Shocking Bews

ISABELLA

I opened my eyes to see the guy from earlier, his eyes blazing with anger as he defended me.

He turned to me, his expression softening. "Are you okay?" he asked, holding out his hand.

I took it, still shaken. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

In a moment of madness, I don't know what came over me, I leaned in and kissed him. The music, the chaos, everything faded into the background as our lips touched. It was like the whole world had come to a standstill.

He matched my energy, his soft lips grasping mine with a gentle yet insistent intensity. I pulled him closer, my body craving more. His hand slid under my dress, his fingers tracing the curve of my hip before pressing into my ass.

I hate how a jolt of pleasure rushes through my core.

He stopped abruptly, and I stared into his honey-brown eyes, wondering why he had stopped.

Wasn't he enjoying it?

Oh. Damnit.

Maybe he realized, I'm a stupid ass stranger that wants to hook up with him.

“Let's go somewhere better,” his deep voice spoke up. He dragged my hand out of there.

************************

“Isabella!”

Ugh, I knew Mom was going to be all over my case today. "I'm coming, mom!" I yelled back, tossing my phone aside.

I know what you want to know… okay let's do a recap from last night.

He'd...taken my V-card, and then I'd made a quick escape while he was in the bathroom. I didn't even know his name. Now, I was feeling all kinds of conflicted. Part of me was like, "Yaaas, I'm a grown woman; I can do what I want!" But another part was all, "Girl, what were you thinking?!" I couldn't help but judge myself for being so reckless with a stranger.

Mom's voice cut through my thoughts again. "Isabella, get down here now!" I sighed and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Okay, I'd better go see what she wants.

I rolled my hair into a bun and headed to the dining room to meet my mom. "Morning, Mom," I said, dropping into my chair.

"Morning, sweetheart," she replied, eyeing me expectantly. "How was last night?" She leaned in like she was waiting for me to spill the details of a magical fairy-tale romance.

"It was great," I replied nonchalantly, trying to downplay the drama that had actually gone down.

My mom's face fell, and she looked at me with a comically exaggerated expression, like a sad puppy.

Did I tell you guys my Mom was a drama queen? You should know by now. She is.

"If you don't have any tea to spill, then I do," she said, twirling around the kitchen like a Disney princess.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "What is it, mom?" I asked, my mouth full of fluffy, hot pancakes. They were absolutely delicious!

"I'm getting married!" she announced, a bright smile spreading across her face.

I spat out the water I was about to swallow, shock written all over my face. "Married?" I repeated, my voice laced with confusion. "But you said you were never letting any man in after what Matthew did," I reminded her, my brow furrowed in surprise.

"I was just speaking out of heartbreak," she said with a shrug. "Why would you believe that?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I definitely believed it," I said, thinking back to the parade of men who had marched in and out of our lives. "I mean, I've lost count of how many guys have broken your heart. Okay, fine, I can count...but there were a lot."

I ticked off the names on my fingers. "There was Dad, who cheated. Then Paul, the 'prince' who needed money to 'get back to his people'...yeah, right. You fell for that one, hook, line, and sinker."

I rolled my eyes. "And who could forget Richard, the rich guy who promised to change our lives? Oh wait, he was married with three kids in England. Nice."

I sighed. "Then there was Gabriel, the Spanish 'gentleman' who was clearly bad news. And let's not forget Matthew, the chef who used you for money to fund his cooking competition. I mean, seriously, mom… I didn't think you were joking when you said you were giving up on men.”

I saw the expression on her face, and it wasn't good. She looked sad, and I felt terrible for reminding her of her string of failed relationships. This was one of the reasons I'd always been wary of getting involved with anyone - I didn't want to end up like her.

I stood up from the kitchen stool and wrapped my arms around her in a gentle hug. "I'm sorry, Mom," I said, trying to make amends. "I didn't mean to bring all that up again. I'm just looking out for you, that's all.”

"Sam is different," she said, her eyes sparkling with conviction.

I raised an eyebrow, thinking, Yeah, right, I've heard that before. But her expression was different this time - it was more serious, more sincere.

"Sam is really different," she repeated, her voice filled with emotion. "I can feel it. I'm in love with him, and he's in love with me too."

I looked at her, seeing the genuine happiness in her eyes. My heart melted, and I wrapped my arms around her in a warm hug. "I just want you to be happy, Mom," I said. "Anything that makes you happy, I'm fine with.”

"So, tell me about this Sam," I said, returning to my seat and asking the question to make her feel happy. It worked - a small smile curled up her lips.

"He's new in town," she began, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "He's wealthy...and when I say wealthy, I mean wealthy," she emphasized, a sly grin spreading across her face.

"He's into tech and all that, and he's also super talented - he plays the guitar," she continued, her smile growing wider. She went on and on, sharing more details about Sam, and I could see the genuine happiness radiating from her face.

I watched her, feeling happy for her. I truly hoped this relationship would last - she deserved it.

"Did he tell you if he was married or not?" I asked, not wanting history to repeat itself. I had to make sure.

"He's divorced," she replied, "but he has a son. They both moved into the city recently from Spain.”