[BOOK2] Sequel to Tangled Hearts
*****
I want her.
I want her more than I've ever wanted anything.
But I can't have her. Because the moment I admit that out loud, the moment I risk everything we've built, I could lose her.
And losing Isla? That's...
{Song of the Chapter:- Hands to Myself - Selena Gomez}
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The dim glow of the bedside lamp casts soft shadows across the walls, painting everything in warm hues, but I can't seem to settle. The weight of the day presses on me, and the familiar coziness of the beach house bedroom feels stifling instead of comforting tonight. Becca's sitting on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair in slow, rhythmic strokes, her hum soft enough to blend into the background. I pick at a loose thread on my sleeve, trying to focus on anything but the storm in my head, but it's useless.
I watch her for a minute, trying to figure out how to say it, how to bring it up without it sounding as complicated as it feels. Finally, I can't hold it in anymore.
"Beck," I start, my voice quieter than usual, but it's enough to get her attention.
"Hmm?" She glances at me in the mirror, pausing mid-brush. Her eyes catch mine, and I can already tell she knows something's up.
"I need to tell you something." I shift, sitting cross-legged on the bed, twisting the edge of my hoodie between my fingers. "Theo and I... we kissed."
The brush slips out of Becca's hand, clattering to the floor. She whips around, eyes wide. "Wait, what?! You and Theo kissed? When? How did I not know about this?!"
I bite my lip, a nervous laugh escaping. "The night I broke up with Jake."
"Shut up." Becca's jaw drops. She scrambles up onto the bed beside me, fully invested now. "Okay, you need to spill everything. When did this happen? How? What exactly—wait, what did he say?!"
I let out a sigh, staring down at my hands. "It was... a week ago. After everything with Jake, I just needed to get out of there. Theo took me to the park to clear my head, and we were talking. I was upset, and then... I don't know. One second he was comforting me, and the next, we were kissing."
Becca's eyes widen even more, if that's possible. "Oh my God, Isla. Why didn't you tell me sooner? What was the kiss like?"
I shrug, feeling my chest tighten as I remember the way his lips felt on mine. "It was... confusing. It felt good—better than I expected—but it also made everything so much more complicated. And after that, things just got weird."
She's watching me carefully, processing everything. "Okay, so what happened after? You two kissed, and then... what?"
"We talked a couple days later," I admit, my voice dropping slightly. "He said we should forget about it. You know, pretend like it didn't happen."
Becca's eyes nearly bug out of her head. "He said what?!"
I nod, feeling the weight of those words again. "Yeah, he said we should forget about it. That he didn't want to make things weird between us."
Becca looks at me like I've lost my mind. "So, what did you say? Did you agree with him?"
"I... I didn't know what else to say," I admit. "It felt like the safe thing to do, you know? Theo's my best friend, and I don't want to lose him. I thought maybe pretending it never happened would fix everything."
