I Choose Him, Your Worst Enemy novel Chapter 162

The whole thing was peak Joanne, one breath spent singing Adriel's praises to the heavens, the next breath telling Wynette not to give in too easily.

It was the most Joanne thing she'd ever done, and it perfectly captured exactly how thrilled she was.

Wynette watched her best friend laugh herself breathless on the other side of the screen and didn't say a word to interrupt.

She waited until Joanne finally ran out of steam on her own, then smiled and said gently, "Drink some water, babe. Breathe."

Joanne lunged for her tumbler and took a long, theatrical gulp. "Okay but wait, can I start calling you my sister-in-law now? Like, right now?"

"Absolutely not. You're my bestie," Wynette said, with the tone of someone prepared to reach through the screen if necessary. "And nothing's happened yet, so let's not get ahead of ourselves."

The look on her face made it very clear what would follow if Joanne dared try.

Joanne, who understood Wynette on a molecular level, gave the camera a crisp, solemn OK sign.

"Okay, okay. My room has tons of books if you want something to read, and you can use my laptop too, make yourself completely at home." She grinned.

"And if you're bored, just have my brother take you out to see the night views. The rooftop stargazing is absolutely incredible, and you have to get him to take you to the glass conservatory on the estate grounds. It's stunning!"

Those were her favorite spots every time she came home, and she had every confidence Wynette would love them just as much.

Joanne had a dinner to get to, so after a couple more quick exchanges, she hung up with a cheerful wave.

A knock came at the bedroom door shortly after, and Wynette opened it to find Adriel standing in the hallway.

"It's not even seven-thirty," he said, his voice deliberately low, glancing briefly at his watch. "You're actually falling asleep this early?"

Wynette checked the time herself. Seven-eighteen.

She shook her head, dropping her own voice to match his. "Not remotely. Did you have something in mind?"

He hadn't knocked just to ask if she was tired.

Adriel curled one finger toward himself, a small, unhurried gesture, and when Wynette stepped closer, he leaned in and murmured right beside her ear. "Night walk. Come with me."

He hadn't been able to sleep, and he'd figured she probably couldn't either.

If neither of them was going to sleep, they might as well do something with the evening, and this happened to be a perfectly reasonable opportunity to earn a little ground with her.

Wynette's eyes lit up the moment the words registered. She pulled her shoulders in with a small, pleased energy and whispered back, "Give me a second to grab a jacket."

She ducked back into the room, shrugged her jacket on, and fell into step behind him.

The farm was fully illuminated even at this hour, warm light spilling across the paths in every direction, making the darkness feel friendly rather than isolating.

Adriel kept his pace deliberately slow, not wanting her to catch a root or a dip in the path she wasn't familiar with.

"Want to see the begonias over by the estate?" he asked as they walked.

He knew exactly what flowers she loved. He'd made a point of knowing.

Now that she was actually here, he wasn't about to miss the chance to show her.

Wynette's step quickened slightly, a soft smile already settling onto her face. "I really want to. I've been curious about that whole field of yours for a while now."

She'd received flowers from him before, but seeing the ones he'd grown himself felt like an entirely different thing.

She'd been quietly wondering how to bring it up, and then he'd simply offered it first.

Wynette drifted along beside him, taking in the details of the grounds as they walked.

Then, ahead in the distance, she spotted it.

A vast, sprawling sea of blossoms stretching out into the dark.

She pointed. "Is that it?"

The path lights gave off a warm, amber glow, but even through it, the field was unmistakable.

Adriel nodded, and the two of them picked up the pace together.

The night breeze moved through the air in a slow, soft current, carrying the faint, sweet fragrance of blossoms along with it.

As they drew close, Adriel took out his phone and tapped something on the screen.

The lights around the flower field bloomed to life all at once.

The two of them settled there side by side, close enough that the warmth of proximity was a tangible thing.

Wynette had assumed she was getting up, and started to shift her weight to stand, but Adriel stopped her with a quiet word.

"We're not swinging," he said, low and even. "Just sit with me for a bit."

She settled back without argument.

She let her gaze wander the conservatory slowly, taking in each corner and detail, and the longer she looked the more she felt something warm and particular growing in her chest.

The whole space was laid out almost exactly the way she would have designed it herself, down to the smallest details.

"Do you like it?" Adriel asked, his eyes on her face, his voice carrying a careful sincerity.

He'd gotten every detail of this conservatory from Joanne, built it piece by piece around what she'd told him Wynette loved.

Every single element had been chosen with Wynette in mind.

Wynette looked back around the room and answered him honestly. "I love it. I genuinely, completely love it."

And she meant every word. Her eyes gave her away entirely, bright and soft and full of it.

Adriel's expression settled into something quiet and warm. "Good."

"Joanne said the stargazing from here is incredible, and I didn't believe her at first," Wynette said, tipping her head back. Through the glass ceiling above them, the entire sky opened up, dense with stars, brilliant and unhidden on a clear night like this one.

She looked at it and thought, somewhat wistfully, that lying down to watch would make it perfect.

As if he'd heard the thought, Adriel rose from the swing and drew her gently to her feet, guiding her toward the center of the conservatory.

He reached over and pressed a button on the wall. The platform where the piano sat began to move in a slow, smooth rotation, the instrument gliding to one side to reveal what lay beneath it.

A vast, intricately handwoven rug spread across the floor, rich and plush, clearly meant to be lounged on.

Adriel pulled her down beside him onto it, and they stretched out together on their backs.

Above them, framed in glass, the night sky blazed in every direction.