Forgotten Luna: I'm Done Playing the Substitute

Chapter 7

Isabella

“Why didn’t you wait for me to have dinner together tonight?” his voice cut through the quiet and echoed everywhere.

I'd always thought William's voice was one of the most beautiful things that could grace the earth. Even if I was in a bad mood, all he had to do was laugh or even call out to me in a sweet manner. But now, his voice sounded like iron grating against my ears.

“Isabella.” His voice pulled me back to the present. “I'm talking to you. I know you can hear me. Why didn't you make dinner for me tonight?”

For a moment, I didn’t move. Then slowly, I opened my eyes. The room was dim, the soft glow of the nightlamp casting shadows across the walls. William stood beside the bed, looking down at me, his expression tight with something between irritation and expectation.

When I'd made the decision not to make dinner or wait for him tonight, I was second guessing myself, but now, this was proof that I'd done the right thing.

I pushed myself up, my movements unhurried and deliberate. The blanket slipped down to my lap as I leaned back against the headboard, my leg aching faintly with the shift.

I didn’t look at him immediately, but when I finally did, my voice came out calm, too calm.

“Okay,” I said slowly, almost thoughtfully. “I thought you and the lovely lady were having a candlelight dinner tonight for sure.”

Silence stretched between us, thin and sharp,but William was quick to break it.

“What?” He sounded more taken aback than anything else. “Isabella?”

“You heard me.” I nodded once. “I don't remember stuttering.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”William’s brows drew together instantly as he snapped, impatience bleeding into his tone. “I know you’re angry, but Elisa and I are just friends now.”

Friends. The word felt almost amusing and I almost laughed. Maybe if the scenario were different, I would have. I lifted my gaze to meet his, and for the first time, I didn’t try to soften it.

My eyes felt distant and still, like something inside me had gone quiet and he saw it. I knew he did.

“William,” I said. He stilled slightly at my tone, but he didn't interrupt me.

“I’m not just angry.” I paused. “I just don’t want this anymore.”

The words settled into the space between us, heavy and irreversible. For a second, he didn’t react, then confusion flickered across his face.

“Don’t want what anymore?” he asked, his voice lower now, and searching, but I didn’t answer.

Because I didn’t know how to explain something that had taken me three years to understand, because if I said it, it would be real.

So I stayed quiet, and that silence seemed to unsettle him more than anything else.

“Bella,” he said, stepping closer. “Don’t do this.”

I watched him, unmoving. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply as if trying to steady himself.

“You’re overthinking things,” he continued, his voice shifting into something softer now. He was definitely trying to coax me . “Today wasn’t what you think it was. I told you, it was nothing serious.”

Nothing. Of course it wasn't.

“It’s just Elisa,” he added. “She just got back and we were catching up. That's all it was. I promise.”

Catching up, buying watches, smiling, looking at her like….

I looked away before the thought could finish forming.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said quickly, like he had found the solution. “Alright? Whatever you want.”

Still, I said nothing, and that seemed to push him further. The mattress dipped slightly as he climbed onto the bed beside me.

He was close, too close and it took everything in me not to recoil immediately.

He reached for my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine like they always had, warm, familiar, and certain.

I didn’t pull away this time, but I didn’t hold on either. It was just there.

“Hey,” he murmured, his thumb brushing lightly over my knuckles. “Look at me.”

I didn’t.

“Bella,” he tried again, gentler now. “I said I’m sorry.”

Sorry, but I knew he wasn't.

“I’ll take you out tomorrow,” he continued, his voice gaining a bit of warmth, like he was rebuilding something piece by piece. “There’s that new amusement park opening. You mentioned it before, didn’t you?”

For a split second, something in me almost responded, almost softened, until I remembered.

I didn’t like amusement parks, I didn’t like rollercoasters and I had told him that once, twice or even maybe more.

“I get dizzy easily,” I had said, laughing softly back then. “I’d probably hate it.”

He had laughed too, or maybe he hadn’t really listened. My lips curved slightly into a small smile, real enough to make him believe everything was fine again.

“Okay,” I said quietly and his shoulders relaxed almost immediately, relief flickering across his face. I could almost hear him thanking the heavens that he didn't have to try too hard to earn my forgiveness.

His grip on my hand tightened just slightly, satisfied, but inside, something had already shifted, because as I sat there, letting him believe he had fixed things.

“I'll go take a shower and be back.” He muttered before pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Do you want me to order some take out for you?”

“Um…”

“I know your favorite is Thai food.” He was already out of the bed and walking towards the bathroom. “I'll even get it from your favorite restaurant.”

I nodded once, and watched him strip himself of his clothes before slipping into the bathroom. In not less than a minute, the sound of showers rushing filled the bathroom.

I was almost tempted to think about that night, the same one I'd caught him jerking off to Elisa’s name, but I pushed the thoughts far away.

As I sat quietly on the bed, a tiny voice echoed in the back of my mind.

“I don’t want you anymore.”