Rejected by One, Wanted by Another

The Apology

The drive from her home to school was quiet. Lucy did not expect Adrian to come welcome her. She had barely stepped out of the black car when she saw Adrian leaning on his silver coupe.

“Welcome back Lucy.” Adrian said, his voice surprisingly soft.

“Thank you.” Lucy said sounding tired.

He didn't mention the weekend. He didn't ask how her father was. Instead, he just walked over, took her bag, and opened the passenger door.

“Get in. We are going out “

"Adrian, where are we going? I have a lecture in less than an hour."

"Don't worry about the lecture, Lucy," Adrian said, his voice smooth and relaxed. "I had Zoe call your professor. You’re taking the afternoon off. I realized things have been a bit heavy lately, and I wanted to make it up to you." Adrian said as he slid to the driver seat and started driving.

He drove quietly for about thirty minutes and pulled the car up to the curb in front of Vienne’s, a high-scale boutique.

As they stepped inside, the cool air smelled of expensive candles and perfumes. Two saleswomen in suits immediately walked toward them with professional smiles.

"Mr. Matthews, it is a pleasure to see you again," one of them said, nodding toward Lucy. "And this must be the future Mrs. Matthews. We’ve been expecting you."

"Show her the new spring collection," Adrian said, taking a seat on a plush velvet chair in the center of the room. "And bring some champagne."

Lucy felt a bit overwhelmed as the staff led her toward a rack of breathtaking clothes. One of the women, a kind-looking lady named Elena, pulled out a cream-colored wool coat with a silk lining.

"This would look stunning with your skin tone, Miss Quinn," Elena said softly. "Would you like to try it on?"

Lucy nodded and stepped into the dressing room. When she came out, the coat fit her perfectly, cinching at the waist and falling just below her knees. She looked at herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. For a moment, she forgot about the stress at home and the arguments at school. She just felt beautiful.

"What do you think, Adrian?" she asked, turning around slowly.

Adrian stood up from his chair. He walked over to her, his reflection appearing behind hers in the glass. He looked genuinely impressed.

"It’s perfect," he said. He reached out and adjusted the collar, his fingers brushing against her neck. "You look like you were born to wear things like this. We’ll take it."

"And the silk wrap dress, sir?" the other staff member asked, holding up a deep emerald garment.

"That too," Adrian replied. He turned Lucy toward him, his hands resting gently on her shoulders. "I told you, Lucy. I want you to have the best. I'm sorry about the past few weeks. I’ve been under a lot of pressure at the firm, but that's no excuse to take it out on you."

Lucy looked up at him, surprised by the softness in his voice. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that the man she first fell for was still in there somewhere. "Thank you, Adrian. That means a lot."

Before she could say anything else, Adrian leaned down and pressed a slow, tender kiss to her forehead. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw the saleswomen smiling at the romantic gesture. At that moment, she let her guard down. She felt relieved and she actually smiled back at him.

By the time they finished, the back seat of the car was piled with elegant bags. Adrian dropped her off at the dorm with a promise to call her later for dinner. Lucy walked into her suite, her arms full of shopping bags, smiling.

Zoe was sitting at her desk, tapping her pen against a textbook. She looked up and her eyes went wide at the sight of the labels.

"No way!" Zoe stood up, rushing over to help Lucy set the bags down. "Adrian took you to Vienne’s? Lucy, these are literally the most expensive pieces they have!"

"He was so sweet today, Zoe," Lucy said, pulling the cream coat out to show her. "He apologized for everything. He even kissed me in front of the staff. It felt... it felt like we were actually okay again."

Zoe took the coat, her fingers sinking into the soft wool. "Wow, Lucy. It’s gorgeous. He really must love you to drop this much money on an apology."

Zoe’s voice was bright and cheerful, and she gave Lucy a quick hug. "I told you he just needed time to cool off! See? Being a Matthews isn't so bad after all."

But as Lucy turned away to put her shoes in the closet, the smile on Zoe’s face vanished. She looked at the pile of luxury items, things she could never afford on her own… and she felt jealous. She had spent all weekend "helping" Adrian by keeping him updated on Lucy’s whereabouts, and yet Lucy was the one getting rewarded with thousands of dollars in clothes.

Zoe gripped the edge of the cream coat a little too tight, her knuckles started turning white. She felt like a background character in Lucy’s life, and she hated it.

"Are you okay, Zoe?" Lucy asked, turning back around.

Zoe instantly snapped her bubbly expression back into place. "Oh, totally! I’m just so happy for you, babe. You look like a literal princess. I’m just going to get back to this boring essay while you live your best life."

Lucy smiled, missing the coldness in Zoe’s eyes.