Chapter 84: Revealing Secrets And Getting Reunions

Ah, god fucking damn it, Rose.

Of all the things she could’ve asked as a condition, why the hell did she have to pick the secret?

Adrian straightened.

No. This was fine.

Probably.

The surprise was probably nothing worth getting worked up over. Jenna had called it a surprise, not a disaster. There was a difference.

He glanced at her.

She was standing suspiciously still.

Actually, the more he looked at her, the worse it got. Her posture was just a little too careful, like she’d suddenly become aware that every movement she made could give her away.

Shit.

What the heck had she planned?

He’d been perfectly content to let the surprise remain a surprise. Now that Rose had brought it up, and Jenna looked like someone who’d just been caught with something she wasn’t supposed to have, his curiosity was getting harder to ignore.

Was it really that bad?

"Surprise? What surprise?" Jenna finally asked.

She straightened as she said it.

Adrian almost sighed.

That definitely wasn’t helping.

"Don’t play dumb," Rose shot back. "You literally just told Adrian that you had a surprise for him a few minutes ago."

"You sure that’s what I said?" Jenna asked. "I mean, you do have a history with bad memory."

Rose stared at her.

"If you want my help, I suggest you stop beating around the bush and answer my question."

"I’m not beating around anything. I promise."

Adrian looked at Jenna.

That was a bold lie.

She even sounded sincere while saying it, which would’ve been impressive if he hadn’t already known she was hiding something.

Rose seemed to catch it too. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I’m going to ask you the question one more time, and if you don’t give me an answer, then I’m out."

Adrian paused.

He looked from Rose to Jenna.

He probably needed to say something.

Rose was his girlfriend. Jenna was his friend. Neither side was particularly interested in making this situation more complicated, and somehow he’d ended up standing in the middle of it.

The problem was that he had no idea what he could say that wouldn’t make things worse.

If he defended Jenna, Rose would probably become more suspicious.

If he sided with Rose, Jenna would be screwed.

Before he could figure out which option was least likely to explode in his face, Rose opened her mouth.

"What’s the secret, Jenna?"

There it was.

Adrian felt his shoulders tense again.

He stepped forward.

"Rose, I think—"

"A duet."

Adrian stopped.

Rose and Adrian both turned toward Jenna.

"A duet?" Rose repeated, her brows drawing together. "I don’t understand."

"I originally planned that me and Adrian would perform a duet."

Jenna’s voice had changed.

She sounded calmer now.

Almost too calm.

"It was a song that I’d handpicked, and I wanted to share the idol moment with him."

Adrian stared at her for a beat.

Jenna looked completely normal.

Relaxed, even.

If he hadn’t been watching her a few seconds ago, he might’ve believed her.

But he had.

And there was something about the way she delivered it that didn’t sit right.

He couldn’t explain exactly what gave it away. Maybe it was how quickly she’d produced the answer. Maybe it was the fact that she’d gone from looking like she was about to be interrogated to looking perfectly comfortable the moment she’d found something to say.

Whatever it was, one thing was clear.

That’s bullshit.

Bold of her to try it now of all times.

Adrian wasn’t going to call her out, though.

Not yet.

He had no idea what the real surprise was, and exposing Jenna’s lie in front of Rose without knowing the reason behind it seemed like a good way to turn one problem into three.

Instead, he looked at Rose.

She was still staring at Jenna.

A little too long.

Adrian’s stomach sank slightly.

Shit.

She did notice.

Jenna was a great liar.

Rose was just a great girlfriend.

Neither of those facts helped him right now.

Rose finally opened her mouth.

"Alright."

Adrian looked at her.

Alright?

He quickly looked away, trying not to make his confusion obvious.

She believed that?

Or maybe she was just letting it go.

With Rose, he honestly couldn’t tell.

"Um..." Jenna hesitated.

Her eyes moved between Rose and Adrian.

"So we’re cool then?"

Rose didn’t answer immediately.

She stretched the silence for another beat before finally sighing.

"Yeah. We’re cool."

Adrian’s shoulders loosened.

He hadn’t even noticed how much tension he’d been holding in them until then.

Then Rose continued.

"But..."

Adrian’s shoulders tensed again.

Of course there was a but.

"If we’re going to do this, I’ll need your full dedication. I don’t plan to put in my effort and then have you slack off at the end."

