Chapter 3

"Elena, I'm going to be completely honest with you. I've known Rosalie since she was a little girl. She and Julian grew up together, so they know each other inside and out.

"You're a lovely girl, but taking care of people doesn't exactly come naturally to you. You could learn a thing or two from Rosalie."

I turned my phone face down on the table.

A moment later, Julian walked into the room.

"Why'd you stop eating?"

"I'm not hungry."

He headed to the closet to grab his pajamas, and as he reached up, I caught a glimpse of a red velvet box sticking out of the inside pocket of his jacket.

"What's that?"

"Oh, this?" He pulled it out. "It's Rosalie's birthday present. A necklace."

He opened the box for me. Inside lay a delicate silver chain with a cherry blossom pendant. A single letter had been engraved in the exact center of the flower—J for Julian.

"It's custom-made," he said. "It took two months."

My engagement ring had come from a website. When the package arrived, Julian had simply opened the box and slipped the ring straight onto my finger, despite my telling him I wanted us to go to a jeweler and choose one together.

"A ring's a ring," he'd said. "There's no point making a whole trip out of it."

I looked at the necklace again. "You had a necklace custom-made for her?"

"It's her birthday. I wanted to get her something nice."

"What did you get me for my birthday?"

Julian actually had to think about it. "Didn't I send you some money last year?"

"No."

"Oh." He paused. "Guess I forgot, then. I'll make it up to you next time."

Next time. Always next time.

"Julian, you had a necklace custom-made for Rosalie, but you brought me back a fridge magnet. You celebrate her birthday, but you forgot mine.

"You let her spend all that time at your mother's house helping with our wedding, while you've spent years telling me I don't need to visit. Does any of that sound normal to you?"

Julian set the jewelry box down and sighed. "Here we go again. Rosalie and I have known each other since we were kids. What's wrong with doing something nice for her?"

"And me?"

"What about you? Have I not treated you well? We've been together for five years. We bought a place. We're getting married. What more do you want?"

His voice rose slightly. "Elena, you and I don't need all that sentimental stuff. We're building a real life together. That's what matters."

Sentimental stuff.

The mountain lodge was sentimental stuff. The custom necklace was sentimental stuff. The birthday surprises were sentimental stuff. And somehow, Rosalie got all of it, while all I got was the promise of a real life together.

"You're right."

I switched off the light and lay down with my back to him. "We'll build a real life together."

The next day, I got a message from one of Julian's old college friends, Miles Calloway.

It read, "Elena, we're getting together Saturday night. Are you coming?"

"What's the occasion?"

"Nothing special. Just the old college crowd catching up. Rosalie will be there too."

Rosalie would be there too. Of course she would.

By the time Julian and I arrived at the restaurant Saturday night, Rosalie was already seated in the private dining room.

She wore a white knit dress. Around her neck rested the necklace, the tiny J engraved into the pendant catching the light every time she moved.

"Jules!" She waved at Julian, her voice almost painfully sweet.

Julian walked over and took the empty seat beside her without a second thought. I followed and sat on his other side.

"Hey, Mrs. Harrow!" Miles greeted me.

"Don't call her that," Rosalie corrected with a light laugh. "They're not married yet."

Miles turned to Julian. "You two set a date yet?"

"Still figuring it out."

"I hear Rosalie's been doing half the wedding planning for you. Your mom said she's practically living at her house these days."

Rosalie lowered her eyes and stirred her drink, looking almost bashful. "I'm barely doing anything. Elena's just so busy with work, so I help out where I can."

She said my name with all the warmth of a close friend while wearing a necklace my fiancé had spent two months having custom-made for her.

"Rosalie, that necklace is gorgeous. Who gave it to you?" One of the women at the table leaned closer for a better look.

Rosalie curled her fingers around the pendant and glanced at Julian. "Just a friend."

"What kind of friend buys you something like that? That's custom, isn't it?"

"I got it for her," Julian cut in. "It was her birthday. Just something I picked up."

Something I picked up.

He'd ordered it two months in advance.

The woman looked from Julian to me. "You got Elena one too, right?"

"Elena doesn't really wear jewelry."

I did. He'd simply never bought me any, so he'd decided I didn't.

Rosalie turned to me with an innocent smile. "You don't mind, do you, Elena?"

"Not at all."

Her smile widened. "You're so understanding."