More Than Friends

Chapter 55: Crossin' the Line

The project Devin had been working on dragged on longer than either of them expected. It seemed like no matter how much progress they made, the deadlines kept moving, and the late nights at work continued. Nicole had tried to be patient, knowing that Devin was doing his best to balance work and their family. They had been working on their issues, having long conversations about trust and communication, but deep down, Nicole still felt uneasy—especially with Jasmine still in the picture.

Things had been tense, but manageable—until Jasmine pulled something that sent Nicole over the edge.

Jasmine's Latest Move

It happened on a Wednesday afternoon. Devin had mentioned that he and his team would be working late again, and Nicole had reluctantly accepted it. She had been trying to keep the peace, trusting Devin's words even though she still felt a knot of discomfort whenever Jasmine's name came up.

But that afternoon, Nicole received an unexpected message on social media—from Jasmine.

"Hey Nicole, hope you're doing well! Just wanted to let you know how great it's been working with Devin lately. We make such a good team. He's been a lifesaver on this project, staying late to help me out. You must be so proud of him!"

The message was laced with a subtle smugness that made Nicole's blood boil. It wasn't just what Jasmine had said—it was the way she said it. The insinuation, the audacity of reaching out to Nicole directly, made it clear that Jasmine was overstepping.

Nicole stared at the message, her hands shaking with anger. How dare she? After everything, Jasmine was acting like she had some claim over Devin, like her presence in his life was something Nicole should just accept.

The Breaking Point

When Devin got home that night, he could immediately sense that something was wrong. Nicole was sitting on the couch, her arms crossed, her jaw clenched in a way that told him this wasn't going to be an easy conversation.

"Hey, Nic—what's going on?" Devin asked cautiously, setting his bag down.

Nicole stood up, her eyes blazing with anger. "You need to explain something to me, Devin. Why the hell is Jasmine messaging me, talking about how great you've been working together?"

Devin's face went pale, and he blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Wait, what? Jasmine messaged you?"

Nicole held up her phone, showing him the message. "Yeah, she did. And I'm done with it, Devin. I'm done with her. She's crossing the line, and I don't know why you haven't done something about it."

Devin ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "Nic, I didn't know she messaged you. I swear, I had nothing to do with that."

"But you let her get this comfortable," Nicole snapped, her voice trembling with emotion. "You've been working late with her for weeks, and now she feels bold enough to reach out to me like she has some kind of hold on you. Do you even realize how this looks?"

Devin sighed, rubbing his temples. "I get it, Nic. I do. But there's nothing going on. She's just a coworker, and this project—"

Nicole cut him off, her voice rising. "This project has gone on long enough, Devin! You've been spending more time with her than with me and Amani, and I can't take it anymore. You promised things would change, but they haven't. And now she's sending me messages, acting like she's more important than your family!"

Devin shook his head, his frustration building. "I'm doing everything I can for us, Nic. I've been trying to fix things, but you have to trust me. I don't control what Jasmine does—"