Hi everyone. Today, I’m doing something new. Falling for Catastrophe will be posted here on Patreon in a serialized fashion. Chapters will drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The whole book is already available for purchase, but here on Patreon, it will be free. I hope you enjoy Jason and Isabelle’s story. Be warned: this book contains dark themes that may be triggering for some readers.
PROLOGUE – ISABELLE
Run, run, don’t stop, don’t look back, just run, run. The mantra keeps me going. I stumble over an exposed tree root and fall hard on my hands and knees, but I don’t even register the pain. I get up and keep running while my heart feels like it’s going to explode out of my chest.
The forest is quiet tonight; there’s no sound of animals, as if they sense evil is on the prowl, hunting me. Even the moon decided to hide behind heavy clouds, and the darkness is so thick, it envelops me completely. My labored breathing is loud in my ears. I can’t see two steps ahead of me, but I shouldn’t complain. If I can’t see shit, then he can’t see me either.
I hear the faint burble of water running over rocks, and I dare to let hope flare in my chest. I’m going in the right direction. The small stream runs parallel to the road. I just have to cross it, and then I’ll be a step closer to freedom. I’m so near now that I not only hear the stream but smell the moss that covers the stones near the bank.
Suddenly, the ground disappears from beneath my feet, and I tumble down the hill and land halfway into the stream with a loud splash. I curse my clumsiness as I try to keep the panic from rising. My pulse skyrockets, and I can’t perceive any sound besides the pounding in my ears until I hear his mocking voice calling me.
“Isabelle, Isabelle. You can run, but you can’t hide from me, cariño.”
A whimper escapes my lips, and I hate myself for being weak. His sweet tone puts more fear in my heart than if he had screamed at me in anger or called me names. I remain frozen in place for what feels like an eternity before adrenaline kicks in and I force myself to get up and keep running for my life.
Nicola/Isabelle
I hug the welcome folder tight against my body as I stare at my new school building. My heart shrivels inside my chest. Maverick Prep. Another private school filled with assholes who think they can destroy your life without repercussions. I’d have gone to a big public school where I could disappear in the crowd if the choice had been mine. But my parents felt I’d be safer here.
I touch the long scar across my forehead, now hidden by thick bangs. I almost didn’t survive my last school. I was a naive freshman who let the glamour of the wealthy seduce me until it tried to kill me. That girl is gone. Three years have passed since I first met the monster who gave me the scar, but it feels like eons ago.
Things need to be different this time. My parents had to pull a lot of strings to send me to this fancy school in the oceanside town of Triton Cove. The asshole who gave me the scar is still free, probably terrorizing other innocent girls. The fear that he’s not done with me is real, hence I had to move across the Atlantic Ocean and change names.
I also had to die.
With a shaky breath, I take a step forward, and another. I can almost hear the ominous soundtrack in the background. Once I enter the automatic doors, I freeze. Panic constricts my airways. Maverick Prep is a replica of my old school. It’s not just the modern vibe, or the wide windows in the hallway that let me see inside the classrooms. It’s the people. The uniform looks too much like my old one. Same colors—navy with red accents. It didn’t dawn on me until now.
I’m going to be sick.
“What the hell are you doing? Move!”
I’m shoved aside by a burly guy with a shaved head. Jesus fucking Christ. So it begins.
An angry retort bubbles up my throat, but I swallow it down. I have to fly under the radar of the popular students here. In my experience, the higher they stand in the school hierarchy, the worse human beings they are.
Someone chuckles. A guy.
I turn with a frown, ready to ask what he finds so funny. Shit, reining in my nature will be hard. He’s leaning against the wall with one foot propped against it. He’s the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. A little on the pale side for a person living in coastal California, but it suits him. His aquamarine-blue eyes are framed by ridiculously long lashes, but it’s his full lips, curled into a grin, that make my heart flutter.
His tie hangs loose around his neck, and his shirt could use some ironing. That carelessly put-together look paired with his messy hair and cocky smile raises alarms in my head. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the top dog here, and I just caught his attention.
Crap.
His eyes widen as if he’s surprised about something, but then his gaze sharpens, turning dark.
“Fresh meat and already creating trouble.” He pushes off the wall and walks over.
“I’m not.”
He tilts his head. “You’re not fresh meat, or you’re not creating trouble?”
I let out a sigh. I can’t let him rope me into mind games. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m late to see the headmaster,” I lie.
“I’ll walk with you.”
