More Than Friends

Chapter 53:Devin's POV - The Distance

Work had been non-stop for weeks, and Devin could feel the pressure mountin'. The project he'd been workin' on was one of the biggest of his career, and he knew that gettin' it right would secure a lot of future opportunities for him and his team. But lately, it felt like no matter how much progress they made, it wasn't enough. He was exhausted, physically and mentally, and he could tell that Nicole was feelin' the strain too.

He hated leavin' her and Amani at home so much. When he'd walk through the door late at night, and see Nicole already half-asleep, or sometimes upset, it weighed on him. But what was he supposed to do? This project had a deadline, and he needed to see it through. He kept tellin' himself that once it was done, things would go back to normal. They'd have more time together, and he'd make it up to her.

But lately, Nicole had been actin' differently. She seemed distant, like she didn't trust him. And that hurt more than he expected.

At Work: The Stress Builds

Devin sat at his desk one afternoon, starin' at his computer screen, tryin' to focus on the endless tasks in front of him. His mind, though, kept driftin' back to Nicole, and the way she had been actin' the last few nights. She had mentioned Jasmine again, and he couldn't understand why Nicole was so fixated on her.

Jasmine was smart, ambitious, and she'd been a huge help on the project, but that's where it ended. Devin didn't see her as anything more than a colleague, but Nicole was startin' to act like there was more to it. And the more she brought it up, the more frustrated he felt.

"Everything good?" Jasmine's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Devin looked up, surprised to see her standin' by his desk. "Yeah, just tryin' to stay on top of everything," he said, leanin' back in his chair.

Jasmine smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "We're almost there, Devin. You've been doin' a great job. Don't stress too much."

Devin nodded, appreciatin' the encouragement, but his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't shake the feelin' that things at home were fallin' apart. As Jasmine walked away, he thought about what Nicole had said the night before—how she felt like they were driftin' apart. He didn't want her to feel that way, but it was hard to explain how much pressure he was under.

The Argument

That night, after another long day at work, Devin walked through the front door feelin' drained. He had hoped Nicole would be in a good mood, but the look on her face told him otherwise. Before he even had a chance to unwind, Nicole brought up Jasmine again.

Devin sighed, feelin' the weight of the day crashin' down on him. He didn't have the energy for another argument, but he could see that Nicole wasn't lettin' this go.

"Nic, I don't know why you keep bringin' this up," he said, tryin' to keep his voice calm. "Jasmine's just a coworker. That's it."

He saw the hurt in Nicole's eyes, and for a moment, his frustration gave way to guilt. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't know how to make her understand. Work was stressin' him out enough as it was, and the last thing he needed was tension at home too.

But Nicole wasn't backin' down. She kept talkin' about how distant he was, how it felt like he was spendin' more time with Jasmine than with her and Amani. And while Devin knew that wasn't true, he didn't know how to convince her otherwise.

Feelin' Helpless

Later that night, as Devin lay in bed, starin' at the ceiling, he couldn't stop thinkin' about how wrong everything felt. He loved Nicole more than anything, but lately, it felt like no matter what he said, he couldn't make her feel better. She didn't trust him—not with Jasmine, not with work—and that realization hurt more than he wanted to admit.

"I'm doin' this for us," Devin muttered to himself, his voice barely audible in the dark room. "I'm doin' this for our family."

But as he looked over at Nicole, her back turned to him, he couldn't shake the feelin' that she didn't see it that way.

The Pressure Mounts

The next day, Devin felt the weight of the situation even more. At work, he was dealin' with deadlines, but at home, he felt like things were slippin' out of his control. Jasmine had asked him to stay late again, to finish up the final stages of the project, but all he could think about was Nicole.

She had been upset when he left that mornin', and he knew another late night would only make things worse. But what was he supposed to do? The project was almost done, and he couldn't walk away now.

Devin glanced at his phone, considerin' whether he should text Nicole, let her know that he'd be late again. But he knew she wouldn't take it well. Instead, he decided to push through the work, hopin' that soon, this would all be behind them.

Feelin' the Distance

That night, as Devin walked through the door even later than usual, the tension between him and Nicole was palpable. She barely said a word to him, and as much as Devin wanted to fix things, he didn't know where to start.

Nicole's silence spoke louder than any argument they had ever had. And as Devin sat on the couch, starin' at his hands, he couldn't help but feel like he was losin' her. He didn't want to admit it, but the distance between them was growin', and for the first time, he wasn't sure how to bridge the gap.

Tryin' to Make It Right

Later that night, after Nicole had gone to bed, Devin sat alone in the livin' room, his mind racin'. He knew he needed to do somethin' to make things right, but he didn't know where to start. He loved Nicole—he had always loved her—but the stress of work, the tension with Jasmine, and the strain on their relationship was takin' its toll.

Devin leaned his head back, closin' his eyes. "We gotta fix this," he whispered to himself, his heart heavy with the weight of it all. "I gotta make this right."