Bella pov

The crackling bonfire cast flickering shadows across the backyard, but its warmth seemed to stop short of where you were sitting. It had been less than a year since you and Adrian had married, and the man beside you felt like a stranger. The loving, attentive person you’d married was gone, replaced by someone distant and evasive.

Tonight was supposed to be a relaxed get-together with friends, a rare occasion for the two of you to go out together. A cool breeze swept through the yard, and you shivered, wrapping your arms around yourself. A friend of Adrian’s, Chloe, who always seemed a little too friendly with him, was rubbing her arms complaining about the chill.

You saw a thick wool blanket draped over the back of an empty chair next to Adrian. "Honey, could you pass me that blanket?" you asked, your voice quiet. He glanced at it, then back at you. "I might need it," he replied dismissively, turning back to his conversation.

Minutes later, Chloe made her way over to him. "Adrian, I'm absolutely freezing," she whined, leaning close. Without hesitation, Adrian stood up, grabbed the blanket you had just asked for, and carefully draped it over her shoulders. Chloe shot you a victorious, smug little smile from beneath the blanket's warmth, a look that went completely unnoticed by everyone else engrossed in their own worlds.