Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Isabella's pov;

"Your face says it all." Mike said while I was setting up the bar along with the bartender and continued, "Don't worry, you sent out all the invites and did what you have to do so people will come for sure. The number of people who came to the restaurant till now was already more than I expected." And patted my shoulder.

I gave a nod and said, "All I want is to see people leave while having smiles on their faces." And walked to the table and took a seat.

"Bella!" I heard Noah's voice.

When I looked up, I saw my high school friends walking towards me. They're earlier than I expected. Noah, Evelyn, Liam and Sophia. But where are the others?

I ran to them and gave them a hug and thanked them for coming.

Noah, "Don't just stop thanking us, we came here to get drunk."

Liam, "I'm not getting drunk tonight. I promised my girlfriend."

Sophia, "Let's see if you can hold onto till the end."

I showed him the table and sat along with them.

After a while, my college friends walked into the restaurant.

Carlos, "Bella!" Walked towards me while extending his arms in a way to hug me.

Leah stood in front of him and Carlos hugged her saying, "My little munchkin."

I asked, "What did you just call her?"

Leah, "Wasn't it cute? I was the one who came with this lovely nickname."

"It's cute."

Leah smiled at me.

I said to Gia, "I thought you'll be busy with the work. Thank you for coming for me."

Jack, "Wait, wait. Julian told me he'll buy me drinks if I go with him. I came for the drinks."

I gave a stare at Julian and said, "Did you bribe him to make him come here?"

"I…"

Before Julian finished, I said, "That's great. Otherwise he won't come here anyway."

Jack, "I know you'll take his side in the end. You're all friends after all."

I held Jack's hand and took him to the stand and said to the bartender, "His name is Jack. Give whatever drinks he asks. I'll pay for it."

Jack, "Really?"

I nodded and said, "You're my friend too."

He gave me a quick hug and asked, "What if I date you? Will you give me free drinks for the rest of my life?"

I laughed and said, "You don't have to date me to get free drinks everyday. But there is a way, since you're a designer, design a uniform for the servers. If I like it, then I'll provide you with free drinks. But only on weekends. Because I care for your health too." And ruffled his hair.

"Don't treat me like a kid. We're just months away."

"Then why are you shorter than me?"

"Wait, how did you become taller than me?" He took a glance at me and said, "Heels. Okay, remove it and stand beside me. Let's see who's taller than whom."

"Fine!"

I removed my heels and felt short as soon as I removed them.

"Stand beside me."

"No need. You're taller than me. Are you satisfied? Wait till I grow up."

Jack put his hands around my shoulder and asked, "You can't grow anymore." He poked my cheeks and continued, "Growth hormone stops growing at the age of 22 for women. Don't you know that?" And made fun of me.

Jose said, "Her boyfriend is a possessive type. Make sure he doesn't see this."

"Jose? When did you come? Where's Tracy?" I looked around for her but I couldn't find her.

"She went to Pittsburgh for her business trip."

"Oh, okay. Then make use of the time." And teased him.

I showed him a table and walked to the table where my college friends are.

Jack, "Where's your boyfriend?"

"He's with the kitchen staff."

He gave me a smirk and said, "Seems like you accepted him as your boyfriend."

"Do you want drinks or not?"

"Yeah."

I gave him a glass of wine and said, "Then drink it. And, don't forget about the uniform. I wasn't kidding though."

"I got it! You can leave it to me." And started drinking the wine.

On the night of wine party,

I raised the glass up in the air and made a toast, "Thank you to everyone who came and made this wine party successful. I hope you visit here often and celebrate your gatherings here too."

After everyone dispersed, I walked to the table where my high school friends are. Noah, Evelyn, Liam, Sophia.

After I got seated, I asked, "Where's your other half? Why didn't they come with you?"

Noah said, "Mine came. Ask others." And smiled at Sophia.

Liam said, "Jenny's been busy with her shipments."

Sophia said, "Carey went to her hometown to meet her family."

"To meet her family, why all of a sudden?"

Noah smacked my head and said, "Don't you know that winter's approaching. It's going to be snowing everywhere so it's the time to visit families before the snow gets heavy."

"Oh…"

Sophia, "How are you going to celebrate your Christmas? Did you plan to go out with Alexander?"

"I never gave a thought about it. Moreover, we still have three months left for Christmas. So let's plan it slowly. And, what about you guys? You sound like you already planned something. What is it?"

Liam, "I planned to visit my grandparents along with Jenny and introduce her as my girlfriend."

"Wow. Introducing her directly to your grandparents than to your parents. Smooth move."

Sophia, "Since my parents know about Carey already, I'm planning to spend Christmas with my parents along with Carey."

I poked Noah and asked, "What about you guys?"

"We're not going to celebrate with our parents. I'm taking Evelyn to Mount Shasta, the best place to watch the snowfall and we're going to celebrate our Christmas over there while having each other as a company."

I said, "You guys planned it pretty well."

"Bella!" Jack called me.

