I showed the message to Tristan who laughed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should tell her no,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d I said, typing back a response.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Me: You\u2019re stuck with him. Just like I\u2019m stuck with him being best man. We suffer together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiara: This is your fault, you know. You\u2019re the one who made us work together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Me: I thought it would help!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiara: You thought wrong. The man is insufferable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Me: But you\u2019re still doing it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiara: Of course I\u2019m still doing it. I\u2019m not going to let him run me off. I just needed to complain for a minute.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled at that, at least Kiara wasn\u2019t actually going to quit, even if she and Derek drove each other crazy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCrisis averted?\u201d Tristan asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor now,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He pulled me closer and I settled against his side, his hand still on my stomach even though there was no visible sign of the babies yet, I was almost seven weeks now and while I\u2019d had some nausea and fatigue, I wasn\u2019t showing at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d he asked, like he did multiple times every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Good,\u201d I said honestly. \u201cA little tired but good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re eating enough?\u201d he asked, his eyes scanning my face for any sign of discomfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, mother,\u201d I said teasingly. \u201cI\u2019m eating enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d been monitoring my food intake like a hawk for the past three weeks, making sure I ate regular meals and stayed hydrated, making sure I took the prenatal vitamins Mara had prescribed, he was attentive to the point of being slightly overbearing but I loved him for it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m just making sure,\u2018 he said. \u201cYou\u2019re eating for three now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m aware,\u201d I said. \u201cYou remind me every day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood,\u201d he said, completely unapologetic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019d also had several discussions about me going back to work at the repair company, Tristan had initially said absolutely not, that I should rest until after the babies were born, but I\u2019d argued that I\u2019d go crazy sitting around the house doing nothing for seven more months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
13\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 3.18\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019d finally compromised on me working two days a week, just enough to keep me engaged but not so much that I\u2019d exhaust myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I still think two days is too much, Tristan had said when we\u2019d agreed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I still think zero days is too little, I\u2019d countered. \u201cTwo days is the compromise.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t been happy about it but he\u2019d agreed, mostly because he knew I wouldn\u2019t back down and partly because Orion had supported me, pointing out that Sarah had worked throughout both her pregnancies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeaking of work, Tristan said now. \u201cYou\u2019re not going in tomorrow, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I confirmed. \u201cTomorrow is the dress shopping day, remember?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRight,\u201d he said. \u201cThe great dress hunt.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not a hunt, I protested. \u201cIt\u2019s shopping.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Sarah has you scheduled at four different stores,\u201d Tristan pointed out. \u201cThat\u2019s a hunt.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had a point, Sarah had scheduled appointments at four bridal shops for tomorrow, determined to find the perfect dresses for both ceremonies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be fun,\u201d I said, trying to convince myself as much as him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you say so,\u201d Tristan said. \u201cJust promise me you\u2019ll take breaks if you get tired.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI promise,\u201d I said. \u201cSarah won\u2019t let me overdo it anyway, she\u2019s almost as protective as you are.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My phone buzzed again and I looked down to see a message from Sarah in the group chat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sarah: Reminder that dress shopping is tomorrow at 10am. Meet at the first shop. Don\u2019t be late, Kiara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiara: I\u2019m never late.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Derek: Except for that meeting last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiara: That was traffic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Derek: Sure it was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiara: You know what, Derek?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sarah: ANYWAY. Athena, make sure you eat a good breakfast tomorrow. It\u2019s going to be a long day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smiled at Sarah\u2019s attempt to redirect the conversation before Kiara and Derek could start another argument.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone knew we stayed together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Me: I will. Tristan will make sure of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
1:24 pm P\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 318\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tristan: Damn right I will.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah: Aw, you two are cute.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kiara: Disgustingly cute.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Derek: Agreed. Stop being cute in the group chat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tristan: Never. Get used to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laughed and put my phone away, snuggling closer to Tristan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow is going to be fun,\u201d I said. \u201cI get to try on wedding dresses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust don\u2019t send me pictures,\u201d Tristan said. \u201cI want to be surprised on the actual day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Memories Drifted Into Soft Silence by Kyx Frost 318 I showed the message to Tristan who laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou should tell […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-second-gear-of-love-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26475\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}