I let out another yawn when Harley pulled up at the Huang mansion. Before climbing out of the car, I thanked him.
After he drove off, I stepped inside and immediately noticed how quiet the house was—too quiet.
As I walked down the hallway, I peeked into a few of the rooms. The living room was empty. The study was empty. Even the dining room was silent.
When I entered the kitchen, I spotted a note resting on the island. I walked over and picked it up.
It was from Auntie.
Uncle and I will be out for the day. There is food in the fridge if you get hungry.
I scrunched up the paper and tossed it into the garbage bin beneath the sink, glancing around the quiet kitchen.
My attention shifted to my buzzing phone. I dug it out of my purse and saw a text from Amy. When I opened the message, it read:
Hey Sophie. I'll be swinging by this evening to discuss the wedding. Eek! I can't believe I'm going to be a wife in a couple of weeks.
I chuckled softly.
I was genuinely happy for Amy. She deserved the best, and I knew for a fact that Nicholas would take excellent care of her.
After sending her a quick response, I placed the phone on the counter, a small smile lingering on my lips.
I walked over to the cupboard and grabbed my favorite cereal—Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I poured the cereal into a bowl and added milk before placing it in the microwave for two minutes.
Now I know what you're all thinking.
What the hell, Sophie?
But the truth is, I hate cold cereal.
The sweet cinnamon smell filled the kitchen as the microwave hummed softly. When it beeped, I opened the door and the warm scent rushed straight into my nostrils.
My stomach grumbled.
With the bowl of cereal in my hand, I walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. I took a spoonful of cereal and blew on it a couple of times before putting it into my mouth.
I let out a tired yawn before putting the last spoonful of cereal into my mouth.
"Time for bed, I suppose."
I placed the dirty bowl in the sink and filled it with water before grabbing my phone and heading toward my bedroom.
I went straight to the bathroom and plugged the tub drain before adding cherry blossom bubble bath. I turned on the water and let the tub fill.
The cherry blossom scent slowly filled the room, relaxing my body as I took my clothes off. When the tub was halfway full, I turned the faucet off and stepped into the bath.
I leaned my head back against the white tile wall and closed my eyes as the warm water wrapped around my body, melting away the exhaustion from my night shift.
For the first time since my shift ended, my body finally began to relax.
My shoulders sank deeper into the water as the warmth wrapped around me, loosening muscles that had been tight all night. The quiet of the mansion made the moment even more peaceful.
No phones ringing.
No monitors beeping.
No nurses calling my name from across the hallway.
Just silence.
Another yawn escaped me as my eyelids grew heavier. I told myself I would close my eyes for just a minute before getting out.
Just a minute.
But the warmth of the water and the exhaustion from my night shift pulled me deeper into sleep before I even realized it.
The last thing I remembered was the faint scent of cherry blossoms drifting through the bathroom.
Then everything went quiet.
A loud banging on my bedroom door startled me awake. I let out a loud sneeze before hugging myself, shivering. The water in the tub had grown cold.
I unplugged the drain and grabbed my towel, quickly drying off. After putting on my robe, I made my way toward the door and before I could open it, I let out another loud sneeze.
I opened the door and found Harley standing there, his arms crossed and a clearly annoyed look on his face.
"What?" I asked.
"You promised me you would stop falling asleep in the tub."
His comment hit me in the stomach.
Back in our high school days, Harley had found me asleep in the bathtub, inches away from drowning. I still remembered how furious he was with me that night.
I looked up at him. "It was an accident."
Harley sighed. "Amy is downstairs waiting for you. I found her at the main entrance, pressing the doorbell nonstop."
I gasped in shock.
I slammed the door shut, catching him off guard, and hurriedly put on a tank top and leggings.
When I opened the door again, Harley was gone. I sighed before making my way downstairs toward the living room.
When Amy saw me walk in, she stood up and groaned. "Geez, Sophie. I was about to leave if Harley hadn't shown up."
"Sorry, Amy. I fell asleep in the tub."
Amy let out an exasperated sigh. "Why do you keep taking baths when you're tired?"
I groaned. "Not you too."
Harley came back downstairs wearing a white T-shirt and speckled grey sweatpants. He walked into the living room and looked at us.
"What's for supper?"
Amy looked at us with a knowing smile and said, "You two are acting like a married couple already."
We both blushed in embarrassment.
"Order pizza or something," I said to Harley, linking arms with Amy as I guided her toward the gazebo in the middle of the garden.
The evening air was warm, and the faint scent of flowers drifted through the garden. Soft lights glowed among the flowers lining the pathway toward the gazebo, while crickets chirped softly in the distance.
We sat down opposite each other at the table in the middle of the gazebo. The evening breeze brushed gently against our skin.
I smiled. "Okay, Mrs. Lu. Let's talk wedding."
Amy chuckled at her soon-to-be last name. "My sister is going to be a bridesmaid and—"
"I will be the other bridesmaid."
We turned toward the voice and gasped.
It was Daisy Hu, Dylan's younger sister and one of the most recognizable A-list actresses in the country. Despite her fame, she had always been the most down-to-earth person I knew.
"When did you get back?" I asked. "I thought you were shooting a movie in Paris."
Daisy took off her glasses and joined us at the table. "Just now… I hear someone is getting married." She looked at me and added with a grin, "Finally said yes to Harley."
I playfully smacked her shoulder. "It's Amy, silly."
She chuckled before turning to Amy. "Congratulations, Amy. I'm so happy for you guys."
Amy smiled sweetly. "Thank you."
"Sorry I'm late," another voice said, slightly out of breath.
We looked up and saw Isabelle, Amy's twin sister, hurrying toward the gazebo. She looked exhausted, the kind of tired that sleep alone couldn't fix.
"Those little monsters started acting up the moment they found out I was coming over here."
We burst out laughing.