CHAPTER 219: NINE WAYS TO SAY YES: THE PLANNING [PART IV]

As I waited outside, every second stretching into an eternity, listening for any sound, any indication. The silence was deafening.

When she finally emerged, minutes later, her face was even paler, a fine sheen of sweat glistening on her upper lip. She looked utterly drained.

"Are you running a fever?" I asked, my voice taut with concern. "Did you throw up?"

"No," she said, not quite meeting my eyes. "I didn’t. I just felt like it. It’s probably what I ate for lunch."

I didn’t believe her, not entirely, but I let it go. Arguing would only drain her further. In the car, the silence was thick with my unspoken concern. I kept one hand on the wheel, the other resting near hers. Occasionally, I’d glance over. She was staring out the window, her profile soft in the fading light.

When we finally pulled up at the gate, I slowed, scanning the property automatically, then looking back at her. I made one last attempt.

"Isabella," I said, gently touching her arm, "Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to go to the hospital? Just to get you checked out?" My voice was firm, but the underlying plea was clear.

She turned to me, mustering a genuine, if tired, smile. "Adrien, I promise. I’ll call you if I feel worse. Go home. I’ll be fine, boyfriend." She squeezed my hand reassuringly, a gesture that was meant to calm me but only fueled my frustration at her refusal to prioritize herself.

I kissed her forehead before she slipped out, the taste of her heat still lingering on my lips like a warning.

I watched her walk up the steps and disappear inside before I drove away, the perfectly planned evening dissolving into a haze of worry.

Hours later, I was pacing my room as I wait for aria’s feedback, unable to settle, my mind replaying every detail of Isabella’s sickness, every pale flicker in her eyes. She was fine, what could have possibly happened?

My phone buzzed, cutting through the silence. It was Aria.

Aria:Just left Isabella’s.its just a tiny fever. Nothing serious.Looks like our girl just needs some sleep and a lot of bland food. So, your big plan is officially postponed, dude. [an emoji winking]

A breath I didn’t realize I was holding escaped my lungs. Tiny fever. Not serious. Relief, potent and overwhelming, flooded my system. My shoulders slumped, the tension that had been coiling in my gut finally releasing.

Postponed. Yes, the plan was postponed. But it wasn’t canceled.

The proposal was pushed to Sunday.

Two more days.

I leaned back on the chair I sat on, phone heavy in my hand, staring into the dark.

***

ISABELLA’S POV

The morning air was crisp, laced with the scent of dew and distant hibiscus. Ivy trotted ahead of me with her usual princess gait, tail curled high like a flag of entitlement. The other leash tugged in the opposite direction, attached to the new stray─ some scrappy, one-eyed mutt Dad had rescued from the vet—with the solemn dignity of a retired general. I hadn’t named him yet. Dad was calling him "Captain," which felt oddly appropriate.

"Left, buddy. Not into the gutter," I muttered, half laughing as I corrected his course. Ivy looked personally offended at his lack of full vision.

My sneakers crunched against the gravel path as we looped around the garden. The sun was just beginning to stretch its golden limbs across the sky, and for a moment, everything felt suspended—quiet, calm, almost normal.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I nearly ignored it—Aria had a habit of sending a flood of memes whenever she thought I was spiraling—but something in me said check.

It wasn’t Aria.

Peacock.

Morning. Hope I’m not waking you. Long shot, but are you free for dinner tonight? Thinking of making that risotto you like. My place.

I stopped walking. Ivy paused, ears perked, sensing the shift in my energy. Captain sat down beside me like he’d been waiting for this moment all his life. I read the message again, and then a third time.

My stomach flipped, not from nausea this time but from nerves. I hadn’t told him yet. I’d spent the last two nights lying awake, rehearsing every possible opening. Adrien, I need to talk to you. Too serious. Surprise — you’re going to be a dad! Too flippant. Hey, mind if I pop over to drop a life-altering bombshell on you? Too weird. Nothing felt right.

Aria’s voice echoed in my head: "Just see him. Act normal. Tell him over food. You’ll know when."

And now, here it was. Not a problem to be solved, but an invitation. An open door. It was as if the universe had overheard my desperate, silent pleas and decided to pave the path for me, laying down the cobblestones one by one. My place. That risotto you like. He was offering me comfort, familiarity, a safe space. He was unknowingly building the perfect stage for the conversation that would change everything.

A wave of relief so potent it made me dizzy washed over me, followed immediately by a fresh, sharp spike of anxiety. The ’how’ had been solved. But the ’what’ remained. What would he say? What would he do? The face I pictured in my mind—Adrien’s face, with its kind eyes and the laugh lines that crinkled around them—could be transformed into a mask of shock, or confusion, or something worse.

Ivy yipped, pulling me from my thoughts. Right. I was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at my phone like it held the secrets to the cosmos. In a way, it did. The secret to my cosmos, anyway.

My thumb hovered over the keyboard. I typed and deleted three different replies. ’Yes! I need to talk to you.’ Too alarming. ’Sure.’ Too cold.

Finally, I settled on the truth, or at least a version of it that fit on a screen.

Me:That sounds perfect. I’d love to. What time?

I held my breath as I pressed send, the small whoosh of the message launching into the ether sounding like a starting gun. Almost instantly, the three little dots appeared. He was typing back.

Peacock:Perfect. Is 7 too early?

Me:7 is great. See you then.

Peacock:Looking forward to it. :)

I pocketed the phone and looked down at Ivy, who was now sniffing Captain’s ear with great interest.

"Big night," I murmured.

Captain sneezed in response.

I tugged the leash gently and started walking again, the dogs falling into step beside me. The sun climbed higher, casting long shadows across the path. My heart was a quiet drumbeat of nerves and hope.

Tonight, I would tell Adrien.

And whatever happened after that... I’d face it. With him.