Chapter 8 The Night I almost Broke

Isabella’s POV

A few minutes to the dinner date, and I was spiraling. My chest felt tight, my stomach in knots. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t face Enzo tonight, not like this, not with the way my body betrayed me every time he was near. Panicked, I grabbed my phone and messaged Tasha.

Come over. I… I can’t do it. I need you.

Within minutes, Tasha was at my door, the calm eye in my storm. She marveled at the house as she stepped in, taking it all in like it was a magazine spread.

“Wow,” she breathed. “This place is… unreal.”

But when she got to my room, she snapped her attention to me.

“Bella… I didn’t know Enzo could be that hot. Like stepping out of a romance novel.”

I didn’t laugh, chuckle, or snicker. I was serious. Tasha noticed the tension, the way I wasn’t joking.

“I can’t… I can’t control myself around him,” I admitted, voice low. “I have to. I have to… or I’ll lose it.”

Tasha sat beside me on the bed, her hand brushing mine lightly in solidarity. “It’s fine. You’ll be okay, Bella. Really. It’s just a phase. I promise. You’ll get through tonight.”

“I… I don’t know. Since I got here, I’ve barely spoken to my mom. I can’t explain it, Tash, but there’s this pull… this insane pull toward him. It’s like my whole life is flipping upside down, and I can’t stop it.”

She nodded, serious but calm. “I get it. I really do. And honestly, if you don’t want to go, I wouldn’t blame you. But if you do… I’ll be right there with you. Three couples. Us included. I’ve got your back, and I’ll bring my own date so you’re not alone in this.”

I exhaled shakily. “Okay… yeah. I want to go. I need you there. Please. Don’t let me… lose it.”

Tasha smirked, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Bella, it’s dinner, not a battlefield. But fine, I’ll be your shield tonight. Just try not to faint in front of everyone.”

We got to work. Tasha helped me adjust the outfit, added a little makeup to bring out my features, and double-checked everything like a pro. She stepped back, crossed her arms, and nodded approvingly.

“You look hot enough to make him forget his own name. Now go face the music.”

There was a knock.

I walked to the door, heart hammering, and then… there he was. Enzo, dressed in black, button-down shirt and pants, gold jewelry catching the light. He looked like he had just stepped off the cover of a magazine, and I hated how my body reacted to it.

I braced for him to tease me immediately, expecting the usual smirk, the playful banter. But he paused. He took in my serious demeanor, his brow furrowing slightly. Then he gently placed his hand on my chin.

Damn it… my nerve cells.

“You don’t look okay, Bella. Are you sure you’re fine?”

I nodded, words stuck in my throat.

“You can talk to me,” he said softly, eyes searching mine.

“I’m fine,” I said, and gently removed his hand from my face.

He nodded, still calm, then spoke with casual authority. “Melanie and I will be heading to the location now. We’ll wait there for you and your date.”

I nodded again, unable to articulate the storm of emotions churning inside me.

Tasha gave me a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder and whispered, “You’ve got this. I’m right here.”

Once we were out the door, Tasha guided me through the car ride to the venue, chatting lightly to calm my nerves. By the time we arrived, Zane was waiting for me, looking effortlessly handsome. Chris, Tasha’s date, was already there too.

Inside, the atmosphere was tense. Melanie, of course, couldn’t resist making side comments meant to sting.

“So, Bella, you’re really here with him? I’d never have guessed.”

Tasha didn’t miss a beat. “Bella’s here with her date, Melanie. Maybe focus on yours instead of trying to stir trouble.”

Melanie’s lips pressed into a thin line, but her glare couldn’t shake my nerves entirely. Enzo’s gaze, however, did. It followed me relentlessly, burning with something I couldn’t name, and I was painfully aware of it.

Melanie was overly affectionate, trying to remind everyone that she was his.

“You smell so nice, babe.” She leaned in close, laughed too loud, touched his arm like she owned him.

Zane, meanwhile, was kind, attentive, sweet, and handsome too. But from Enzo’s body language, it was obvious he wasn’t comfortable with how forward Melanie was being. He tensed slightly whenever she touched him, tucked her hair behind her ear with a subtle but possessive gesture, and fed her with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the jolt in my stomach each time Enzo glanced my way. Melanie’s antics were too much, and the more she acted, the more my pulse spiked.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” I excused myself, whispering to Zane that I needed a break, and he followed. We slipped into the restroom, away from the crowded tables.

I leaned against the sink, trying to catch my breath. “I… I can’t do this,” I admitted to myself, voice trembling slightly. “She’s… she’s… everything is too much.”

Zane was confused; he didn’t even know what I was talking about.

He ignored my mental breakdown. Zane stepped closer, and before I could react, he tried to press himself against me. “Bella, come on… just a little—we’ll be fast.”

“No!” I shoved him away, my heart racing. “Stop!”

He didn’t listen at first, and my panic rose. I tried to push him, to get him to stop, but he was stronger than I expected. Every attempt to free myself made him more aggressive, more forceful, and I felt trapped.

And then… like something out of a dream or a nightmare, Enzo appeared.

He moved faster than I could comprehend. One punch. Blood sprang from Zane’s mouth. His body crumpled, unconscious, to the tile floor.

My breath caught in my throat. I stared, frozen, as Enzo’s chest heaved slightly, eyes dark, protective and lethal.

Melanie’s laugh rang somewhere in the background, oblivious. But I couldn’t focus on her. All I could do was watch him, the man who made me feel every emotion at once, standing there like a storm had just hit, and I was caught in the eye of it.

My mind screamed, What just happened?