I returned our home while he toured with her novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day, Drew Carter, Kyler’s college friend, messaged me. “Wren, we’re getting

together Saturday. You coming?”

“What kind of get-together?”

“Just old classmates hanging out. Seraphina’s coming too.”

Seraphina’s coming too. Of course.

Saturday night, we arrived. Seraphina was already in the private dining room. White knit

dress, that cherry blossom necklace around her neck. The K pendant glittered under the

lights.

“Ky!” She waved at Kyler, her voice sickly sweet.

Kyler walked over and sat beside her like it was second nature. I followed and sat on his

other side.

all.”

“Hey, soon-to-be Mrs. Reed!” Auto-added to the Library

“Don’t jinx it,” Seraphina cut in with a smile. “They’re not married yet.”

Drew asked Kyler, “So, you set a wedding date?”

“Still figuring it out.”

“Seraphina’s been helping a ton, right? Your mom said she’s over all the time.”

“She’s just being nice.”

Seraphina stirred her drink, looking demure. “I’m just helping out. Wren’s so busy, after

She called me Wren, but it was sweeter than anyone. Meanwhile, around her neck hung

the custom necklace my fiancé had ordered.

“Seraphina, that necklace is gorgeous. Who gave it to you?” A girl leaned closer, Brielle

Hayes.

Seraphina pinched the pendant and shot Kyler a glance. “A friend.”

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“What kind of friend is that generous? It’s custom, right?”

“I gave it to her,” Kyler cut in. “For her birthday. Just something I picked up.”

Just something he picked up. Two months of waiting for a custom order.

Brielle looked at me, then at Kyler. “Did you get Wren one too?”

“Wren doesn’t like wearing jewelry.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t like it. He’d never bought me any, so he assumed I didn’t.

“You don’t mind, Wren?” Seraphina asked me.

“Not at all.”

“You’re so cool about it.”

Halfway through dinner, Drew started up. “Alright, let’s test how well you know each

other. Kyler, what’s your future wife’s favorite flower?”

Kyler thought. “Roses?”

“Nope. Balloon flowers.”

“Her birthday?”

“March… ninth?” He hesitated but got it right.

“What’s she scared of?”

“She’s not scared of anything.” He chuckled. “Wren’s brave.”

I’m afraid of the dark. I told him our first year. He forgot.

Drew laughed. “Man, that’s weak. Okay, Seraphina, let’s test you. What’s Kyler’s go-to

drink?”

“Americano, less sugar, warm.”

“What’s he afraid of?”

“Thunder. Lightning struck a tree in his yard when he was little. Scared him so bad he

cried.”

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“His catchphrase?”

“Don’t read so much into it.”

The whole table burst out laughing. Drew slapped the table. “Seraphina knows Kyler

better than Wren!”

“We’ve known each other ten years,” Seraphina said, smiling.

Ten years. She’d known him for ten, I’d had him for five.

She knew he was terrified of thunder. I didn’t. Not because I didn’t want to know.

Because he never told me.

With me, everything was “whatever,” “sure,” “nothing to talk about.” With her, he lit up like

a different person.

As the dinner wound down, I went to the restroom. Seraphina followed.

“Wren.” She leaned against the sink, touching up her lipstick in the mirror. “Can I say

something? Don’t take it the wrong way.”

“Go ahead.”

“Ky can be clueless, but he’s a good guy. Don’t hold it against him.”

“I’m not holding anything against him.”

“He told me you’ve been upset lately, always fighting about me.”

He told her about our problems.

“Wren, I’m gonna be blunt. If you can’t even trust him, there’s no point in getting married.”

“He goes to Japan with you every year. What exactly should I trust?”

Seraphina froze, then laughed. “Wren, those are business trips.”

“A business trip doesn’t go to the same place, same hotel, photographing the same

person year after year.”

Her smile didn’t waver, but her eyes cooled. “Wren, Ky and I are friends. If you choose to

see something else, that’s on you.”

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She grabbed her purse and paused at the door. “Oh, by the way, the living room wall in your new place? I suggested a warm gray. Ky agreed it’d look better than the creamy white

you picked.”

The door shut.

The living room wall. I’d chosen creamy white and supervised the painters for two coats myself. Kyler never set foot in that house. But he’d let Seraphina weigh in and thought her

choice was better than mine.

I splashed water on my face and walked out. Kyler was by the door.

“What took so long?”

“Washing my hands.”

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