Chapter 2
For five years of marriage, I put Serena first, which meant I hadn’t seen my old friends in forever.
I booked a flight to Charleston and called up my closest buddy, Adrian Starr.
Adrian immediately arranged a gathering.
Three rounds of drinks in, the guys eyed me curiously. “We thought you abandoned us after you got married. Does Serena know you’re here?”
I took a sip and smiled. “From now on, call me anytime. No permission needed.”
My phone buzzed incessantly with calls from Serena.
Ever since Lucas returned to the States, there had been countless nights when Serena didn’t come home, leaving me anxiously dialing her number.
When I confronted her about not answering, she once snapped, “Did the sky fall? Every time I see a bunch of missed calls from you, I feel sick.”
Now, she was the one endlessly calling.
We stayed out until late, nearly midnight, when Serena suddenly burst into the bar, looking disheveled.
She pulled out a chair and sat beside me as if nothing had happened, taking my glass and scolding, “You shouldn’t drink so much when you’ve got stomach issues. Do you even care about your health?”
Her sudden concern felt jarring, almost foreign.
I glanced at her, my tone icy. “What are you doing here?”
The guys greeted her politely, and she smiled before gripping my hand tightly. “You didn’t answer my calls. I had no choice but to come find you.”
1206 PM & d
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I shook her off, my voice cold. “Serena, I’ve already told you. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Don’t overstep.”
She froze, staring at me in disbelief. I ignored her and left with Adrian, brushing past her.
Serena followed us outside, shouting after me. “Elias, I’ve come all this way to make amends. What else do you want me to do?”
“Grow up. We’re almost thirty. Do we really need to play these disappearing games after an argument?”
She climbed into the car with me and Adrian, determined to follow us.
In the car, she clutched my arm, begging to talk.
I refused, and she grew flustered. “Enough is enough. You’ve had your fun, drowned your sorrows, and now it’s time to come home.”
“You’re jealous, aren’t you? But I swear, Lucas and I are completely innocent. Why are you hurting yourself over this?”
I smirked. “You’ve misunderstood. I drank tonight because I was happy to see my friends. Nothing more.”
I pushed past her, heading into Adrian’s home, ignoring her frantic knocking at the door.
That night, I slept like a baby.