“Why?” The question escapes my lips before I can stop it. Damn it.
He gives me a lopsided grin, showing a hint of teeth. He’s like a wolf who’s toying with his prey before he pounces. My pulse accelerates, but I’m not sure if it’s from fear, excitement, or both.
Isabelle, if you fall for another asshole, then you’re seriously messed up in the head.
He smirks. “I don’t need a reason.”
Of course, he doesn’t. He has the attitude of the king of school.
“Jason, babe. I’ve been looking all over for you.” A tall brunette sashays toward us, flanked by two friends in a perfectly executed Beyoncé squad formation.
“We just saw each other,” he replies in a bored tone.
I step aside, knowing this chick will become territorial in the blink of an eye.
Her fake smile falters, and then she cuts her cold stare in my direction. I pretend I don’t notice her and keep walking. It’s a struggle to maintain a normal pace and not sprint down the hallway.
“Who was that weirdo?” she asks loud enough for me to hear.
“Don’t know. Some new girl.”
“What’s with her hair? She looks like a Black Veil Brides reject,” another girl pipes up.
“Is that a bad thing?” Jason asks with a hint of annoyance.
I turn a corner, and the cacophony of several people speaking at once makes it impossible to keep eavesdropping on their conversation. Not that I care to know what they think about how I look. My jet-black hair and brown contact lenses were some of the changes I had to make, besides using a fake name.
I find my locker and then go straight to my first-period class. Unfortunately, it’s advanced Spanish, and I couldn’t get out of it. The monster who tried to kill me was from Spain, and every time I hear the language, it makes my skin crawl.
There’s an empty chair in the back corner, and that’s where I park my butt. Hopefully, no one will notice me. I pull out my cell phone to appear busy and avoid making eye contact with anyone.
I’m not allowed to keep in touch with my old friends or follow them on social media, because it’s too risky. But no one can stop me from keeping up with the classical music scene. Before Juan came into my life, I was on the path to becoming one of the greatest violinists in the world—according to my tutors, that is. Now, thanks to needing to keep a low profile, I had to give up my dream. Of all the sacrifices I had to make, that was the hardest.
Glutton for punishment that I am, I decide to watch Seo-Jun Kim’s latest performance. She was my biggest competition, and since I was forced to abandon my career, there’s no one stopping her from claiming the throne of violin prodigy.
Tears of frustration gather in my eyes, and I’m lost in my pain.
“I didn’t peg you for a classical music fan,” a voice says near my ear, and even through the AirPods, I can hear Jason clearly. He sounds more annoyed than curious.
I jump in my seat and turn to glare. Big mistake. He’s much too close, and I almost bump my nose with his. Quickly, I lean back.
“Have you ever heard of privacy?” I ask.
He smiles, but it’s grim, and something inside me shivers a little. “No. And a word of advice—if you have any secrets you’d like to keep, I’d suggest you play nice with me.”
The teacher enters the classroom then, prompting Jason to step away and return to his seat far away from me. Thank God he’s not my neighbor. Unfortunately, his statement rattled me. I’m still reeling from it when the teacher calls my name.
“Yes?” I blurt out.
“No ‘yes,’ Señorita Devlin. Nosotros solo hablamos español en clase.”
“Perdón.”
Everyone is now staring at me, which makes my face heat up like a hot-air balloon. Hell.
He asks me to introduce myself to the rest of the class, because I’m starting school a week late. I’m fluent in Spanish, but when I open my mouth to say the rehearsed background story, no words come out. To my dismay, my body begins to shake. Black dots appear in my vision, and then nothing.
Nicola/Isabelle
When I wake up, I’m lying on my back, and there’s a bright light on the ceiling that hurts my eyes. I try to get up, but a hand on my arm stops me.
“Don’t move just yet,” Jason says. “Nurse Veronica, your patient is awake.”
I turn my head and find him sitting on a chair next to the exam table. Oh no. I must have fainted during Spanish class.
“Did you bring me here?” I ask.
He smiles in an enigmatic way but doesn’t answer. It doesn’t bring me comfort. It’s chilling. A moment later, the nurse opens the partition and walks in.
“How are you feeling, Ms. Devlin?”
“I’m fine.”
She watches me through a hard stare. “People who are fine don’t faint. Does this happen often?”
Why is she asking me personal questions in front of Jason? Doesn’t anyone in this school know the meaning of privacy?
“You have my medical records, so you know the answer to that already,” I snap.
