Book three

Bella’s POV

The moment I stepped inside my new room I collapsed onto the bed. The weight of everything hit me hard. My chest burned with pain I could not name. I pressed my face into the pillow but the tears still came fast and hot. They would not stop.

The image refused to leave my mind. Ciara on top of Leo. His hands on her body. His voice saying my name while she moved on him. I curled into a tight ball on the bed and shook. How could the two people I trusted most do this to me? The pain felt like fire in my chest.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to hit something. But I could only lie there, crying harder. My body shook with every sob. The hurt would not go away.

A loud knock suddenly sounded at the door. My heart jumped into my throat. I knew it was Leo. Another knock came, even louder. Then his voice. “Bella, please. Open the door.”

I froze. My breath caught. “Leo,” I whispered to myself. I did not want to see him. I did not want to hear his voice. But I dragged myself off the bed anyway. I walked to the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy. My hair was a complete mess. I looked broken and empty. I did not want him to see me like this, but I needed answers.

The knocking would not stop. My hand trembled on the doorknob. Part of me wanted to ignore him forever. Let him stand outside and feel the pain. But another part of me — the weak part — wanted to hear him say it. I needed to face him.

I opened the door slowly.

Leo stood there. His eyes were heavy with guilt. His shoulders sagged like the world was crushing him. For one second I almost felt sorry for him. Then the anger came back stronger.

“Bella, can I come in?” His voice was low and pleading.

I did not move. I held the door tight. “What do you want, Leo? Haven’t you done enough already?”

He winced. “Please let me explain. I was drunk. I thought she was you. I swear I never wanted this.”

I laughed. The sound came out bitter and empty. “Explain? Explain how you slept with my best friend? How you held her? How you said my name while she was on top of you? I saw everything, Leo. Everything.”

He stepped closer. His hands shook. “She drugged me, Bella. Ciara put something in my drink. I didn’t know what was happening. I thought I was with you. Please believe me.”

His words made the pain worse. I could still see Ciara’s smirk when she looked at me. I could still hear her moan. “You’re lying,” I said through clenched teeth. “I saw you with her. Don’t stand here and make excuses. It does not make it better. It kills me even more.”

Tears spilled down my face again. I wiped them away angrily. Leo reached for my hand. I yanked it back fast like his touch burned me. “Bella, please,” he whispered. “I love you. I never stopped loving you. Give me one chance to fix this.”

Anger roared louder than the hurt inside me. “You don’t love me. If you really loved me you would never have let this happen. I trusted you with everything. My heart. My future. My body. And you gave it all to her.”

His face twisted in pain. “Don’t say that. I can make it right. Just don’t leave me, Bella. Please. I cannot live without you.”

Something inside me snapped completely. The pain turned into cold anger. “There is nothing left to fix. You and Ciara destroyed me. My best friend and the man I was supposed to marry. You both took everything from me. I have nothing left.”

I tried to close the door. He put his hand out to stop it. “Bella, please. I thought it was you. I swear on my life.”

I shoved his hand away hard. “You should have thought about me before you slept with her.” I slammed the door with all my strength. The loud sound echoed through the room like the end of us.

I slid down against the wood. My body trembled with heavy sobs. Leo kept knocking on the other side. He kept begging. “Bella! Please open the door. I love you. Don’t do this.”

His voice was nothing but noise now. I pressed my palms hard over my ears. I did not want to hear him anymore. The knocking continued for a long time. I stayed on the floor, crying until my eyes burned and my throat hurt.

After many minutes the knocking finally stopped. The room became quiet again. Too quiet. I stood up slowly. My legs felt weak but I walked to the bed. I sat down and stared at the wall. The pain was still there, sharp and deep in my chest. But now a new feeling grew beside it — real anger.

I was done crying for him tonight. Leo and Ciara had taken enough from me. They had broken my trust. They had broken my heart. But I would not let them break me completely. I wiped my face with the back of my hand. My eyes still burned but I forced myself to breathe slowly.

I looked around the room. This was my new start. Alone. Hurt. But alive. I would not go back to him. I would not forgive Ciara. Never. The old Bella who trusted too easily was gone. The new Bella would be stronger. She would protect her heart from now on.

I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Tears still came but they were quieter now. The image of Leo and Ciara tried to return but I pushed it away. I thought about tomorrow. I thought about how I would move forward without them.

The pain still sat heavy in my chest. It would not disappear quickly. But I made a promise to myself in that quiet room. I would survive this. I would become someone new. Someone who would never let anyone hurt me like this again.

I closed my eyes. The night felt long and heavy. But I was still here. Still breathing. Still fighting. That was enough for now.