The kiss deepened. His other hand found my waist, pulled me closer with gentle insistence. I slid off the stool and into him, pressing against his chest, feeling his heart hammering to match mine.
He kissed like he did everything else—with patience, with attention, with a focus that made me feel like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. His mouth moved against mine slowly, thoroughly, learning me… Memorizing me.
My heart was pounding. Not the frantic, desperate rhythm I remembered from Femi's kisses, but something steadier. Deeper. A warmth spreading through my chestlike honey, filling spaces I hadn't known were empty.
His hand slid into my hair, fingers tangling in the strands. I made a small sound against his mouth and he pulled me closer still, his arm tightening around my waist like he never wanted to let go.
This. This was what a kiss should feel like. Not just want… Not just heat, but home.
And that terrified me more than anything.
I pulled back abruptly, breaking the kiss, and breaking the spell.
Matteo's eyes fluttered open slowly, dazed. He looked stunned, his lips slightly swollen, his breathing uneven, and his pupils blown wide.
"Bella—"
"I have to go." The words came out strangled, panicked.
I was already stepping back, putting necessary distance between us, grabbing my bag from the counter with shaking hands.
"Isabelle, wait?—"
"I'm sorry. I can't—I have to go."
I pushed through the door and out onto the sidewalk. The morning air hit my face, sharp, cold, and sobering.
"Bella!"
His voice followed me, but I didn't turn around. I kept walking, my heels clicking against the pavement, my heart hammering in my chest like it was trying to escape.
I walked faster, practically running now. Reached the corner where my car was waiting. Yanked the door open.I climbed into the back seat and slammed the door.
“Back to my apartment, please,” I said to my driver.
He nodded and pulled away from the curb. Through the rear window, I could see Matteo standing on the sidewalk, watching me go with an expression that made my chest ache.
I turned around. Pressed my hands to my face, feeling tears threatening.
What had I done?
What the hell had I just done?
14ISABELLE
The rooftop was perfect.
String lights crisscrossed overhead like constellations and turned everything golden. White flowers spilled from terracotta pots along the edges, their petals stirring in the breeze. The city spread out below us, glittering and distant, like something from a dream you wake from smiling.
Aria stood in the center of it all, a glass of champagne in her hand and a smile so wide it looked almost painful. "This is too much," she said for the third time. "You didn't have to do all this."
"We absolutely did," Kim said, adjusting the flower crown perched on Aria's head. "You're getting married. That requires celebration."
"Excessive celebration," Nalani added with a grin.
"Borderline absurd celebration," Priya agreed, raising her glass.
I watched from my spot by the gift table, arranging the wrapped boxes into a more aesthetically pleasing display. The shower had come together beautifully, better than I'd hoped. Every detail was right. The flowers, the food, the champagne chilling in silver buckets. Even the weather had cooperated,delivering a cloudless sky and a breeze that was warm without being oppressive.
