My Love Burns for Anyone Worth It novel Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

“Perhaps it’s because we’re all headed to different colleges,” Bella mused aloud, her voice barely above a whisper as she snatched the acceptance letter from Sebastian and Ronald’s hands. Without so much as a flicker of hesitation, she dismissed the moment, her mind already racing ahead. “I’m tired. I’m going back inside.”

The door slammed behind her with a definitive thud, leaving Sebastian and Ronald standing in stunned silence. Their expressions shifted from confusion to concern, a knot of unease tightening in their chests. They exchanged glances, sensing that something was amiss, but before they could voice their worries, Bella was gone, leaving them with a cascade of unanswered questions.

“What’s going on with her?” Ronald asked, his brow furrowed as he crossed his arms, irritation simmering beneath the surface. “It’s like she’s slipping away from us, and I can’t quite figure out why.”

Sebastian sighed heavily, trying to piece together the puzzle. “Maybe you should go smooth things over with her,” he suggested, casting a sidelong glance at Ronald. He felt a twinge of guilt, assuming Bella was upset and ready to delegate the task.

Ronald ran a frustrated hand through his tousled hair, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. “I’m tired of pretending everything is fine. If you think you can handle it, then you go talk to her.”

“I’m going to find Tess,” Sebastian declared, determination flickering in his eyes. “She should have received her acceptance letter by now, and I know she’ll want to celebrate with us.”

“I’ll go see Tess too,” Ronald agreed, the idea of confronting Bella feeling too daunting at the moment.

With that, they turned away from the Shaw residence, their previous intentions to comfort Bella fading into the background. Unbeknownst to them, Bella was watching the entire exchange unfold through the video doorbell, a bitter smile creeping onto her lips as she observed their retreating figures. In her heart, she believed that soon, the three of them would be inseparable, bound together by their shared futures.

Later that evening, Sebastian and Ronald arrived at the Shaw residence, their faces adorned with cheerful smiles, as if the earlier tension had never existed. Their bright demeanor was a stark contrast to their earlier argument about who should approach Bella.

“Bella, we’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself lately,” Sebastian began, his voice laced with concern. “Remember when you mentioned wanting to check out a bar after exams? We thought it might be unsafe before, but we’re free tonight. Let us take you out.”

A passerby caught sight of the scene and shot Bella a knowing, teasing glance, but in the next moment, both Sebastian and Ronald froze, their bodies rigid as they registered something alarming.

Bella turned to see what had captured their attention. Through the throng of bodies and the pounding music, she spotted Tessa, clad in a work uniform and balancing a tray of drinks. But her heart sank as she noticed the way a drunken thug had cornered her, leering and uttering vile comments that made Bella’s stomach churn.

Tessa’s face was a mask of fear, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she stood frozen, too terrified to push back against the man who was beginning to invade her personal space.

Seeing Tessa in distress ignited a primal instinct within Sebastian and Ronald. They forgot about Bella entirely, their focus shifting to the girl they cared for. Without a second thought, they charged forward, fists flying as they landed solid blows on the drunken man, sending him crashing to the floor.

The bar erupted into chaos, the sounds of shouts and the thud of fists echoing in the air. The thug, now coughing up blood and pleading for mercy, was met with a fury that left no room for compassion. Tessa’s scream pierced through the noise, amplifying the urgency of the moment.