My phone buzzes. But it's not Isla. It's Ivy.
Ivy:If you hurt her, I will end you. And not metaphorically.
My blood runs cold. Why is Ivy texting me? How does she know something's wrong?
Me:Where is she? Is she okay?
Ivy:She's with me. And no, she's not okay. What did you do?
Me:I didn't do anything. My father—it's complicated. I need to talk to her.
Ivy:She doesn't want to talk to you.
Me:Please. Just tell me where you are.
Three dots appear. Disappear. Appear again.
Ivy:North balcony. But if you're not here to grovel and fix this, don't bother coming.
I run.
The north balcony is on the opposite side of the building. When I get there, I find Isla sitting on a bench with Ivy standing guard like a protective lioness.
Isla's face is streaked with tears. Her makeup is ruined. She looks devastated.
And I did this. My hesitation, my father, my world, I did this to her.
"Isla—"
"Don't." Her voice is hollow. "I heard everything. Your father's threats. His lies about me. And you—" Her voice breaks. "You said you needed to think."
Fuck.
"You were there. On the balcony."
"I heard everything."
"Then you know I was trying to figure out how to handle it. How to protect you?—"
"Protect me? By considering ending things? By hesitating when your father said those horrible things about me?" She stands, and Ivy moves beside her. "I waited for you to defend me immediately. To tell him he was wrong. But you didn't. You said you needed to think."
"Because I needed to figure out who lied to him! I needed time to?—"
"You needed to decide if I was worth fighting for." Her eyes are hard now. Hurt crystallized into anger. "And apparently, I'm not."
"That's not true?—"
"Isn't it? Your father gave you an ultimatum. Him and your legacy, or me. And you couldn't answer immediately. You had to think about it."
"Isla, please?—"
"I was so stupid." She's talking to herself now, not to me. "I thought you'd changed. Thought you were different. But you're the same Sebastian Thornhill you always were. When it matters, when you have to actually sacrifice something, you choose the legacy."
"I choose you!"
"Now. You choose me now. After you've had time to think about it. After I've already seen that moment of doubt." She wipes her eyes, smearing mascara. "That's not how love works, Sebastian. When someone you love is threatened, you don't pause. You don't consider. You defend them immediately."
"I was trying to be smart about it?—"
