Chapter 69

ISABELLA'S POV

The night air was cool as Holly and I walked back home. The streets were quiet and empty. Holly, was trying her best to distract me, her voice filled with an attempt at humor.

“You know,” she started, glancing at me with a small smile. “if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that woman was trying to audition for a role in a bad romance novel. The way she clung to him? Please. I’ve seen better acting in daytime TV.”

I tried to smile at her joke, but it felt forced, and I knew Holly could tell. She kept talking, but my mind was somewhere else. Why was this bothering me so much?

Why did seeing Maxwell with another woman feel like a punch to the gut?

“It’s not like you haven’t seen him around other women before.” I muttered to myself silently, trying to reason through the emotions swirling inside me. But it wasn’t the same, and I knew it. This time, it felt different, like it mattered in a way I hadn’t expected.

Maybe it was the look on his face when he saw me, the way his