Haille blinked at her, then smiled shyly.
“Hi,” Astrid said gently.
“Hi,” Haille echoed.
Astrid straightened and looked back at me. “How are you holding up?” she asked quietly.
“I’m okay,” I said. “Busy with work and this little beauty.” I smiled, glancing down at Haille.
Astrid nodded. “If you ever need anything,” she said gently, “just let us know. We’re friends.”
“Yeah, thank you,” I replied.
William shifted his grip on the cart. “We’re hosting lunch this weekend since Jeremy’s in town,” he added. “No pressure. Just thought I’d mention it.”
I smiled faintly. “Thanks. I’ll see how it goes once Adrian’s back.”
After a few more polite exchanges, we parted ways. As I walked toward the checkout, Haille started humming softly again, her small hand gripping the edge of the cart.
Truthfully, over the past two years, I hadn’t reached out to Astrid much. It wasn’t deliberate at first. It just... happened.
After everything fell apart, I turned inward. Because every time I saw Astrid after that, I felt exposed. Seen too clearly. Like she remembered me at my weakest, clutching betrayal in both hands.
And every time I was around them, it felt like I carried his betrayal on my back, as if they knew exactly where the cracks were, even when they never mentioned them.
Seeing Astrid just now reminded me of that distance. Of how small my world had become without me fully realizing it.
I was just tired of being the woman everyone tiptoed around.
And maybe, without meaning to, I chose isolation because it felt like the only thing I could still control.
CHAPTER 21
Elena
I got home earlier than usual that Friday. After parking in the driveway, I sat in the car for a moment before stepping out, letting the engine die down as silence settled around me. There was a nervous tension in my chest that I didn’t need, and I hated it because I knew exactly where it came from. Adrian had texted me that he was already on the plane. In a few hours, he would be home.
Thankfully, Haille had been picked up by Avery earlier that afternoon. She was still at Judy’s, playing and probably being spoiled. Avery said she’d bring her home later after dinner. It gave me time. Space. A rare stretch of quiet.
I went inside and moved on instinct, like my body knew what to do even though my mind wasn’t fully ready. I prepped dinner, tied my hair back, changed into something comfortable, and started cooking.
Time passed. The food was ready, neatly arranged on the table—creamy Tuscan chicken, focaccia bread, and steamed asparagus. The kitchen was clean, quiet again after the work of cooking.
Adrian texted again, he was in a taxi, on his way home. Less than half an hour.
I went upstairs for a quick shower. The warm water loosened the tightness in my chest just a little. I didn’t linger, just long enough to feel refreshed. I was already clean and changed when I heard the front door open downstairs.
Footsteps followed. Heavy. Familiar.
My heart started racing without my permission.
I went downstairs and saw him standing in the living room, his suitcase set aside near the wall.
Adrian looked... unfairly handsome.
Travel exhaustion clung to him in a way that only sharpened his features—the slight hollow beneath his cheekbones, the stubble along his jaw, the loosened collar of his shirt exposing a hint of skin I knew too well.
He looked older than the man I married, harder somehow, but no less devastating. If anything, time and distance had only made him more dangerous to my composure. And the worst part was how easily my body remembered him.
