ONCE MORE, WITH YOU

XXVI

Summer Preston

"She's calling." My voice cut through the low hum of the movie playing on the screen, drawing Nolan and Adrianna's attention.

Instead of letting me drown in self-pity, they had ordered Crumbl Cookies, their idea of emotional support. It wasn't the worst plan. The moment I bit into the Cookies & Cream cookie, a wave of temporary relief washed over me.

"What did she say?" Nolan mumbled around a bite of the worst cookie Crumbl had ever made—the semi-sweet chocolate chunk.

"She said she's calling, not texting, dumbass," Adrianna scoffed, launching a pillow at him.

I shook my head at their antics and got up, phone in hand, walking out of the room as I answered. Leaning my back against the hallway wall, I took a steadying breath before pressing the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Summer, can I come over? We need to talk about what happened."

A bitter laugh slipped from my lips. "Talk about how you have a wife and a girlfriend at the same damn time?" My irritation spiked just saying it out loud.

"She's not important to me, just hear me out—"

"I trusted you," I cut her off. My voice trembled—not with sadness, but with frustration. "I trusted you when I didn't even want to. After you walked away, I still gave you another chance, and this is how you repay me? Do you know how fucking stupid I felt when she introduced herself as your wife—"

"Can you open the door?" she interrupted, her voice urgent now. "I'm outside. You're going to talk to me one way or another—I don't care if you yell, but we're having this conversation because I'm not losing you again."

I exhaled sharply, gripping my phone tighter. "I never agreed to talk."

"I don't care," she shot back, and as if on cue, the doorbell rang.

Adrianna and Nolan peeked out from my room, eyes wide with curiosity. I hung up the phone as I looked between the two.

"You two need to leave," I said, snatching the Crumbl box from them.

"What? Why?" they groaned in unison.

"My girlfriend is here." I paused, rolling my eyes at the absurdity of my own words. "Or I don't know if she's my girlfriend, since she's married, but you get the point."

"We'll leave, but we're coming back," Adrianna warned, pointing a finger at me before turning to Nolan. "Do you want to get Cane's while we wait?"

"I was thinking Sweet Frog," Nolan mused, raising an eyebrow.

"Why not both?" Adrianna proposed.

Nolan sighed dramatically. "If you insist."

"You two are ridiculous. You just had Crumbl," I deadpanned.

"Oh, shut up," Adrianna scoffed. "We're literally going to bring you something back, and I bet you'll eat it."

"Fair point. Just get out."

They grabbed their keys and slipped on their shoes.

"We'll be back soon. Get your wife back," Adrianna called over her shoulder—then immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. "Shit, sorry. Too soon."

Nolan stifled a laugh until I smacked him upside the head. "Get out of my house," I groaned, ushering them out the door.

As I turned back, my eyes landed on Solené's car in my driveway. The moment she stepped out, my stomach twisted. She looked hesitant but determined, her eyes locking onto mine as she approached.