More Than Friends

Chapter 52: Driftin' Apart

The days continued to pass, and while Devin kept assurin' Nicole that things would settle down after his big project, it didn't seem like much was changin'. Devin was still workin' late most nights, and Nicole couldn't shake the feelin' that Jasmine was becomin' too involved in his life.

One evenin', Devin came home late again, his tie loosened and his face showin' signs of exhaustion. Nicole had already put Amani to bed and was sittin' on the couch, waitin' for him.

"You late again," Nicole said softly, tryin' to hide the frustration that had been buildin' up for weeks.

Devin sighed, settin' his bag down. "I know, Nic. I'm sorry. It's just this project. We're almost done, I promise."

Nicole looked at him, her heart heavy with worry. "But it's not just the work, Dev. It's the fact that every time you mention the project, you mention Jasmine. You spendin' all your time with her. How am I supposed to feel?"

Devin frowned, his shoulders slouchin' with exhaustion. "She's part of the team, Nic. That's it. I don't know why you're makin' such a big deal out of it."

Nicole felt her chest tighten at his words. "Because it feels like you're driftin' away from us. Like work is more important than your family."

Devin rubbed his temples, clearly frustrated. "That's not true, Nic. I'm doin' this for us—for you and Amani. But you gotta trust me. There's nothin' goin' on with Jasmine."

Nicole stood up, feelin' the tension between them grow. "I do trust you, Dev. But I also feel like you're not hearin' me. I'm tellin' you that somethin' doesn't feel right, and you're brushin' it off like it's nothin'."

Devin sighed again, his frustration evident. "I don't know what else to tell you, Nic. I'm workin' hard to provide for our family, and Jasmine is just helpin' me with that. That's all there is to it."

Nicole bit her lip, feelin' tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She didn't want to argue, but she couldn't shake the feelin' that somethin' was off. "I just want us to be okay," she whispered.

Devin stepped closer, his voice softenin'. "We are okay, Nic. I love you. This is just a busy time, but once it's over, I'll be home more. I promise."

Nicole nodded, but the doubt lingered. She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't shake the feelin' that their relationship was slowly driftin' apart, and Jasmine seemed to be at the center of it.

A Picture That Changes Everything

A few days later, while Nicole was scrollin' through social media again, she came across another picture from Devin's work event. This time, it was more recent—a photo from a late-night work celebration after they had hit a milestone in the project.

Nicole's heart sank when she saw the image. Devin and Jasmine were standin' next to each other again, but this time, their body language felt more familiar, more comfortable than it should. Jasmine's hand rested lightly on Devin's arm, and Devin didn't seem to be pullin' away. The picture wasn't inappropriate, but it was enough to make Nicole's stomach twist.

She immediately felt a wave of doubt wash over her. Was she overreactin'? Was she lettin' her insecurities get the best of her? Or was there somethin' deeper goin' on between Devin and Jasmine?

The thought kept runnin' through her mind as she sat on the couch, starin' at the picture. She didn't want to accuse Devin of anythin', but at the same time, she couldn't ignore how much this was botherin' her.

Another Argument

That night, when Devin came home, Nicole couldn't hold back any longer. She needed to talk to him, to clear the air and figure out what was really goin' on.

"Dev, we need to talk," Nicole said as soon as he walked through the door.

Devin sighed, already lookin' worn out from the day. "What is it now, Nic?"

Nicole took a deep breath, tryin' to keep her emotions in check. "I saw another picture of you and Jasmine today. Y'all looked...closer than I'm comfortable with. I'm tryin' to trust you, but I feel like you're not bein' honest with me."

Devin frowned, his frustration clear. "Nic, I don't know why you keep bringin' this up. I've told you already—there's nothin' goin' on between me and Jasmine. She's just a coworker. That's it."

Nicole shook her head, feelin' the tension build inside her. "But you're always with her, Dev. You spend more time with her than you do with me and Amani. How am I supposed to feel?"

Devin threw his hands up in frustration. "What do you want me to do, Nic? Quit my job? Stop workin' with her? I'm tryin' to do what's best for our family, but you keep actin' like I'm doin' somethin' wrong."

Nicole's chest tightened, tears wellin' up in her eyes. "I'm not sayin' you're doin' somethin' wrong, but I need you to hear me. I feel like we're driftin' apart, and I don't want to lose you."

Devin softened at her words, his shoulders slouchin' as he stepped closer to her. "Nic, you're not gonna lose me. I love you. But you gotta trust me on this. Jasmine is just helpin' me with work, nothin' more."

Nicole wiped at her tears, feelin' conflicted. She wanted to believe him, but the doubt was still there, lingerin' in the back of her mind.

Tension Lingers

That night, Nicole lay in bed, her back turned to Devin as they both tried to sleep. The tension between them was palpable, and even though Devin had reassured her, Nicole couldn't shake the feelin' that somethin' was still off.

She didn't know if she was overreactin' or if her instincts were tryin' to tell her somethin', but either way, the tension between her and Devin wasn't goin' away. And as much as she wanted to trust him, the growing distance between them made it hard to ignore the doubts that were creepin' into her mind.