Her lips become a thin, flat line. “I see. When was the last time you ate?”
Oh God. Seriously?
I sit up to show her that I really am okay. The reason I fainted was psychological, but hell if I’m going to tell her that in front of Jason. Now that I know she couldn’t care less about protecting my privacy, she’ll get nothing from me, even if the pest is not present.
“I had a good breakfast. Listen, I’m fine. Can I go now?” I jump off the bench.
Dizziness doesn’t hit me, probably because no one is forcing me to speak Spanish.
Jason stands and tells the nurse, “I’ll escort Nicola to her next class, just in case she’s not feeling as great as she claims.”
The nurse gives him a nod. “You do that, Jason.”
I don’t wait for him before I walk out of the nurse’s office. I’m glad that once we hit the hallway, there’s not a soul in sight. I glance at the clock mounted on the wall; classes are still in progress.
“We have a few minutes before the next period. Let’s get some fresh air,” Jason says.
If I were smarter, I’d make an excuse not to follow him, but I’m curious about his game. It seems I’m playing it whether I want to or not, so I might as well understand the rules.
“You didn’t answer my question. Did you carry me out of Spanish class?”
“Someone had to. I can’t believe your nose didn’t break. Your face hit the desk pretty hard.”
Way to go unnoticed, Isabelle.
I touch my nose, finding it tender. It would have sucked breaking it again. “Small blessings, I guess.”
Once outside, Jason leads me to a picnic table that’s partially shaded by an oak tree. He sits on the shaded side. No wonder he’s pale. Does he ever get any sun?
I slide onto the bench across from him and then endure his scrutinizing stare without flinching.
After a long stretch of silence, he shakes his head and sticks his hand in his jacket pocket.
“Here. Have this.” He slides a fruit bar across the table.
I stare at the snack for a couple of beats without moving, taken aback by the offering. With a frown, I lift my face to his. “I said earlier I had a good breakfast.”
“So? That means nothing.”
I return the snack to him, but before I can pull my hand back, he traps it underneath his, angling his body forward.
“What’s your deal, Nicola Devlin?”
Hating how his touch sends a ripple of pleasure up my arm, I yank my hand free. “I could ask you the same thing, Jason.”
He narrows his eyes. “You remind me of someone.”
I feel the blood drain from my face. He can’t possibly know who I am. I look nothing like I used to. Besides the different hair and eye color, my nose was broken, and the doctors couldn’t fix it back to how it was. It’s different, though not terrible.
“My appearance is pretty ordinary,” I say.
“If you say so. Why did you come to Triton Cove?”
“Oh, we’re playing the third-degree game now?”
He leans back, smiling like the cat who ate the canary. “You don’t like to talk about yourself, do you?”
“No. I’m a private person.”
“Or you have something to hide. No one comes to Triton Cove, much less enrolls at Maverick Prep in the middle of the semester, if there isn’t some juicy motive behind it.”
Damn it. This dude is like a dog with a bone.
“I missed one week of class. That hardly qualifies as middle of the semester,” I retort.
“What do your parents do?”
“They’re business executives. They live in Europe.” The lie rolls off my tongue easily since I rehearsed it so many times.
His eyebrows arch. “Oh, so you’re boarding.”
I don’t like how that information perks him up.
“Yes.”
His smile broadens. “Me too.”
Great. That means he can harass me during and after school.
The bell rings, ending this torturous conversation.
I get up first. “Well, Jason. It’s been real, and it’s been fun, but I can’t say it’s been real fun.”
NICOLA / ISABELLE
When the first school day is finally over, I’m destroyed mentally and physically. The stress of navigating a new place and avoiding giving too much information about myself was exhausting. I could have done without Jason’s attention.
My fainting episode didn’t go unnoticed. I bet that Jason taking me to the nurse’s office also helped get the rumor mill going. I heard all types of theories, from anorexia to being knocked up. Since those stories are nowhere close to the truth, I don’t mind them. I’m sure by the end of the week it will be forgotten.
I must keep my distance from Jason, though. The last thing I need is to be pulled into his orbit.
Once I enter my dorm room, I let out a breath of relief. I can finally relax. I’m one of the lucky few who doesn’t have a roommate, and that’s thanks to my parents’ friendship with the headmaster, whom they’ve known since they were in high school. He’s the only person in Triton Cove who knows Isabelle Maldonaro is still alive.
