The Loudest Silence

Mason

I stare back and forth between Isabella and the guy I now know as Roman while keeping the fake smile propped on my face. I could hear the loud chatter from around us as students bustled in and out of the main area of the library where Isabella and I had been working earlier. 

Who was he and what affiliation did he have with Isabella?

Last I checked, Isabella tended to remain isolated, only surrounding herself with the occasional Isla and Fletcher. 

This Roman guy was a new face. 

His image looked rugged and brooding as he stood idly by, not uttering a single word to either Isabella or I. He was dressed in dark clothing, as if he was trying to stray away from any unnecessary attention. His golden skin glistened beneath the library's lights as his gaze constantly roamed around him, as if he was watching his back for something. A permanent frown was etched on his face and his eyebrows were furrowed as he stuck his hands in his pockets. He looked to be in his early twenties and appeared to be of Hispanic descent but harbored distinct features that indicated an assorted racial background. 

He stood nearly as tall as I did and towered over Isabella who looked tiny beside his grown build. 

I had never seen him prior to this day and I made a distinct reminder to myself to request a file on him. There was no doubt in my mind that he had some connection to Isabella, but I needed to confirm whether or not he was affiliated with Rick and his gang. 

I quickly snapped out of my thoughts and turned to Isabella who was already watching me with a guarded expression. I could feel the uneasiness oozing off her in waves as she fidgeted in her spot. She suddenly looked much tenser than she had when I had left the library earlier and my eyes warily shifted over to Roman.

Was he the reason why she was acting this way?

Whatever it was, I would get to the bottom of it and discover who exactly Roman was and whether he carried the same threat as them all. 

I flashed her a small smile before opening my mouth to speak, "I'm going to go return this. I'll see you in class tomorrow." I simply said as I held the book up in the air before brushing past them and making way towards the back portion of the library where I would be hidden behind the rows of bookshelves. 

As soon as I was away from their line of vision, I hovered behind a large shelf that hid my figure and stared in their direction. I watched as Roman wordlessly walked out of the library just as Isabella turned around from where she had been fiddling with her things. She stared at his disappearing figure before slinging her bag on her shoulder and exiting the library as well. 

I let out a loud sigh and made my way back towards the main area of the library. Pulling out a chair, I sat back down into the table Isabella and I were seated at earlier and pulled out my phone. 

I dialed Tyler's number and leaned back in my seat as the call went through. Tapping my fingers on the desk, my thoughts wandered back to Isabella.

Surprisingly enough, today wasn't half as bad as I had assumed it would be. Despite my failed attempts at getting her to reveal any part of her personal life, she wasn't bad company to have around. She was a relatively quiet person and I would often catch myself watching her as she worked on the project. She would almost always have her nose scrunched and eyebrows furrowed as she stared down at whatever she was reading in the moment. Her dark locks, as usual, curtained over her pale but I would occasionally get a glimpse of her rosy cheeks that would redden each time she would glance over and catch my gaze.  I couldn't help the slight grin that made its way to my face at her facial expressions each time this happened.