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‘And best, don’t forget that,’ I add. ‘I mean, I definitely didn’t complain about your underwear.’
‘You saw his underwear?’ Kai balks.
‘Sshhhh, we’re supposed to be secretly listening,’ Adam reminds her.
‘I don’t suggest you two become private eyes,’ River jokes.
‘Why did my choice of ring surprise you? Was it bad?’ I ask, wondering where he’s going with all this.
‘No,’ he says. ‘Not at all bad. It’s gorgeous.’ River reaches into his jacket, pulling something from the inside pocket. ‘Oddly enough, we have similar tastes because it’s the exact ring I bought for Caitlin when I proposed.’ He sets an emerald-cut solitaire ring on the counter between us.
‘Shut. Up,’ I say in disbelief. I pick up the ring, and it sparkles under the bar lights, mesmerizing me immediately. ‘Oh, it’s even prettier in real life. Wow. This is the engagement ring, huh?’ It truly is precisely the same one I wanted. How strange is that?
‘Oh, Lord,’ Kai says. ‘He’s proposing!’
He shakes his head. ‘I’m not. What I am doing is loaning it to you.’
I look up at him from the ring. ‘Why?’
‘Before you dump Conner, I want you to wear this ring for the night and see what an engagement should feel like. Show it off, live it up, make up a story, and help me get my money out of that thing. Say whatever makes you smile.’
‘River, if I wear this, people will think we’re engaged.’ I motion between us.
‘Only these three. Everyone else already thinks you’re engaged, and they ask to see the ring you don’t have each time. How does that make you feel?’
I frown. ‘Not great.’
‘Perhaps you should experience what a big deal an engagement is?’ he suggests, taking the ring from me and sliding it onto my left finger. ‘After all, we are fake engaged.’
‘I couldn’t,’ I say, staring at the most gorgeous ring I’ve ever seen, and I’m wearing it.
‘Why not? It’s just another science experiment. You like those, remember?’
I laugh, nodding my head.
‘Plus, one day, this’ll make an awesome story.’
‘Awesome stories are kind of your thing.’
‘Maybe they could be our thing?’ he asks hesitantly.
I bite my lip, staring at the ring I now want to keep forever, even though I know it means bad things for him. ‘Are you sure you want to leave this with me?’
‘Positive. I thought about pawning it since it has zero sentimental value. But I think you’ll get more out of it tonight. When you’re done, bring it back to me, and I’ll get rid of it, finally breaking the curse of what was never meant to be. I’ll use the money from the sale to buy you all the Red Robin mudd pies to sink your feelings into after you dump that wad of a boyfriend. Hell, I’ll even deliver. Deal?’
My eyes move back to the ring on my hand. This stupid thing makes me smile even though I know the truth. ‘You’ve got yourself one weird deal.’
‘Perfect,’ he says, standing to leave. ‘Let me know how it goes.’
‘I promise.’ I nod, shocked he’s doing this.
‘Follow your heart, Jade. I hear it’s never supposed to be wrong.’ With that, he exits the bar, shoving his hands into the pockets of his grass-green colored skinny jeans as he walks by the windows, glancing back at me with a smile before disappearing into the night.
‘Uh, he’s into you,’ Adam says as if I don’t already know.
‘What gave it away?’ Kai asks, grabbing my hand and admiring the ring. ‘Perhaps the giant rock on her hand? Fuck-ing hell, Jade. I hardly know the guy, and I say marry him tonight.’
‘He didn’t propose,’ I remind them. ‘Besides, that’s almost as ridiculous as saying yes to a man proposing after two months.’