"You don’t need to worry about that part." Jenna’s enthusiasm returned almost immediately. "I’ll be fully committed."

That part, at least, sounded genuine.

"So..." Jenna looked at Rose expectantly. "What’s the first step?"

"The first step?"

Rose paused.

She placed a hand beneath her chin and looked upward.

Adrian watched her expression change as she seemed to genuinely think about it.

Then her eyes widened.

She looked at Jenna.

"Refreshments."

"Refreshments?"

Jenna’s enthusiastic tone died almost instantly.

Rose nodded as though she’d just arrived at a perfectly reasonable conclusion.

"I’m an artist. I need inspiration."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

Rose continued without hesitation.

"And I think best when I have something keeping my mouth busy."

Adrian stared at her.

"Mostly snacks," she clarified. "So I need them."

That sounded reasonable.

Mostly.

He wasn’t completely convinced refreshments were the key to artistic inspiration, but this was Rose.

She had somehow managed to turn eating into part of her creative process.

Jenna opened her mouth, then sighed.

"Alright. There’s a refreshment canteen downstairs. It won’t take that long before I get back."

"Well, you’d better get going, then." Rose folded her arms. "The sooner you get back, the sooner we start your lessons."

Jenna nodded.

"Alright."

She turned toward the door, but before she took another step, she glanced at Adrian.

Then briefly at Rose.

Then back at Adrian.

It was quick.

Almost casual.

But Adrian caught it.

"Walk with me?"

Adrian paused. He looked at Rose.

Rose was already looking between the two of them. There was no obvious objection in her expression.

Still, Adrian could practically hear the question she wasn’t asking.

He was only walking Jenna downstairs.

There was nothing strange about that.

Jenna was his friend. The canteen was downstairs. He could walk her there and come right back.

He nodded.

"Sure."

Jenna smiled.

She turned and started toward the door.

Adrian followed behind her.

As he stepped out, he resisted the urge to look back immediately.

He could still feel Rose’s eyes on him.

He didn’t need to check.

The door opened, and the cool air-conditioning of the hallway brushed over him.

Adrian took a slow breath.

Finally.

He hadn’t realized how tense he’d been until he was outside the room.

His shoulders gradually loosened.

He glanced toward Jenna.

She was already looking at him.

There was a small smile on her face.

Like she hadn’t just nearly been forced to explain whatever the hell she’d actually planned.

"Hmm?" Adrian asked. "What’s up?"

Jenna kept looking at him for another moment.

Then she smiled a little wider and shook her head.

"It’s nothing."

She started walking again.

"Let’s get going."

Adrian followed.

"The cafeteria is this way."

She took a few more casual steps before glancing back at him.

"And don’t ask me what I was thinking."

Adrian frowned.

"Huh?"

He caught up with her.

"Well, now I definitely have to."

Jenna gave him a look.

"Let’s agree to disagree."

Adrian almost smiled.

That wasn’t exactly an answer.

Which meant it was probably the closest thing to one she was willing to give him.

"Bzzzt."

A loud buzz cut through the hallway.

Adrian’s attention snapped down.

Fuck.

Now of all times? He waited for the familiar vibration against his trousers. Nothing.

He paused.

The sound hadn’t come from him.

Jenna had already reached into her purse and pulled out her phone.

Oh.

That was better.

Not the System.

Jenna looked at the screen as she walked.

Then she stopped.

Her expression changed.

"It’s Drew."

"Anything important?"

She glanced down again and began scrolling.

"Nope. Just his normal nonsensical..."

Her voice trailed off.

Adrian looked at her.

Jenna wasn’t smiling anymore.

Her thumb had stopped moving.

Her eyes widened.

"No way."

Adrian’s curiosity sharpened. That wasn’t the reaction of someone reading Drew’s usual nonsense. "Is something wrong?"

Jenna looked at him.

"Check the group." She turned her phone slightly toward herself again. "I literally can’t say it."

Adrian stared at her for a moment.

Whatever Drew had sent, it had apparently managed to get past Jenna’s ability to casually talk about nonsense.

That was saying something.

He pulled out his own phone.

He opened the group chat and started scrolling toward the latest message.

Before he could even tap on Drew’s message, his phone vibrated.

☎️ Calling → Dad