Desire

XXV.

Lea

I held Isabel tightly as she cried against my chest, her body shaking with every sob. I gently rubbed her back, trying to soothe her as best I could, even though my mind was spinning. I couldn't believe her dad was gone. The man who'd caused her so much pain—and yet, the man she loved, even if that love was complicated and buried under years of hurt. It was so much to process, and my mind struggled to keep up.

And then, as if that wasn't enough, there was the letter. The one that changed everything, shattered whatever innocence I thought was left between us. My own father... paying her dad to keep her out of my life. All those years, I thought Isabel left because she didn't care, that maybe she had just... outgrown me. But it was him. He tore us apart because he thought I was too fragile, too impressionable. As if I couldn't think for myself. As if I needed his protection from the one person who actually understood me.

Everything in me screamed that I needed to get up, to handle the chaos in my life that had nothing to do with Isabel. I had responsibilities, deadlines, projects I was behind on. I'd been carrying this weight for so long that part of me didn't even know how to let go, even for a moment. But right now, none of it mattered. Because here she was, breaking apart in my arms. And she needed me. The rest could wait.

I tightened my hold on her, resting my cheek on top of her head, breathing her in. This girl, with all her complexities, her walls, her fierce independence. She was everything I thought I'd lost, everything I thought I'd never have again. And right now, all that mattered was that she knew I was here, that she didn't have to face this alone.

I closed my eyes, letting the weight of her grief settle over me, and whispered, "I'm not going anywhere." Because no matter how much I was hurting, no matter how much my life was falling apart—I'd make sure she knew she didn't have to go through this alone.

We sat in silence, just her soft sniffles filling the room, each one tugging at my heart. I kept rubbing her back, trying to ground her—and myself—but eventually, reality crept in. I couldn't spend another night here; I didn't even have clothes with me. Yet the thought of leaving her alone right now felt impossible.

I knew how much Isabel valued her space; she'd always been fiercely independent, even when she was hurting. But this time... this time felt different. I hesitated for a moment, then leaned back slightly, looking down at her tear-stained face. "Hey," I said softly, "Would you want to come stay with me? Just for a few days. I mean, just... until things feel a bit easier."

Isabel's eyes met mine, still a little glassy and red, but there was a small nod. Relief washed over me as she whispered, "Yeah... I think I'd like that." She slowly pulled herself up, heading to pack a bag, and I watched her, feeling a strange sense of calm settle over me.

If she needed me to be her anchor right now, I'd be that without hesitation. As she packed her things, I started running through everything I'd need to do to make her feel comfortable in my space.

—

As we stepped into my apartment, everything was just as I'd left it, scattered and messy, as if frozen in the rush from yesterday. I heard Isabel drop her bag in the bedroom, the thud snapping me back to the reality of the past twenty-four hours. But last night kept resurfacing in my mind, no matter how hard I tried to push it down. The warmth of Isabel's lips, the feel of her skin—it had felt right in the moment, and yet here we were, in a place where words seemed so much harder to find. I knew we had to talk about it, but maybe this wasn't the time. Not now, when things were still raw and unsteady.

I walked into the bedroom to find Isabel just finishing up, pulling an oversized shirt over her head, her hair slightly tousled as she adjusted it. She turned and saw me standing in the doorway, watching her. For a moment, we just looked at each other, no words needed. Then, she walked up to me, silent, and slipped her arms around my waist, holding me close. I felt her arms rest low on my back, anchoring me as her head settled against my shoulder.