Minimal for Me, Everything for Her Chapter 02

Minimal for Me, Everything for Her Chapter 02

The shower stopped.

Adrian stepped out, saw the receipt in my hand, and froze.

“Who gave you the right to go through my pockets?”

He took the receipt from me. His movements weren’t rough, but his voice had gone cold.

“It fell out.”

“Then you should’ve put it back.”

He folded it and slipped it into his wallet.

I looked at him.

“If everyone chipped in for the necklace, why is the entire charge on you?”

“I covered it up front.”

“Who exactly is paying you back that a large amount of money?”

“We’re friends. We don’t keep score like that.”

My eyes shifted to the eleven bucks oatmeal on the table.

“But we do?”

Adrian followed my gaze and frowned.

“What is it you actually want?”

“A bouquet.”

He stared at me as if he’d misheard.

“What?”

“It’s been four years. I just want you to give me flowers once.”

He was silent for a moment.

He reached for his wallet.

“If you want flowers, buy them yourself.”

The bill landed beside the oatmeal.

It felt less like a gift than a payout.

I stared at him.

“I want you to give them to me.”

“Why does it matter who buys the flowers?”

“Then why do you know what kind Sienna likes?”

Adrian’s eyes hardened.

“She mentioned it once. I remembered.”

“So did I.”

“What did you say?”

The last bit of warmth inside went cold.

Our first year of marriage, we passed a florist and I told him I loved white lisianthus.

The next year, when he asked what I wanted, I said the same thing.

Lisianthus.

He told me flowers were overpriced and that the money would be better spent on groceries.

After that, I stopped bringing it up.

I pushed the hundred-dollar bill back toward him.

“Forget it.”

Relief crossed Adrian’s face.

“That’s better. Don’t damage a marriage over pointless gestures.”

The next afternoon, Sienna invited me to her condo.

The moment she opened the door, I saw unopened gift boxes everywhere.

She wore the diamond necklace and greeted me with a smile and a hug.

“You aren’t mad I couldn’t celebrate your birthday with you yesterday, are you?”

I didn’t pull away.

“No.”

“Adrian always says you’re so understanding.”

She led me into her walk-in closet and pointed to a row of limited-edition designer bags.

“I’m decluttering. Help me pick a few to list for resale.”

I looked at the bags.

One was a green handbag I’d once paused over in a magazine.

Adrian had taken the magazine out of my hands.

“That color will date fast. It’s not worth buying.”

Now it sat inside Sienna’s glass cabinet.

The protective wrapping was still intact.

“That one from your ex too?” I asked.

Sienna ran her fingers over the clasp and smiled faintly.

“Who gives the gift doesn’t matter. What matters is that someone remembers what I like.”

A key turned in the front door.

Adrian walked in carrying two coffees.

The second he saw me, something flickered across his face.

“What are you doing here?”

Sienna took one of the coffees and answered for him.

“I invited Nora. She doesn’t mind that you have a key to my place, does she?”

Adrian handed me the other cup.

“Sienna forgets her keys all the time. I keep a spare for her. That’s all.”

I looked down at the labels.

Sienna’s was a hot hazelnut latte.

Mine was an iced Americano with no sugar.

“I can’t drink iced coffee.”

His brow shifted.

“Didn’t you used to?”

“I can’t have cold drinks. I haven’t had iced coffee since we got together.”

Adrian went still.

Sienna quickly took the Americano from me.

“It’s fine. I can drink it too. Adrian has a lot of things to remember. He’s allowed to get one thing wrong.”

She held the hot latte he’d remembered perfectly in one hand and the iced Americano he’d gotten wrong for me in the other.

Adrian glanced at me.

“It’s just coffee. Don’t make this awkward.”

I nodded.

“Okay.”

When I left, I noticed a pair of men’s house slippers beside the shoe rack.

They were identical to the pair Adrian wore at home.

Sienna followed my gaze and smiled on purpose.

“He comes over sometimes to fix things. Keeping a pair here is easier.”

Adrian didn’t explain.

I stepped into the elevator.

As the doors began to close, Sienna suddenly linked her arm through Adrian’s.

“Adrian, don’t forget. You’re taking me to pick out a ring tonight.”

Adrian’s face changed instantly.

His eyes snapped to mine.

The elevator doors slid shut between us.