I said to my high school friends, "Hey, I'll be back. Don't get drunk without me."

I walked to Jack and he said, "We're leaving."

"Stay for some more time."

Julian, "I have work to do. We'll come during the weekends."

Gia, "Yeah, let's meet next weekend. It's been years since we went to a club so let's go out next weekend."

Carlos gave me a quick hug and said, "All the best for your restaurant, Bella."

"Thank you."

After bidding goodbyes to my college friends, I came to the table of my high school friends with a wine bottle in my hand.

I placed it on the table and sat beside Noah.

"Let's get drunk!" I shouted out of my lungs.

We started drinking glass after glass and got drunk and wasted. My friends bid farewell and walked out of the restaurant.

I stumbled on my way out of the restaurant and closed it and locked it with a key.

Alexander Martinez's pov;

After seeing everyone leave, I walked out of the car to get Isabella. She came out of the restaurant and was closing the door.

"Are you leaving?" I asked her while she was trying to close the door.

She turned and answered, "Yes, I am." And stumbled on her way while walking towards me.

"Are you drunk?"

She blew over my face and said, "Do I?"

"It looks like you're wasted. Let's get you home."

"Don't call it home. It was never my home. It was just a house where I was living."

"Which is your home then?"

"You destroyed my home." She said pointing her finger at me.

"What?"

"Even though it's a cafe, why did you break it? Do you know how bad I felt when I saw that cafe?"

"I thought You were happy."

"Yeah, I was. To see many people in that place and not to destroy my place. Do you know how much I got hurt when I saw that cafe? Have you felt how it is to see your one and only comfort place being destroyed in front of your eyes?"

"That's why you got teary. You were upset."

"Yes! I was upset!"

"Okay, let's go. It's already midnight."

She pushed me away and shouted, "Stop acting like you care for me!"

"What!?"

"I know everything about you, him and the people in that house. I wonder how can you all two-time me being good and show happy faces in front of me and behind my back, everyone wants to chase me out of the house. I hate living there. I hate living with all you people. I hate you."

"Why are you talking like this? What happened?... What did you hear?"

She smirked and continued, "I heard everything."

"Isabella, I can explain when you're sober so come with me."

"No, I won't! Don't force me!"

I grabbed her waist and tried to put her in the car but she struggled and shouted, "Don't take me to that house... I'm not coming with you... Leave me... Let go of me!"

After some time, she fainted so it was easy for me to get her into the car.

We came to the house. I carried her inside the house and climbed the stairs to go to her room. I made her lie on the bed and her clothes reeked of alcohol. I unbuttoned her shirt and removed it. It looks like Isabella was mumbling something in her sleep.

I went closer to her and listened to what she was mumbling.

"Don't leave me… Don't… I don't want to go… I want to be with you…"

You're the one who said you wanted to leave and asked me not to go to the house but now you're pleading with me not to leave you. I wonder what's going on in that small head of yours.

After a while, I placed a lukewarm water in a vessel and wet the cloth with that water and began giving her a sponge bath. After cleaning her, I made her wear pyjamas and covered the blanket up to her neck and tried to leave the room but stopped after hearing Isabella calling out my name.

I patted her head and said, "I'm here. Go to sleep."

I showered and lay beside her on the bed and cuddled her to sleep.

The next morning,

I woke up before her and saw her sleeping peacefully. I caressed her cheek and whispered, "Good morning, my little ferocious cat."

I got out of bed and went to my room.

At the dining table,

Isabella was all smiley to Kirk and Rose. When I looked at her, I thought, what did she hear? I think it must have been while I was talking to Mr Johnson about the apartment I bought for her. That conversation was not even started by my side. It was Mr Johnson who questioned it. I was just answering him and she took it in the wrong way. She must have heard it half and got mad. If she heard the whole thing, she wouldn't get mad like last night. Yes. That must be the case. I have to explain it to her later.

"Mr Martinez?" Isabella called me which brought me back to reality.

"Yes?"

"Why aren't you eating?"

"Huh? Yeah… I'll eat."

"You look odd. What happened?"

I must be the one to ask you that.

"Nothing."

"Did I give you trouble last night? I'm sorry for drinking till I get wasted. It's been years since I drank with my friends so we went a little overboard last night. I promise I won't get wasted again."

I smiled at her innocence and said, "You don't have to worry. You didn't trouble me."

"Thank you." And continued eating her food.

Isabella sounds like a totally different person when she's sober.

"Aren't you going to the restaurant?"

"In a minute. Kirk made prawn salad so I'll leave once I finish it."

"Isabella, do you have something on your mind to talk with me?"

"Like what, Mr Martinez?"

"Things you want to get resolved."

Her expressions changed after I mentioned it specifically.

She stood from the table and said, "There's nothing like that. See ya later, Mr Martinez." And left the house.

Isabella is like a hard shell which is hard to break. If something bothers her, she won't tell anyone about it and keep it inside her and think about it again and again. I think I have to be the one who creates chances for her to speak about it.