Better Sorry Than Safe

“Why Vegas?” Matt asked as he and Isabelle walked out of The Mirage. They’d spent an hour inside before deciding to go somewhere else.

“Why Vegas what? Why did I move here?” She looked over just as he nodded yes. “I think its beautiful here. Plus its usually warm and its less than a 6 hour drive when Zack or my parents come to visit,” She replied.

“So you still love it here? As much as you did when you first moved here?” Matt glanced between Isabelle and the path they were following.

For a moment Isabelle thought. She wanted to be a hundred percent sure that she meant what she was telling him. Finally she answered, “Yeah. I still love it here. Maybe even a little more than when I first moved here. At least now I know where I’m going without directions.”

With a quiet chuckle Matt shook his head. It was impossible for him not to be happy around her. He’d spent years waiting for this opportunity and now that he had it he wasn’t going to waste it. The voice in his mind that had been telling him what he needed to do all day was even silent now.

Isabelle’s phone was vibrating in her pocket. She didn’t need to be physic, or to open it, to know that it was a text message and who it was from. There was a nagging voice in her head telling her to deal with it; just say she was in bed already. But she ignored it. If she’d maintained her good mood all day then nothing would spoil it now.

“Then why the Hard Rock for a job?”

“Its me we are talking about Matt. Isn’t it pretty obvious?” She couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.

With another chuckle Matt nodded his head. “Are you hungry? I mean did you eat anything before we met up?”

“Yeah I had dinner with Jimmy. But if you are getting hungry then I’d be able to handle a snack or a small meal. You know that I could always eat as much as you guys if not a little more.” She playfully nudged his arm.

Meanwhile, at his apartment, Chris was starting to worry. He’d been trying to get a hold of Isabelle almost two hours. This was the thing that bothered him the most about her; she would sometimes just disappear with no explanation.

Normally it just scared him when he couldn’t get a hold of her. Tonight though it was also angering him. Lately she seemed to be pulling away from him more every day. She’d either decide that she was going to hang out with her brother and his friends alone or ignoring him for the second time within a week.

Had this happened a month before it wouldn’t have made sense. Now it really didn’t make sense. He watched members of his family after they became engaged and it seemed to bring them closer together. With he and Isabelle it seemed to drive them apart.

I wonder if she is thinking it over now, he thought,

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Chris pressed the redial button. He had made up his mind that he wouldn’t give up until he got a response. It didn’t matter if he had to try all night he would get a hold of her.

As soon as the voicemail picked up he ended the call. “Damn it Isabelle!” he practically growled at the phone. Less than five seconds later and the line was ringing again.

Matt and Isabelle had settled on the Nascar Café and were seated at the table. “You’re full of shit,” She said, popping another curly fry into her mouth.

“I swear to you that I’m telling the truth. You know that Jimmy always says what he thinks. And she was asking for it and you know it!” Matt took another bite as the guys at the table next to them let out cheers again.

“I never said that she didn’t. Then again when I think about it doesn’t seem that far of a stretch,” Isabelle was going to continue but her cell phone starting vibrating again. “shit.”

“Boyfriend again?” Matt said, purposely forgetting that it was actually her fiancé.

“Yeah, I guess I better answer this time so he’ll leave me alone,” she flipped her phone open, “hello.”

“Where the hell are you? I’ve been worried sick! And what is that noise?” She could barely hear Chris’s voice over the cheers of the other people in the café; especially since the table next to them was having a drinking contest.

“I’m at the Nascar Café. Well that isn’t my problem Chris. The people at the next table, what do you think? Honestly we went over this less than a week ago. I do not have to report to you. It is my life and I’ll do whatever the hell I want to.”

“Isabelle I don’t want to control you. I just want to make sure you are alright.”

“I can take care of myself. I’m not the type of woman who needs constant attention, affection, or you checking up on me. Back off a little.” Isabelle didn’t give him the chance to respond, instead she just hung up.

