Page 7

ISABELLE

“ B abe, I’m sorry about springing all this on you this morning, but truly, I did think it was the best place for him. His life is about to implode and not in a good way either,” Harper explains as we sit in my bed, sipping our champagne while the boys stay downstairs.

“You could have stuck him in one of your hotels, the security would be better.”

Harper sighs. “You’re right, I could have but if I’m being honest, I’m worried about him being by himself during this time.”

“You think he’ll hurt himself?”

She shakes her head. “No, but shit is going to start hitting the fan, we won’t be able to contain the news for much longer. And I kind of need someone to keep an eye on him.”

“And you think that’s me?”

“Honestly, no, but like I said in my mind I thought it was a brilliant idea. I now know it’s not.”

“What happened at the wedding?” I ask her.

“Pierre wanted to talk. You know, give the whole don’t mess with my little brother speech to me,” Harper explains with a roll of her eyes.

“And then suddenly he started freaking out about getting married, he asked me if he should do it. Me!” I gasp.

“It was weird. Maybe things between him and Kitty were not at all what they seemed. The loving facade may have just been that, a facade,” Harper explains.

“You think it was a fake relationship?”

She shakes her head. “No. I don’t think so or maybe it started off real and gradually turned fake.

I’ve seen it so many times in the influencer space, once their platform grows, reality turns into fiction.

They want to show that everything is perfect because perfection gets likes.

Perfection gets brand deals. Perfection makes money.

” I nod, that makes sense. “She was a complete Bridezilla in Italy. Seeing Pierre and Kitty together, you could see the strain looking back on it. I think he was going through the motions like maybe if he marries her, everything will get better. Anyway, the more he freaked out the further he started to walk into the garden. I had to run to keep up with him. Then we heard moaning. There was no mistaking what was happening. We heard Kitty’s voice.

It was awkward as fuck. It was Pierre who made me record what was happening. ”

“Insurance policy,” I muse.

“He was smart. He knew Kitty would turn it around on him if he didn’t have evidence. That if he left her at the altar, she would play the victim. I’m sure she will still after this.”

“I can’t believe she was screwing Bill Reeves.” I shudder.

“He’s not even a cute billionaire,” Harper says, making us both laugh. “I’m sorry for dropping this bomb in your lap this morning. But we need to protect Pierre right now, especially as he is our client.”

“Don’t remind me.” I scoff as I throw back the rest of my champagne.

“I really do mean it when I say get closure with him, Is. You deserve happiness but I think holding on to what he did to you all these years ago isn’t healthy.”

It’s hard to find closure when your heart has a permanent scar on it, and no one has come close to healing it.

“Issy?” My father stares at me as I burst through the front door of my home, tears falling down my cheeks.

I can’t believe it. Harper was right, I would never have believed her if I hadn’t seen Pierre cheating with my own eyes.

He is not the same boy I fell in love with.

“Issy,” my father calls my name again, concern lacing it. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I scream at him as I take the stairs two at a time toward my bedroom. All the memories of the two of us together assault me as I slam the door to my bedroom and collapse on my bed, screaming into my pillow.

There’s a gentle knock on my door, “Issy.” It’s my father again and I can hear the pain in his voice.

“Mr. Alessi, I’ve got her,” I hear Harper’s voice.

“Harper, I’m worried. This is not like her. She is upset, I need to know she is okay,” my father asks her.

“She’s suffering her first case of heartbreak,” Harper explains delicately.

“Oh,” My father answers, seemingly surprised. “Do I need to make this boy hurt?”

Harper chuckles. “Maybe. I’ll let you know. And when you do, I’ll be right by your side.”

“Good. I’ll be in my office if you need me,” he tells her.

Then I hear the door to my bedroom creak open. “Issy …” I shake my head, I can’t. The bed dips as Harper sits beside me. “… I’m sorry you had to find out that way. I never meant to hurt you, I didn’t know how else to tell you.”

Turning my head, I look up at her through tear-soaked lashes. “I would never have believed you.” I sob.

Tears run down Harper’s cheeks, and she never cries. “He’s changed, Issy. That boy in there isn’t the same one from high school.”

“Why did he do it?” I sob.

