My Boyfriend of Seven Years Takes Care of My Best Friend Like She’s His Girlfriend Chapter 04

My Boyfriend of Seven Years Takes Care of My Best Friend Like She’s His Girlfriend Chapter 04

I buried myself in relocation paperwork all week long.

Julian didn’t call or send a single text.

Until today.

“Elara, where’s that antique dream-eater locket Grandma gave you?”

“I’ve torn the entire apartment apart and can’t find it anywhere.”

I paused. “You’re at my apartment?”

“Yeah. Sienna’s been having nightmares again. I remembered that locket’s meant to soothe bad dreams, so I swung by to grab it for her.”

I nearly scoffed.

All he cared about was the locket to calm Sienna’s nightmares.

He hadn’t even noticed every last one of my belongings was gone.

I’d received that locket the day I first met his grandmother.

She pressed it into my palm, telling me it was meant for her future granddaughter-in-law.

I’d planned to return it, yet I’d never gotten the chance.

Julian rambled on through the phone.

“Sienna says she’s scared. I need to get back to her.”

“Take the day off to hunt for the locket. While you’re there, grab our laundry too.”

“Oh, and swing by the bakery on Main Street for those lemon bars. Sienna’s lost her appetite; she won’t touch anything else.”

I clung to the very last shred of my patience.

“Julian. We’re broken up.”

Silence.

Then his voice cut through, sharp and irritable.

“Is this about the amusement park? About me carrying her?”

“Elara, she was absolutely terrified. Don’t blow this whole thing out of proportion over nothing.”

“You didn’t even warn her to fasten her harness, and she never held it against you.”

When I said nothing, he added, “C’mon. You know Sienna and I love you more than anyone.”

Whether they loved me was irrelevant now.

The plain truth was this: Julian, your heart belongs to her.

I hung up and blocked him on every platform.

That night, I gave my parents a call.

Dad sighed. “So he mistreated you, did he? My girl who’s usually asleep by ten stayed up till one thirty just to call me?”

Mom took the receiver. “Come back home. Your father and I’ll look after you.”

I smiled. “I wasn’t the one who got dumped. I’m the one who ended things.”

“I don’t need anyone to look after me. Your daughter just landed a promotion—I’ll be the one taking care of you two.”

After I hung up, Julian’s mom called.

“Elara, darling, it’s been ages since you’ve come round. I miss having you over for family dinners.”

We’d already gotten engaged.

Ending things meant I needed to sort out all the engagement formalities.

The following morning, I turned up at the Coles’ residence.

Julian was there. Not shocked to see me.

What shocked me was Sienna sitting at the kitchen table.

The house was also packed with relatives from Julian’s hometown.

His mom introduced me warmly. “Everyone, this is Julian’s fiancée.”

The relatives swarmed over, patting my hands and making small talk.

Then a small girl pointed between Sienna and me, utterly confused.

“Wait a minute! The girl he brought home for Christmas was her. Why’s he marrying this one instead?”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Mrs. Cole stood frozen, soup ladle in mid-air.

The little girl tilted her head, innocent. “brother, which sister are you marrying?”

Julian panicked instantly. “Elara, it’s not how it looks. Sienna fought with her parents and had nowhere to stay. I was just letting her crash here temporarily.”

Sienna cut in, nodding frantically. “Exactly! My stepmom threw me out over Christmas. Julian was just being kind—he took me in for a while.”

I smiled.

“It’s fine. I came to return the engagement gifts anyway.”

“Since the whole family’s gathered here, I might as well tell everyone at once.”