After the nurse’s behavior and Jason’s claim that he could uncover all my secrets, I’m not that happy that the headmaster knows my true identity. I’ll just have to keep my fingers crossed that Jason never gets hold of that information.
I take off my clothes as I walk to the en suite bathroom, another perk I bet not many students have. The first thing I do is remove my contact lenses. My eyes are dry and burning like a mother. This is the worst part of my disguise. I wish I hadn’t worn them today. Now I’m stuck.
My parents insisted it was necessary because my natural eye color is too unique. Not many people in the world have violet eyes like Elizabeth Taylor. I didn’t know the lenses would be so uncomfortable.
Next step is to remove the heavy makeup. I never wore much before, but now I need to hide my freckles. When I’m done peeling off all the layers of my disguise, it’s like a weight has been removed from my shoulders. I’m finally myself. Okay, my hair is not naturally this dark, but at least it suits me. And I’ve had time to get used to my new nose.
Knowing that I have a ton of catching up to do, thanks to the week of classes I missed, I hop into the shower so I can snuggle up in bed and do my homework after.
My plan goes up in flames and I almost have a heart attack when I walk out of the bathroom and find Jason chilling on my bed with his hands linked behind his head.
I let out a scream and almost lose the towel wrapped around my body. Panic sets in and I begin to hyperventilate.
“Jesus, what’s wrong with you?” He jumps out of bed and walks over.
Clutching my towel, I glare at the asshole. “What’s… wrong… with me?”
He places his hands on my arms as if he wants to help me stay upright. “Just breathe.”
I’d push him off if I wasn’t busy trying to draw air into my lungs. I’m wheezing, and it’s embarrassing as hell. Although, I shouldn’t feel this way when he’s the one responsible for my panic attack.
His thumbs make small circles over my skin. It’s a soothing motion that does things to my body. I hold his stare, grateful that his eyes are nothing like Juan’s. It doesn’t look like Jason is breathing as he watches me. But his eyes seem to burn with fury for a moment, contradicting what his hands are doing to me.
It takes me a minute to recover the ability to breathe properly. When I do, I step away from him.
“You… how…”
The emotion shining in his gaze vanishes, and he shrugs. “I knocked. You didn’t answer it, so I used my master key.”
“You have a master key?” I shriek.
“Are you going to repeat everything I say?”
I’m feeling dizzy, so I make a beeline to my bed and sit down. “What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t simply barge into somebody’s room.”
“I was worried. You did faint earlier.” He gives me an innocent smile.
Worried my ass.
“Well, congratulations. You almost made me faint again.”
“Was that why you passed out earlier? Because you were having a panic attack?”
Shit. I’ve said too much.
“What do you want?” I grit out.
“I already told you. I came to check on you.” He cocks his head. “Are you wearing colored contact lenses?”
Ah crap. I forgot I removed my lenses before the shower. But he thinks my natural color is brown… “Yes.”
“It suits you. And you shouldn’t wear so much makeup to hide your freckles. Guys prefer the more natural look.”
My eyebrows arch. “Aren’t you conceited and a half? You think whatever women do is to please men, don’t you?”
He chuckles. “Am I wrong?”
“Yes,” I hiss. “I couldn’t care less what you think.”
“So, are you saying you hate yourself so much that you need to cover your face with layers of chemicals?”
This dude is seriously pissing me off. To hell with playing nice. I jump from the bed and stride toward him, stopping only when I’m in his space.
“I don’t hate myself. I hate arrogant asses who think the world revolves around them.”
The amused grin vanishes from his lips. His eyes narrow, turning intense as he stares into mine. I make a motion to step back, but he grabs my chin, forcing me to maintain eye contact as he studies me. The rough grip triggers bad memories, but at the same time, his touch is electrifying in a good way.
What am I thinking? Did my horrific experience fuck me up in the head?
“Those are amazing contacts, Nicola. They look real.” He releases me and steps back. “Have you ever played an instrument, by any chance?”
His change of subject makes my head spin. “What?”
“The violin, perhaps?” He quirks an eyebrow.
My stomach turns into knots as my pulse skyrockets. Oh my God, he recognizes me.
“No. What prompted that question?”
He shrugs. “You were watching one of the best young violinists in the world. It was a safe guess.”
I exhale and pray he doesn’t notice my relief. “Well, you guessed wrong.” I cross my arms.
“All right, then. I’d better go. Don’t want you to get in trouble for having a male guest in your room.”
His eyes flash with a devilish glint before he walks out, leaving the door ajar.
Fucking asshole.