“Ego.”

“I can’t go back to school. I’m a laughingstock.” Harper’s face softens. “All those girls looking me in the face after doing whatever the hell they did to my boyfriend. How can I trust anyone ever again?”

“They were not your friends, and this is a real shitty way of finding that out. You don’t deserve this. You are the best human in the world, and I hate the fact that he has tainted the world for you,” Harper tells me.

“I’m sorry for not being more understanding when you went through your own heartbreaks.”

“Babe, my heartache is nothing like this. He threw away years, years of a loving relationship for desperate puck bunnies who are probably sucking his best friend’s dick tomorrow.

” My stomach turns replaying the image of Missy Jenkins with her mouth around Pierre’s cock.

I will never ever be able to scrub that from my soul.

“He will rue the day he ever fucked up. There will come a moment in his life when he is going to look back at the choices he made and realize cheating on you was the biggest mistake of his life.” My phone vibrates beside me.

“Is that him?” Harper asks. I pull it out of my pocket and give it to her, I don’t have the energy.

She takes it, looks down at the screen, and scrunches up her face at it. “He’s called you like twenty times.”

“I never want to speak to him ever again,” I tell her.

“Consider it done,” she says, tapping away on my phone, “he is now blocked.”

Relief fills me. “Thank you.” I give her hug, something I know she isn’t a fan of.

“That’s what friends are for. If you need to go away for a bit, just say the word and I’m down.

Need to head to Paris for the weekend, shopping always makes me feel better.

Maybe Spain, we can drink Sangria and laze on the beach checking out hot Spanish men or we could go to Italy, you will never feel more desired nor wanted than from the men in Italy.

It helps the ego.” She chuckles. “Spring break is next week.”

That sounds nice, getting out of New York might be what I need.

The thought of going back to school and having everyone look at me with pity makes me sick.

Also, the thought of running into Pierre again fills me with dread because I don’t know if I’m strong enough to say no to him, and that scares me.

“I’m in.”

Harper stills. “Excuse me, what did you say?”

“I said I’m in. Let’s go to Europe. Screw school, screw hockey players, screw everything.”

“You’re being serious.”

“Yes.”

And I never came back. It was the best decision for me. Some might call it running away from my problems, namely Pierre, but it seemed like a problem for him not me. A clean break was for the best.

“Sweetheart, are you having fun over there?” my father asks.

“I love it here,” I gush, who wouldn’t? The sunshine, the partying, the hot men with accents.

“You’re sounding happier, that’s for sure.” I can hear the smile in his voice.

“I am. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” I swallow the knot in my stomach churning inside of me. “I want to transfer schools.”

“What!”

That’s what I thought he would say, but I came prepared. “Please, hear me out.”

“You want to change schools all because of some insignificant guy? No. I won’t allow it. You need to come home and be with your family,” he argues with me.

“Papa, please listen. I can transfer easily to a school in London, I can work in the London office. Wouldn’t it be good to have an Alessi keeping an eye on things over here?

Wouldn’t I be getting a broader education on the business if I learn how the entire company runs, not just how the American side does?

” Silence falls between us. This is good, it means he’s thinking it over.

“You know nothing about European sports.”

“Then wouldn’t it be good if I learned all about them?

I’ll happily start back down as an intern again and work my way up,” I plead with him.

There are a couple of gruff huffs. “I could live in our apartment here, go to school, learn about a new side of the business, be your eyes and ears over here.”

“You are making a compelling argument, Isabelle.” Yes. I knew if I spoke to him from a business point of view rather than an emotional one, he would see it my way. “And this isn’t because of a boy?” he asks.

“It may have started off like that, but I love it here. It would only be until I finish my studies and then I’ll come right back home.”

“What about your sisters? They will miss you,” he asks.

“They hardly see me now as it is. They’re both growing up and doing their own things, they don’t want to hang out with me. If they do need me, it’s only a six-hour flight. I will come home for holidays, birthdays, and anytime you need me.”

“I don’t like this. You are all alone in a city that you don’t know,” he states.

“That’s what I love, no one knows the Alessi name here, I can be normal.”

“Is it that bad being an Alessi?” he asks, sounding hurt.