Matt watched, and chewed his food, as she calmly had another fry. She didn’t look at all rattled by the experience with Chris. In fact she didn’t even look angry anymore. It almost made him smile, but he figured it would be in pour taste.

“Do you always fight with him this often?” He asked.

“Not really. About every four or five months. It was worse in the beginning; we’re adjusting still,” She said, shrugging her shoulders.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever saw a woman be so blah about getting married. To be honest I’m not sure that you are sure you want to do this yourself yet.”

“What are you supposed to say when someone asks you a question like that? I’d feel completely heartless if I said no when I care about him,” she grabbed another fry, “now lets change the subject. Does your girlfriend know where you are?”

“No. I said I was going to hang out with the guys and I did. Val doesn’t expect me to tell her every single place I go. Are you going to tell your boyfriend where you were tonight?” Matt took another sip of his drink.

“If he hadn’t pissed me off I might have. Matt am I ever going to see you again after this week and a half is up?” She reached for another fry nervously.

“Well considering I love Vegas I don’t see why you won’t. Besides it isn’t like we are actually doing anything wrong. We are just two old friends reconnecting,” Matt said, looking her directly in the eyes.

“People who are just friends usually don’t kiss each other.”

“First of all I had to get your attention and stop you from leaving. So I kissed you. I don’t see why Chris would have a reason to be mad at you.”

“I kissed you back and we both know it.”

“It was only one kiss.”

“It was two.”

“We could have gone a lot farther than we did. For example it was only two kisses last night. Nothing has happened tonight and no one has to find out about last night. Just relax, as of right now we aren’t doing anything wrong.”

Isabelle felt that it was better to leave it at that. At the place she was in her life it didn’t feel right to say she kind of wished they were doing something that was a little wrong, even if it was just another kiss. She would never admit it but she had enjoyed those two kisses more than almost everything else currently in her life.

“Friends it is,” Isabelle said, extending her hand over the table.

“Friends,” Matt agreed, shaking her hand, “so how did you meet this guy anyway? You seem to have left that part out last night.”

“I was working one day and he say at one of my tables. After he finished his meal I asked if I could get him anything else and he said my phone number. I said no. Two times later I gave it to him so he’d stop asking. Then I turned him down for a date twice, caved the third time, and we’ve been together ever since. It wasn’t any love at first sight bullshit.”

“Still not much of a romantic I see,” Matt chuckled.

The next afternoon Isabelle walked into the living room after getting ready for work. She’d expected to maybe see her brother, if he wasn’t in the kitchen, but that was the only person she expected. Lilly had to leave earlier than she did so it was rare they ran into each other before work. However, when she saw Chris she was a little taken aback.

“Your brother let me in,” He began from the couch, “I knew that you wouldn’t answer your phone. I think we need to talk.”

“I’m sure that we do, but I have to get to work. Besides I have a long shift and I’d prefer to not be in a horrible mood all day. Wait aren’t you supposed to be at work?” She began grabbing her things, having no intentions of actually doing any talking.

“I took my lunch break to come see you. Do you mind telling me why you are avoiding me? I’ve hardly saw you since I proposed, and when I do you are pissy with me.” He stood up and walked towards her.

“Well of course I’ve been pissy Chris. I told you when we started dating that I had rules, two of them being no checking up on me and no suffocating me. You agreed to both of them. I rarely get to see any of my family, let alone any of my old friends, and all you can do is act like I’m ignoring you. I just want to spend time with them before they leave and things go back to normal.”

“Do not even bother trying to start a conversation. I’m not going to be late for work because you are being a little girl. You know exactly who you started dating and then proposed to. If you want to change your mind about getting married then feel free to tell me but do not waste my time with some talk because you feel left out.

“I’m sure you can let yourself out.” She didn’t wait for a response before leaving.

For a moment Chris just stood dumbfounded in the living room. She had never been so straightforward before. She’d always been blunt but never to this degree. When he was being honest with himself he really liked it.

“Just give her sometime. My sister has always needed some time to adjust when life is changing. It’ll pass soon,” Zacky said from the kitchen door way.

