His jaw ticks. “No conversation to have. It’s not up for discussion.”
I’m saved from any further talk of fidelity when one of Liam’s friends comes up behind us.
“If it isn’t the bride and groom!”
Liam shakes his head with a slight smile. “Taryn, do you know Danny?”
Of course I do, since he goes to St. A’s. I nod but don’t bother greeting him.
“You guys look great.” Danny beams at us. “What do you think, Ry?” He nods to Liam’s brother, who I didn’t notice was standing there. I vaguely recall being introduced to him earlier, along with Aidan and Brendan, his youngest two brothers.
Ryan’s eyes flit over us briefly before looking away. “I think that ring is too big for her hand.”
“Ryan,” Liam chastises, but his voice holds no malice. He just raises an eyebrow at his brother, who takes in his expression before once again glancing away.
I look down to study the huge diamond. “I agree with Ryan. It is a bit ridiculous.”
“You don’t want to wear it?” Liam frowns. It’s such a loaded question. He sounds annoyed. No. I absolutely do not want to wear it. However, my new fiancé is fully focused on me, and although I’m definitely not firing on all cylinders at the moment, I’m perceptive enough to know what I say next matters.
“It’s too much,” I answer as honestly as I can. “I’ll be terrified of losing it.” This is a true statement. How am I supposed to do normal daily things without knocking this rock into everything? Maybe I should put it in a safe and never look at it again.
“We can get it sized,” Liam says as if he’s solved all our problems.
“It’s probably from Russia,” Ryan murmurs, still looking off at something behind me.
“Why do you say that?” I ask him, genuinely curious.
He meets my eyes again briefly. “They are the largest diamond producer in the world.”
“Well, I suppose that’s better than being a blood diamond, right?” I ask him with a smile.
“Only about four percent of diamonds are mined that way today,” he answers seriously. “It’s likely my father still obtained it illegally, but it’s not likely that it was mined by someone who is enslaved.”
I’m a bit perplexed at the direction of this conversation, but I have to admit, it’s a welcome distraction. I nod at Ryan. “So, do you think your father got it directly from the Russians, then?” It isn’t until the words are out of my mouth that I realize I’ve made an accusation.
Liam’s brother is totally unaffected. “No, we don’t do business with the Bratva. He probably got it from the Serbians, like he does with my mother’s jewelry.”
“Ryan.” Liam’s tone is sharper this time. “Do you think it’s wise to talk about our business right now?”
Finally, Ryan looks ruffled. He sucks in a breath, and I notice motion at his side. He’s rapidly tapping his middle finger and thumb together on his left hand. Suddenly, his lack of eye contact makes sense. He appears to be neurodivergent in some way, and without a doubt, he is also the most interesting person I’ve spoken to this evening.
“My fault,” I say regretfully. “I didn’t mean to imply anything or ask about something I shouldn’t have.” I say this mainly as an apology to Ryan. I hate that I caused him any distress. “I never spent much time thinking about where diamonds come from. It’s truly interesting, though. I thought they all came from Africa for some reason. I guess I’ve always been more a fan of emeralds.”
Ryan looks at me again. “Only twenty percent of diamonds are from Africa.” He clears his throat. “Emeralds aremuchrarer than diamonds. They have a lot more inclusions, though.”
“What’s an inclusion?” I ask, honestly curious. Liam’s eyes are bouncing between his brother and me. He’s wearing a look I can’t place.
“An imperfection,” Ryan answers. “A flaw. You don’t want many of those in a diamond because it lessens its value. But, inclusions are considered favorable in an emerald. The inclusions make each one unique.”
“I love that.” I am genuinely smiling at Liam’s brother now. “Something rare that’s celebrated for its imperfections. Yeah. I love the idea of that.” I know how wistful I must sound, but I can’t help it.
Ryan nods. “Me too.”
I catch his eye and it feels like an understanding passes between us before he looks away again.
Danny clears his throat. I forgot he was still standing here. “Well, I don’t think many people will miss that you’re engaged, wearing that baby. So—have you guys landed on a wedding date?”
“You’re only the hundredth person to ask,” Liam groans. “No, Danny. We haven’t.”
