Choices We Make

07.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked, slightly out of breathing, the sounds of cars passing filled the space of distance.

"Not even hello?" Isabella joked, placing her elbows on the knees, plucking the grass from beneath bench.

"You never call unless something is wrong... so, what's wrong?"

It warmed Isabella's heart to know someone out there knows the little quirks, but she quickly brushed the thoughts away and looked at the white-bricked house, through the window where tv illuminated colourful lights on two faces.

"Nothing is wrong," she sighed. She wasn't exactly lying, but also not telling the full truth. Something was wrong, but Isabella wasn't smart enough to know. "I just... I just wanted to talk. You know, ask how's everything going."

"We saw each other two days ago, sorry wait for a second-" there was a paused, distant mutter of Olivia. "-okay, I'm full ears now. Where were we? What's wrong?"

"Noth,-"

"-if you tell nothing again, I'll fly in and beat you up," Olivia butt in. Isabella knows Olivia is smiling while saying this. It was felt in a light-hearted tone. "I'm serious, Bella."

Why it's so hard to talk even if I called to talk on first hands? Isabella thought. After the busy day going through the dresses and narrowing to three what stood out by its breathtaking beauty, all four of them found themselves beat.

Isabella being too tired to even think, she excuses herself to her room, thinking of nothing, but sleep. Sadly, the same happened like yesterday. Thoughts buzzed louder than a hive of bees, bitting itself painfully. She couldn't close her eyes without going over the small encounters between her and Cassie.

For some god damn reason, she isn't aware of.

She never was the one to overthink. So why is she now doing exactly that — Overthinking.

She hit inside her cheek, fighting the urge to shiver out of the cold. "Okay... um, how to say this without sounding completely crazy."

"Just rip the band-aid, babe, there's nothing that will make me think you're crazy." Olivia words put Isabella's heart at ease.

"Remember the last girl I bought... well, you can't remember her as you never saw her, but the one we talked about?"

"The one Harry named as "a calmness before the storm"? Yes, I remember discussing her with you."

A calmness before the storm... Isabella echoed. It was a perfect description of Cassie. When you look at her — she's calm, putting you at ease, but when you come closer, you see a frosty bitterness what lays deeply in her eyes. She's the calmest storm Isabella laid eyes on.

"-you still there, Bella?" Olivia's voice reached her.

"Yup, sorry... yeah, talking about her... she's... she's here. In my mom's house... laughing?"

As Isabella described Cassie, her eyes fell on the devil itself. A burning hair brought into two Dutch braids wearing a comfortable — Sabrina would call lazy — outfit. She was talking with Sabrina, both laughing from something on tv.

"Wait... explain."

"Well, she's Sabrina's best friend... the one I never got a chance to meet."

Olivia started laughing on the other side of the line. "Oh, wow... you slept with her? That must feel awkward as hell. Are you alright?"

"It's not only awkward... it's awkward-awkward. But there's more,-"

"-more? Do tell... I need drama."