“It isn’t the first time this has happened.” Chris replied.

♥♥♥

After work Isabelle came straight home. It was almost 2 when she walked through the door so she was greeted with silence. In truth she was extremely thankful for this. After the last two days she needed to be alone for a while.

Once in her room she reached for the photo album from high school. This time she didn’t bother with the funny little notes from the guys, or the serious ones, and went straight for the hardest one. Above the picture of she, Matt, and Zacky at graduation was the note she’d avoided for so long.

I don’t care if your brother is pissed about all of this. You were the first girl that I ever truly liked and that you are finally mine I plan to keep it that way. I know you don’t believe in love at first sight or any of that, but that isn’t what we have. What we have is something that grew over the years. I know you for who you are and I love you for who you are. Although I can’t actually speak for you I’m pretty sure you feel the same way.

You’ve stood beside, and supported, me so much already and I’m not sure how to thank you. Now that we’ve finally finished the crazy four years of high school we have our entire lives a head of us. I know that you aren’t sure where you want to go with your life just yet but whatever choice you make I’ll support you just like you have me. I will always be there for you when you need me; no matter what.

I love you so much.

Staring at the page, Isabelle sighed. Until now she hadn’t questioned her decision. She hadn’t looked back since leaving California, she fully believed that she had made the right choice. Now she wasn’t so sure.

If she hadn’t left where would she be? Would she be engaged to Matt right now instead of Chris? Would she be living with him with and maybe a dog or a cat, seeing her brother and the guys everyday when they were home? Or would she be left alone and brokenhearted? These were the questions that were beginning to plague her.

For a second she pictured all of the possibilities. Then she pictured the possibilities of her future now. Unfortunately her future wasn’t exactly easy to picture. She seemed to be at a crossroads. There were a few different directions that her life could still take her.

The problem was that all of them involved someone getting hurt. If she went through with getting married it might be she that got hurt. What if she married Chris only to have that action show her she chose wrong? If she let things go too far with Matt then it would be Chris, and possibly, Val that would get hurt. The final was what she feared the most; what if they all got hurt?

It seemed like the rest of the time the guys spent in town flew by. The days that they remained in town, when she wasn’t working, Isabelle spent with them. She even got to see Valary one night, which wasn’t at all awkward like she had imagined it would be.

Chris gave her some space and understanding. Zacky’s words had really hit home for him. Besides he figured that no one would know Isabelle’s ways better than her twin. Two days before the band left town he did make a date with Isabelle, for the night after they left of course.

The week and a half was enough time to allow Zacky and Lilly to grow closer together. Jimmy and Isabelle were the first to notice this and immediately started taking bets. It was only a matter of time before they made it official, as Jimmy had so simply stated.

On the last night he was in town Matt and Isabelle spent hours together at the Hard Rock. She had turned off her cell phone completely and left it in her car. Matt had silenced his and left it in his pocket for the night. No one, not even Jimmy, knew where they were.

They covered every topic they could think of. It didn’t matter if it was small talk or in depth soul spilling. For the first time in years they were actually talking without filters. And they did so as they bounced between the casino, restaurants, stores, and even the bar. It was hands down the most fun Isabelle had experienced in years.

But like everything that is truly good it had to come to an end. By 4:50 a.m. they knew they had to say goodbye. So as they stood outside the front entrance Isabelle asked the question that was killing her, “Are you going to call or text or anything after you get back to Huntington Beach?”

Matt had replied, tossing an arm around her shoulder as he did so, “Of course I will. Maybe not the first day or two but as soon as I completely recover and back into life at home I promise I will.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” She whispered, partially leaning into his side, just as an empty cab pulled up. “and there is your signal to leave. I hope I see you soon.”

“You will,” He replied, kissing her forehead as he did, “bye Belle.” He made sure to wave as the cab drove away and she did to.

She sat down on the edge of the long plots filled with plants and watched him leave. She was realizing that the was indeed playing with fire. Now it was only a question of who would get burned?