Secrets | 5SOS

[18]

Isabella stayed in her room, fuming over Calum's overprotectiveness and grounding her for hanging out with Jasper. She knew he meant well, but his actions felt stifling. The sound of cooking drifted up from the kitchen, signaling that Ashton was preparing dinner.

A soft knock on her door broke the silence. "Bella, dinner's ready," Ashton called.

"I'm not hungry," Isabella replied, her voice muffled by the pillow she was lying on.

Ashton opened the door and stepped inside, "You need to eat, Bella. Come on, let's go downstairs."

Isabella sat up, crossing her arms defiantly. "I said I'm not hungry."

Ashton sighed, walking over to sit beside her on the bed. "I get that you're mad at Calum, but skipping dinner isn't going to help. You need to eat."

With a reluctant nod, she stood up and followed him downstairs. The aroma of a homemade meal filled the kitchen, but the atmosphere was still tense.

Luke and Calum were already at the table, the latter looking particularly uncomfortable. Ashton served dinner, glancing at Isabella as she took a seat.

"Look, Bella," Ashton began, "we know things got a little heated earlier, but we need to talk this out."

Isabella glared at Calum, her frustration bubbling over. "Talk? Fine, let’s talk. How about we start with why you think you can control who I hang out with?"

Calum shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. He took a deep breath and looked at Isabella. "Bella, I'm sorry for grounding you. I just... I worry about you. I don't want you getting into trouble."

"Trouble?" Isabella retorted, her voice rising. "Jasper helped me when that guy grabbed me! He’s not the problem here. You grounding me and treating me like a child is the problem."

Calum ran a hand through his hair, clearly conflicted. "I know. I just... I don't trust him yet. But for your sake, I'll try to accept it."

Isabella’s eyes welled up with tears, her voice trembling. "You think grounding me is going to help? You think controlling every aspect of my life is going to keep me safe? It's not fair, Calum. I need to be able to make my own choices, even if they’re not the ones you’d make."

Ashton placed a comforting hand on Calum's shoulder. "That's a start. We all just want what's best for Bella."

Isabella looked down at her plate, pushing the food around with her fork. "I just want you to trust me, Calum. To trust that I can make good decisions. Jasper’s not perfect, but neither am I. And he’s my friend."

Calum’s shoulders slumped, and he sighed deeply. "I’m trying, Bella. It’s hard for me. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again."

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of Calum's words hanging in the air. Isabella took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief that things were starting to mend, even if only slightly.

"Thank you, Calum," she said quietly. "I appreciate that you're trying."

Dinner continued in a more subdued but peaceful atmosphere. The tension had eased, and while not everything was resolved, it was a step in the right direction. The conversations turned to lighter topics, and slowly, laughter began to fill the room again.