Chapter 3

Adrian’s POV

Chloe holds out a hand.

Adrian moves to pull her up, but she slaps his hand away.

The guys laugh.

“Come on, Adrian. Pick her up.”

“You yell at her while she’s on the floor, and that’s your apology? Try harder.”

Adrian shakes his head with a helpless smile.

Then he bends down and scoops Chloe into his arms.

“There you go,” one of the guys says.

“You two have known each other forever. Everything you do looks like flirting.”

“Honestly, man, just marry Chloe and pay Maya off,” another jokes.

Adrian’s smile vanishes.

“Say that again.”

His voice is low and cold.

The guy snaps his mouth shut.

Chloe watches Adrian, and something shifts in her eyes.

Adrian sets her down and turns back to the saleswoman.

“Please get the dress ready as soon as you can. I need it first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Of course, Mr. Hale.”

They take Chloe to the hospital.

A while later, my phone starts to vibrate beside me.

The name on the screen reads: My Love.

It rings for more than a minute.

No one answers.

Adrian calls again.

Then a third time.

After the fourth call goes unanswered, he frowns in the hospital hallway.

“Is she tied up with Jamie?”

He opens their chat and starts typing.

[My Love: I have a surprise for you and Jamie tomorrow. Love you. ]

Then another message.

[My Love: You said your stomach’s been bothering you, so I found you a specialist. He’s treated tons of serious cases, so this should be no problem for him.]

And one last one.

[My Love: And don’t worry about the money. I’ve got it covered.]

I lie motionless on the bed. The room is deathly still, except for the buzzing of my phone.

Adrian waits, but no reply comes.

Disappointment crosses his face. Still, he holds down the record button and sends me a voice message.

“I know things have been really hard for you. I love you. Just hang in there a little longer.”

“Texting Mrs. Hale?”

Chloe walks up with a bandage on her arm.

She glances at his phone and smirks.

“Four calls and a bunch of texts, and nothing back? Looks like she’s ignoring you.”

“She’s probably busy.”

“Busy with another man, maybe.”

“Chloe.”

Adrian’s face hardens.

She folds her arms.

“Stop defending her for one second and actually listen to me.”

“What if Maya already found someone else?” Chloe asks. “What if she’s just waiting for the right moment to dump you?”

Adrian’s grip tightens on his phone.

Chloe smiles when she notices.

“Look at that. You’re hesitating.”

“Maya would never do that to me.”

“Are you sure?”

Chloe steps closer and rests one hand on his shoulder.

“Then put your money where your mouth is. Make another bet with me.”

Adrian stares at her.

“If you go home tomorrow and find out Maya’s left you for another man, you marry me.”

His body goes rigid.

Chloe tilts her head.

“What’s wrong? Scared?”

“Fine.”

He answers without a beat.

“You have no idea how much Maya loves me.”

“We’ll see.”

Chloe turns and walks away.

Adrian looks down at his unanswered messages.

He sighs, but a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth anyway.

After tomorrow, I’ll never be too busy to pick up his calls again.

The next morning, Adrian changes into his tuxedo while the guys crowd around, hooting.

“Look at you, Mr. Hale!”

“Maya’s going to lose it when she sees you.”

“The second you drop down on one knee, she’ll forget she was ever mad.”

Adrian shakes his head.

“Would you guys quit messing around? Maya’s waiting for me.”

A loud crash comes from behind them.

Chloe stumbles into a chair and presses a hand to her forehead.

Everyone turns toward her.

“What’s wrong?” one of the guys asks.

“I’m dizzy,” she says weakly. “I think I’m running a fever.”

One of them feels her forehead.

“Whoa, she’s burning up. Adrian, you should take her to the hospital.”

“One of you take her,” Adrian says. “I’m going home to Maya.”

“Adrian…”

Chloe’s eyes well up.

“I spent all day yesterday in Maya’s dress, posing for Maya’s pictures. I ran myself into the ground helping you, and now I’m sick and you won’t even stay with me?”

His friends immediately take her side.

“She did go out of her way for you and Maya.”

“Without Chloe, you wouldn’t even have a dress or a photographer.”

“She’s just asking you to stay until the doctor sees her. That’s it.”

Adrian frowns.

“Maya’s waiting for me.”

“She’s waited three years,” one of the guys says. “What difference does one more day make?”

Adrian goes still.

He looks down at the bouquet in his hand.

For three years, no matter how hard things got, Maya always smiled at him.

Nothing ever seems strong enough to break her.

One more day shouldn’t matter.

Maya will understand.

She always does.

Tomorrow, he’ll tell her everything.