Chapter 5 You Must Believe Me

Isabella's POV

Suddenly, Maurice reached out and caught my arm, pulling me back to his side. The movement was natural, practiced, like he'd done it a hundred times before. His grip was light, yet somehow it made me feel anchored.

I couldn't quite explain it, but Maurice never had to fight his way through crowds.

Maybe it was because he was tall and carried himself well, or maybe it was that stupidly handsome face—he just had this presence that made people automatically part for him.

Either way, as long as I walked with him, I never had to clear my own path.

Neither of us spoke at first. We just walked in silence for a while.

There was awkwardness in the air, and weight too.

When we reached the corner, Maurice gently bumped me with his elbow, carefully. "Are you still mad?"

I didn't look at him, just kept my eyes on the ground ahead. "No."

He sighed and slowed his pace. "Isabella, about this morning—that was on me."

I still didn't look at him, my fingers unconsciously tightening around my backpack strap.

"It's not that I thought it wasn't important, I just... in that moment I didn't know how to handle it. My mind went blank. I just wanted to get you out of there, to keep things from escalating, to keep you from getting hurt more." His voice carried a hint of panic and helplessness. "But the way I handled it made you feel like I didn't care about your feelings. I know I messed up."

I finally turned my head and glanced at him.

"Isabella, I'm always on your side. You have to believe that."

When he said this, his eyes stayed locked on mine, his expression earnest.

"I just don't know how to express it. I don't like confrontation. I'm afraid of making things worse, afraid of upsetting you more."

Something that had been wound tight inside me loosened a little at his words. I still felt hurt, but most of the anger had already drained away.

"It's fine. It's over."

That's what I said, but in my heart there was still this tiny thorn lodged there. It didn't hurt unbearably, but I knew it was there, reminding me of this morning's hurt and disappointment.

I understood Maurice.

He never liked direct confrontation, no matter who it was with.

He was naturally the type who preferred to let things cool down. If he could defuse a situation, he would. If he could take a step back, he'd never push forward.

His way of handling conflict was always to pull away first, let things settle, then talk about it once emotions had passed.

Honestly, part of why I fell for him in the first place was because of this personality.

His gentleness, his composure—they made me feel safe. No matter how chaotic things got, he could keep things steady and give me a place to hide and catch my breath.

But this morning, when Sophia's words were cutting into me one by one, what I needed wasn't for him to pull me away and sidestep it. I needed him to stand in front of me and say just one thing: "That's enough."

One sentence would have been enough. But he didn't.

I let out a quiet breath.

Whatever. Maybe I've just been too exhausted lately.

The audition is next week. My nerves are stretched too thin, so I'm taking everything to heart and becoming hypersensitive.

He was right—I shouldn't let these things distract me, shouldn't keep dwelling on them.

Maurice must have noticed my expression softening, because his whole body visibly relaxed.

His shoulders dropped, those tightly knitted brows seemed to smooth out, and his face broke into a smile I hadn't seen in days.

"Um," he suddenly cleared his throat, his lips barely containing a grin, "I have something else to tell you."

"What is it?" I turned to look at him.

"My parents called this morning," he deliberately slowed his speech, eyes fixed on me as if gauging my reaction. "They're having a family dinner tonight and want me to bring you."

My steps faltered. I was caught off guard, almost couldn't believe what I'd heard.

"A family dinner?" I repeated.

"Yeah," he nodded. "My mom specifically said so. She told me I absolutely have to bring you, no excuses."

I stood there stunned. I'd met Maurice's parents a few times. They'd always been polite to me—courteous and kind, but that was it.

That politeness had boundaries. They never crossed the line, rarely took initiative to get closer, and definitely never specifically invited me to their family gatherings.

This was the first time they'd called to formally invite me to a family dinner.

"Why so suddenly..." Questions flooded my mind.

"Don't overthink it," Maurice said with a smile, cutting me off. He reached out and flicked my forehead, the gesture affectionate and gentle. "My mom said it's a surprise. You'll find out when you get there."

"What surprise?" I stared at him, my curiosity burning. I couldn't help pressing him.

"A surprise means I can't tell you yet. You'll see when we get there."

He deliberately put on a mysterious air, though the smile tugging at his lips gave him away.

"Can't you give me just a tiny hint?"

I tugged at his sleeve, my tone carrying a hint of playfulness that even I didn't notice.

"Nope." He reached out to smooth my wind-tousled hair. "You'll be really happy tonight, I promise."

Then he bent down slightly and pressed his lips gently to my forehead.

"See you this afternoon." He straightened up and smiled at me.

In that moment, I couldn't tell if I'd really let it go, or if I was just temporarily swept up in his tenderness.

But at least right now, in this moment, I felt like I mattered to him.

He'd specifically waited outside my classroom just to make things right.

That feeling made me willing to tuck away those unpleasant things for now, to set them aside.

I took a deep breath, turned around, and pushed open the classroom door.

Sitting in class, I felt restless the entire time. My attention wasn't on the lecture at all. My head was spinning with unanswered questions.

A family dinner?

What should I wear?

Should I bring a gift?

What's going to happen tonight?

Will his parents like me?