Out of Ashes Into His Heart novel Chapter 12

Time flew by, and soon, it was the eve of the wedding.

Victor had been out of sight for days, busy with god knows what, while Amelia bustled about, clearly enjoying the preparations. But as the big day approached, my nerves only grew stronger.

Though Gavin and I had been married for two years already, without a formal wedding, the excitement I felt now reminded me of when we first registered our marriage at the town hall.

Thankfully, Dawn Hill, my best friend, had finally returned from her business trip. With her around, her jokes and chatter helped ease my anxiety.

"You're unbelievable! That Mandy Green has practically walked all over you, and you're just going to let it slide?" she said, her temper flaring.

I hadn't expected that sharing the events of the past few days with her would rile her up so much. Rolling up her sleeves, she looked ready to charge into battle.

"It's fine now," I reassured her. "Gavin has already cut ties with her.

Dawn scoffed, her expression full of disdain. "You're way too naive. If Mandy gives up that easily, I'll eat my hat!"

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Are you saying Mandy is pretending to be innocent?"

I had heard Dawn preach plenty about these so-called "types" before, but Mandy didn't quite fit my understanding of a typical green tea bitch.

"You don't know the half of it!" Dawn sneered. "She's way more advanced than a typical pick-me bitch. She's the worst kind. You can't see through her, and neither can most men.

"And seriously, what were you thinking of falling for Gavin in the first place? Just one look at that guy screams 'walking red flag.' He's nothing but a player. Not even in the same league as Tom!"

I couldn't help but chuckle, shaking my head. "If you like Tom so much, why don't you go for him yourself?"

"Because he likes you! What would be the point?"

"Don't say ridiculous things," I said, exasperated.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You're so blind. Can't you see how he feels about you? Why do you think he suddenly enlisted in the military when you married Gavin?"

I sighed in exasperation. "Don't pin everything on me. Tom is a classic role model—born and raised in a military family, destined for a career in the armed forces. It's only natural for him."

Dawn waved it off. "Forget it, trying to explain love to you is like speaking another language. Let's just drop it. Anyway, you've got Gavin's baby in you now—just focus on living a good life with him, alright?"

She reached out, gently placing a hand on my belly. "After the wedding tomorrow, head straight to the hospital with Gavin. It's better to take precautions than risk any drama from Mandy later."

"Yeah, got it."

Just as our conversation was getting lively, a knock on the door interrupted us. Moments later, Gavin stepped in, his face lighting up with a smile. Already strikingly handsome, his smile had an almost spring-like warmth to it.

"Am I interrupting?" Gavin asked.

"Not at all," Dawn quickly responded, waving her hand. "Gavin, you'd better treat Gracie well—don't let anyone bully her!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her antics. "Dawn, seriously?"

Gavin, familiar with Dawn's personality, merely smiled. Perhaps in a good mood, he even played along. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will dare."

Looking between the two of them, I shook my head, finally addressing Gavin. "Was there something you needed?"

"Dinner's ready. Let's go eat."

Dawn linked her arm with mine. "It's been ages since I had a meal at your place. I'm in for a treat tonight!"

"Then make sure you eat your fill."

Chatting and laughing, Dawn and I headed out. Passing Gavin, his phone suddenly buzzed. Both Dawn and I instinctively glanced at him. He frowned slightly before hanging up.

"Who was it?" Dawn asked.

"Spam call."