The Spring She Grew Into

That night, Adrian texted that he was swamped with work and would not make it back.

For the next three days, he was like a ghost–no word from him at all.

However, on Yvette's social media, Janice saw pictures of a beach at midnight, brilliant fireworks, and hands clasped tight under the old oak tree in a churchyard.

The captions were all floating in a cloud of pink. [He said, "Romance is mine," and I am forever her.]

Janice scoffed as she looked at the screen, then shot off a message to her realtor.

[List the house, now.]

Later that night, Adrian called to say they should go to a friend's birthday party together.

Janice was not in the mood.

Adrian's voice was laced with impatience. "Jayden's been on about how we haven't hung out in ages, so he made me invite you.

"Don't waste time. I'll be there in ten minutes to pick you up."

The call ended with a sharp click, leaving Janice staring at her phone, fuming.

As she reached to open the passenger door, a wave of sweetness hit her. Yvette was there, beaming up at her.

"Hey there, Janice."

Janice knew Yvette all too well. She would run into her plenty during her visits to see Adrian overseas. The girl was always batting those doe eyes, sweetly calling her "sister" and vowing to "keep an eye on your brother-in-law" for her.

It seemed her version of keeping an eye on him was to keep him right in her bed.

"Oops, sorry, Janice. I got carsick, so I snagged the front seat," said Yvette, comfortably lounging and twirling the seatbelt around her finger. "Adrian saved it just for me."

Adrian coughed slightly. "Yvette's my assistant now. It made sense to give her a ride."

The moment the car door shut, Yvette, like she owned the place, dug out a pack of gum and waved it at Janice.

"Chewing gum? This brand's the only thing that helps with my motion sickness. Good thing Adrian remembered to stock up for me."

She inhaled deeply, her nose wrinkling theatrically. "Ah, new perfume! The last one was so overpowering, I couldn't stop sneezing. Adrian's such a sweetheart, swapping it out on the sly."

Her finger then darted to a trinket in the car, and she squealed with delight.

"Wow, this little trinket looks so familiar. Oh my gosh! Isn't this the super-rare blind box figure I was obsessed with? The one that's like finding a needle in a haystack? How many boxes did you go through to find it?"

Yvette's shrieks were like a barrage of tiny darts, each one piercing Janice's heart.

Janice glanced up and caught sight of Adrian in the rearview mirror, his lips curled into a fond, indulgent smile as he drove. She realized that the man she had always taken such great care of could be just as thoughtful in return.

She turned away, pretending to be lost in the deep night outside the window, and stealthily wiped away a tear that had dared to escape.

In the passenger seat, Yvette caught Janice's eye in the mirror, and her smile grew even wider.

When they walked into the private room, their old friends immediately started ribbing them. "Look who's here! The soon-to-be-wedded couple has graced us with their presence!"

"So, Adrian, when's the big day? You've got to let us know so we can get our gifts ready!"

Janice paused, looking over at Adrian. However, he was busy giving Yvette a nervous glance, her expression souring, and quickly diverted the conversation. "Let's talk about that later. Tonight's all about celebrating Jayden. Let's make sure he's the one we're toasting to the ground."

Adrian's buddies, the same ones who had been at his proposal, jumped in to lighten the mood. "Right, right, let's make a deal–whoever hits the floor first tonight is footing the bill!"

Janice's gaze fell, and she quietly slipped into a corner to sit down.

Adrian, after getting Yvette settled, instinctively draped his jacket over her legs. It was only after this gesture that he caught a glimpse of Janice, sitting alone, and could not help but feel a twinge of guilt.

Adrian leaned in a bit closer to Janice, trying to clear the air with a few words. Janice, who was usually glued to his side, was staring down at her phone, not even bothering to look up at him.

Adrian was taken aback and could not help but peek at her phone, only to find a shopping page full of wedding dresses staring back at him.

A smirk tugged at his lips as he leaned back, settling into the chair with a cool, dismissive ease.