FRAGILE : A Lovestory

Jealousy? - 16

Trigger warning : Depiction of strong language, abuse, sexual assault, violence.

Isabella's POV :

The sudden silence in the living room was broken by a deep, authoritative voice.

"What's happening here?"

I tilted my head to see around the ginger-haired stranger, and my eyes met Christian's furrowed brow.

His anger was palpable, and he positioned himself between us, his gaze fixed intimidatingly on the young man. Despite being roughly the same age, Christian exuded a sense of maturity and dominance.

"The tailor was supposed to be a woman," Christian stated, his tone firm. "What is a man doing here?"

The stranger flashed a cheeky grin. "She's not feeling well, so I'm filling in. Good enough?" Christian's calm demeanor surprised me.

I had learned that despite his icy exterior, he always revealed his emotions through subtle expressions: a frown when annoyed, chuckles when playful, and a willingness to use violence when words failed.

"Chris, can we just proceed?" I intervened, attempting to diffuse the tension. Christian sighed, his eyes still fixed on the stranger, who remarkably seemed unfazed, even smirking at Christian. It was as if he was oblivious to Christian's identity and the respect it commanded.

"Let's take some measurements?" that ginger-haired suggested, approaching me.

However, Christian swiftly intervened, positioning himself between us. "I'll take the measurements," he declared, his tone firm. "And you," he pointed to the stranger, "will note them down." Christian snatched the measuring tape from the his hands, and I detected a flicker of annoyance in that Ginger's eyes.

Despite his obvious irritation, the stranger managed to maintain a composed demeanor.

Christian, on the other hand, seemed uncertain about how to proceed, his confidence waning as he fumbled with the measuring tape.

The stranger's voice cut through the awkwardness, "Height, then arms, and then the bust, sir!" Christian followed the instructions, his touch gentle and considerate as he took my measurements.

The stranger noted down the numbers, his annoyance still simmering beneath the surface.

As Christian measured my shoulders, I turned around, and he carefully wrapped the tape around me. "14.2 inches," he announced, and the stranger jotted down the measurement.

Next, his hands rested on my hips as he swiveled me around to face him. A flutter of butterflies erupted in my stomach as I became acutely aware of our proximity.

Christian's touch ignited a spark within me, sending electric currents coursing through my veins.

Due to our height difference, he sat down on the floor to take the measurement. Once he was finished, he stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

"What a tiring task!" he whispered, feigning exhaustion. "No one asked you to step in; the tailor would have done it effortlessly." I scoffed at him, "I just helped you, didn't I?!""It's my body you're measuring; of course, I have a say in this!" Christian retorted, "I wanted to do it anyway; what's your problem?"

The stranger cleared his throat, his annoyance evident. "Ahem, lovely couple, we still have one more measurement to take." Christian rolled his eyes at me and tossed the measuring tape to the floor.

"Fine, you do it; I don't care anymore!" The stranger began, "Okay, miss, we need to measure your waist now-" However, after hearing that Christian intercepted him, snatching the tape and approaching me with a glare.

He stood before me, his eyes blazing with a mixture of annoyance and possessiveness, as if to say, "Look at the things I'm doing just to please you."

I mouthed to Christian, "You didn't care, right? So why did you come back?" Christian's eyes locked onto mine, and he responded in a hushed tone, "Excuse me, miss piggy, but even if you don't care about yourself, I do. I mean, he looks suspicious, and I don't want him near my... fiancée." He corrected himself hastily, "I mean, I'm here to protect you as my ally."

Christian's words tumbled out in a rush, and I had never seen him so flustered.

I searched his eyes, asking, "Are you perhaps scared of him?" But his gaze revealed nothing, instead displaying a complex mix of emotions that I couldn't decipher.

Christian's next words dropped to a whisper,

"I'm not scared of anything, but I'm scared to lose you"