myself to look back-not when the pain of his betrayal still burned bright in my heart, a constant reminder of what we had lost.

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maybe i should've mentioned that i love when guys r rly rly soft with their girls>>>>>

if yall came here for a dark rude male lead... wrong place