ONCE MORE, WITH YOU

IX

My phone buzzed a few minutes later, and my heart jumped when I saw Solène's name on the screen.

Solené: Hey! That sounds amazing. I'd love to come. Just let me know the time and place.

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. I hadn't expected her to respond so quickly—or so enthusiastically.

Great! I'll send you all the details soon. Can't wait to see you there.

I stared at the screen for a moment, feeling a strange mix of relief and excitement. Before I could overthink it, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was Adrianna.

Adrianna: Sooo? Did she say yes?

I rolled my eyes.

Yes. You're insufferable.

Adrianna: You're welcome.

Another text came through, this time from Nolan in the group chat.

Nolan: Why do I feel like Adrianna is meddling again?

Adrianna: Because I am. And it's working.

I shook my head, laughing under my breath. Adrianna might be relentless, but sometimes her meddling wasn't the worst thing in the world.

For the first time in weeks, I felt a little less overwhelmed and a lot more excited about the premiere. Maybe this was exactly what I needed.

The rest of my day had been productive but exhausting. After hours of making adjustments for the premiere, I finally felt things were falling into place. Still, I needed a few things for dinner, so I made a quick trip to the nearby supermarket.

I was standing in the produce aisle, deliberating over a bag of spinach, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Summer?"

I turned to see Solené, dressed casually in jeans and a loose sweater, a small basket hanging from her arm. She looked relaxed and effortlessly put-together in a way that made my stomach do an annoying little flip.

"Oh, hey," I said, trying not to sound surprised—or overly pleased.

"Didn't expect to see you here," she said, stepping closer.

"Yeah, just grabbing a few things for dinner," I replied. "What about you?"

"Same. I was planning on ordering takeout, but I figured I should at least attempt something home-cooked for once." She smiled, her tone light, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Let me guess," I teased. "Pasta?"

Her eyes lit up, and she laughed. "Wow, called me out immediately. What gave it away?"

"Lucky guess," I said with a shrug, though I could easily picture her tossing together some kind of Pinterest-worthy pasta dish.

"Wait, what about you?" she asked. "Do you actually cook, or are you a 'fancy takeout every night' kind of person?"

I rolled my eyes. "I can cook, thank you very much. Tonight it's just something quick, though. I've been running around all day, trying to finalize things for the premiere."

"How's everything going?"

"It's... better now," I admitted. "The venue issue was a nightmare, but I think I've got everything back on track."

"That sounds stressful," she said with a small frown. "But knowing you, it's going to be amazing. You've probably planned everything down to the last detail."

Her confidence in me sent a warm flutter through my chest, but before I could respond, I noticed the way she shifted her stance slightly. My eyes flicked down, catching a glimpse of something colorful behind her back.