NEW REVELATIONS (60)

*POV'S BELLA*

Ellie just texted me about tonight's party.

Well... guess we're doing a white party then...

I'm so fucking ready to cause some serious chaos.

I was in the balcony of my room, when Leo suddenly sat down in the chair next to mine, staring at the horizon, looking kind of sad.

"You don't love me anymore, right?" he mumbled out of nowhere.

This completely caught me off guard.

"You can tell me," he said quietly.

I was shocked.

"It's not that simple, Leo..." I finally managed to say.

He had a very tired, defeated look on his face.

"I know I've been a terrible boyfriend, Bella, and you deserve better."

"You're not a terrible person, but if you keep letting that asshole Joe control you, you're gonna end up just like him," I said firmly.

Leo smirked bitterly.

"Well, Joe must really be a jerk not to notice anything..."

Wait...

I stopped breathing for a second.

"I know you've fallen for Ellie... and she's in love with you too..."

Well, shit.

"How...?" I stammered.

"You've never been a good liar, Bella... you think I haven't seen how you stare at her? Those looks are everywhere... not to mention the subtle touches..."

I almost choked on that.

"Guess I can't pretend anymore." I murmured.

He just shook his head, like he already knew.

I guess pretending to fight with Ellie didn't work on him...

"Believe me, I'm really sorry you had to find out like this, but there was no easy way to handle it..." I said seriously.

Leo nodded, a little resigned but still understanding.

"If Joe finds out, you're seriously screwed."

I leaned over him.

"He won't find out, if no one tells him..."

I think my suggestion—or maybe my pleading—was clear enough.

"I won't tell him... don't worry, I'm not a fucking spy. I'm just trying to be a good person."

I nodded a few times in response.

"Ellie and I will be leaving tomorrow at dawn," I whispered , feeling confident I could trust him now.

He got up slowly, you could tell he was trying to hold it together, "I'll make sure Joe and I will be asleep by then..."

"Hey... thank you, really," I said, raising myself up. "You should know that hurting you was never in my plans..."

He smiled a little, though it didn't quite reach out his eyes.

"Yes, I know..."

"I hope you'll be alright..." my tone genuinely sincere.

"I will be, eventually... I knew we were different..." he replied, his voice softer.

Leo headed back into the room, and I swear my heart was racing from how intense the moment felt.

I let out a deep sigh of relief and texted Ellie right away.

>

She replied immediately.

>

>

A little party never killed nobody, right?

I slipped into this white dress.

The top was low-cut, showing off my bare shoulders.

It was tight around the waist, then flowed out more casually.

I went for mascara and deep red lipstick.

Finally, we all gathered in the hotel lobby.

My eyes were instantly drawn to Ellie's and her stunning white dress...

It's just above her knee, has a subtle V-neck, and a small string around her waist.

She chose red lipstick, brighter than usual, which looked so good with her black hair.

I raised an eyebrow at her, sliding my gaze up and down like I was ready to undress her with my eyes...

Then my overly excited gaze shifted to Joe... There's something smug in the way he looks at me.

Too much of a sly grin for someone I want to punch.

"Ready to party, or are you just gonna stand there like losers all night?" He shot out.

He gave me the death stare, which I happily mirrored.

We all headed towards the place where the party was happening.

Everyone was wearing white, the lights were dim, and the music was soft—too clean, too perfect...

I have this bad feeling, but I can't quite figure it out...

Joe didn't dare sit down as he was already telling Leo to grab a drink, and they both went off.

"Hey, are you, like... sure we can trust him?" Ellie pulled me out of my thoughts.

"One hundred percent, baby. Leo's not the bad guy here..." I gave Joe a burning look.

"I don't know, Ellie... there's something about that asshole that doesn't quite fit with me, like, more than usual," I added seriously.

"Hey," Ellie whispered, patting my thigh to soothe me.

"You know, I'm probably the last person who should say this, but I think you should try to relax a bit..."

I closed my eyes for just a sec, trying to keep it together.

Ellie's right, there's no point in worrying right now...

"You look breathtaking, Ellie, absolutely," I whispered, refocusing on her.

"You look like a total knockout, no joke." She replied, blushing.

I was about to lean over to her, but Leo and Joe interrupted my moment.

I'm so fucking done with this.

Leo sat next to me, seemed like his chill mood flipped in an instant.

Joe looked all smug as he grabbed Ellie's hand to pull her up and move away.

He was getting on my nerves.

"Something's off, Bella," Leo blurted out, taking a sip of his drink.

"Just say it," I urged, not taking my eyes off Ellie.

"Joe wants to talk to you. Alone."

I froze.

"How come?"

"I tried to figure out, but he wouldn't tell me. He doesn't want anyone to know."

I jumped to my feet.

"Alright," I said, my voice firm and unwavering.

I turned toward Leo, before walking away, my face pleading him once again.

"Please don't tell Ellie about this, and keep an eye on her..."

"I will, and you know where to find me if things get weird." He assured me.

In the crowd, I spotted Joe's stupid face almost immediately.

His gaze met mine, smug and grinning, like he was satisfied with whatever twisted game he was playing.

A fucking creep.

He let go of Ellie's hand, turned, and walked to a quieter spot, somewhere more secluded, obviously daring me to follow him.

Ellie came towards me.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her brow furrowed.

I kissed her forehead.

"Just grabbing something to drink... maybe a snack too. You want anything?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I'll come with you..."

I quickly shook my head, giving her a reassuring smile.

"We still gotta act like we're fighting, love. Just go to Leo, I won't be long, promise."

She hesitated, but then gave in.

"Okay... but you're acting weird..."

"Just because I love you..." I said, looking right into her eyes.

Ellie's eyes trembled lightly, like she was sensing something off.

"I love you too..."

She let go of my hand, and I watched her walk to the sofa.

Damn it, why is this starting to feel so fucking bad?

I walked, and as I rounded the corner, I spotted Joe standing there, leaning over the railing.

Of course, he was just waiting for me to take the bait.

I was pissed and nervous, no doubt about it, but he wasn't gonna see me lose it.

I have to keep my shit together.

I slowly walked over him.

There was no one else around.

No music, no voices, just him and me now.

A/N

NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE...

💣🔥💥🥺😭😫