Ordained

The distressing call

As the sun surrendered to the dawn, the first ray of sunlight shone through the parted curtains, stirring from her slumber. Isabelle blinked, her eyes opened slowly, feeling the sun's tender caress upon her face.

"Ugh, Dammit!"Isabelle groaned, her voice filled with exhaustion.

The remnants of an unruly night at the club still cling to her, making it difficult to be fully awake. Half-asleep, she reached for the pillow, shielding her face from the sunlight penetrating through her curtain.

"Where the hell am I?" she muttered, her voice heavy with weariness, as she mustered the strength to push herself up, her gaze fell upon something resting heavily on her, causing her to pause and wonder.

"Seriously, I'm trying to sleep?" Ava cracked half-asleep, her voice laced with stress.

"Ava, you need to get up, It's f*****g noon," Isabella replied in a grumpy tone. She stood up with force, jerking Ava's body off her.

She slowly got up, her head pounding from the previous night's escapade.

With shaky steps, she made her way to her table, searching for a painkiller to soothe the relentless ache in her head.

"Come on, Ava! Get up, the time is ticking and I gotta head out soon for my shift," she said, her voice filled with urgency, gently nudging Ava awake.

Ava lazily responded with sly body language.

With a swift motion, she yanked Ava off the bed, jolting her to be fully awake. Isabelle made her way to the bathroom as she woke Ava up.

"Ouch, you didn't have to yank my ass," Ava responded. She rose to her feet, feeling a little groggy from the night before. Ava's cranky voice filled the room as she shouted,

"Damn, I need some shut-eye. My head is pounding," Ava groaned playfully.

"I need painkillers, Santiago!" She called out to Isabelle, teasing her using her surname in a joking manner.

Isabelle chuckled at her response, "I'm in the shower if you need anything and I dropped painkillers and water by the bedstand" She replied her voice laced with laughter.

As she made her way to the bathroom, she looked in the mirror, her appearance hinting as if she had a wild night of passion.

Still, she was single, she looked at herself in the mirror. A mischievous smile played upon her lips as the events of the previous night replayed in her mind.

Her mind drifted to when she made eye contact with Alexander and their short conversation, mesmerising by his great physique, chiselled jawline, and muscular arm.

Isabelle's heart ached as she recalled the incident with Liam, only to be interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Alexander.

His piercing gaze held a mixture of sternness and coldness as he hurriedly took his car key from the bar and left, seemingly unfazed by the scene before him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ava's unexpected remark. "You're drooling," Ava exclaimed, catching her off guard.

The sudden jolt of surprise sent a rush of adrenaline through Isabelle's veins, as she quickly wiped away the proof of her daydreaming. "Holy s**t!! What was that for" she said, startled.

"You didn't hear me! I asked if the Alexander guy from last night got your number. Spill the tea, I need all the juicy details!!!" Ava exclaimed, her eyes brimming with curiosity, eager to listen to Isabelle's gossip, she leaned in closer, ready to devour every word.

Isabelle couldn't help but smile at Ava's enthusiasm.

"Girl, you wouldn't believe it if I told you nothing happened", she responded, her voice filled with anticipation.

With a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, she began to recount the encounter from the previous night, sharing every thrilling detail, a vivid picture of flirtation, and the undeniable chemistry that sparked between them.

Ava couldn't help but grin at the whole gist that was explained to her " So what happened when he came back", Ava asked with curiosity.

"His friend dared to try and lure me in but I shut him down real quick", Isabelle reacted with disgust.

"Out of nowhere, the dude kissed me when I least expected it. Alexander saw us, and the look in his eyes turned icy cold, and I couldn't find the words to explain myself. I watched him walk out " Isabelle explained, her voice laced with pain.

"Girl, he was pissed off by the whole situation. But here's the thing, he was definitely into you" Ava replied.

"Although it may seem like it was just for a fleeting moment, just put in the past. You gotta let go and move on, forget that it ever happened," she said again, her response carrying a mix of practicality and intrigue.

"How do you do this? I mean how do you just move past situations that don't favour you? " Isabelle's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked.

"Listen up, sweetheart. Men are not allowed to define our worth, they may have only one thing in their mind, but we have the power to rise above their shallow desires and find someone who truly values us" Ava replied, her words filled with a hint of cynicism as she retorted.

Isabelle's voice carried a quiet determination as she continued, "If it's meant to be, it will happen." Her words echoed with unwavering belief.

"But seriously, we need to hit the shower ASAP. The stink of alcohol is making me want to puke!"Ava exclaimed, her irritation evident. Isabelle couldn't help but burst into laughter.

After their conversation, Isabella had her bath, did her makeup and dressed up. She informed Ava that she was done, Ava also freshened up and borrowed clothes from Isabelle to wear for the day.

While they hurriedly packed their handbags to leave, Isabelle's phone suddenly buzzed, interrupting their conversation. Glancing at the Caller ID, she realised it was her mom on the line.

"Hola mamá," Isabelle responded with a smile in her native tongue, her voice filled with warmth.

"Mi bebé, how are you?" Isabelle's mother, Mrs Martha Santiago, responded with a hint of unrest in her voice.

The uneasiness in her words painted a picture of worry, leaving Isabelle with a sense of concern about why her mother sounded uneasy.

"Alright, mamá. What's wrong? You sound worried. Is everything okay, Ma?" Isabelle replied in a concerned tone.

"Your Ñaña(sister) was rushed to the hospital yesterday by our neighbours and I received the urgent news and made my way to the hospital from work" Martha said, her voice quivering with tears.

"Mamá, please take a deep breath. What happened? How is her condition? What are the doctors saying?" Isabella asked in a worried tone, her voice filled with concern.

"She's being attended to and they ran some tests on her. It turns out she has Cystic fibrosis," Martha revealed, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

"I didn't realise her coughing was more than just a normal cough. We need $50,000 and more for her treatment." Isabelle's heart sank as her mother's tired voice revealed the shocking news.

"Oh my, that's a lot, Ma! I don't know how to get that amount. I'll try my best to send whatever I can from my savings." Isabelle replied, feeling drained.

"Thank you, baby. Fiona is asleep right now, you could have spoken with her, " Martha responded.

"I'll call you later. I'm running a bit late for my shift, " Isabella responded in a distressing tone, feeling the weight of the situation. She hung up the call.

"Someone is here to see you, Isa," Ava called out to her.

"Okay, I'm coming," she responded, putting on a brave act.

As Isabelle got to the doorstep, to her surprise, she was met with a sight that left her speechless. Thoughts raced through her mind, wondering how he managed to find her apartment. She stood there, frozen in shock, unable to tear her eyes away from him.