The jeweler studied me for a long moment. Then she smiled.
"Three stones. Past, present, and future. The original diamond in the center, flanked by two smaller stones." She touched the ring. "Keep the diamond you chose for her, but transform it into something new. Something that honors where you've been while looking forward to where you're going."
Forever. That's what the three stones would say.
"That's perfect," I said. "How long will it take?"
"Give me a week. I'll make it beautiful."
"Thank you."
I left the ring in her careful hands. Walked out into the afternoon sun with Brian beside me.
"You're really doing this," Brian said.
"Yeah." I looked up at the sky, bright and clear. "I really am."
CHAPTER 20
Sloane
Something wasdifferent about Garrett today.
I noticed it the moment he walked into the kitchen. Shoulders set just a little too straight. Smile coming half a second too late. He kissed my cheek the same way he did every morning, handed me coffee the same way he had since I'd moved in.
But something underneath was humming. Electric. Barely contained.
"Sleep okay?" I asked, watching him over the rim of my mug.
"Fine. Great." He checked his phone. Pocketed it. Checked it again. "You?"
"Garrett."
"What?"
"You've looked at your phone four times in the last minute."
"I'm waiting for a text from Shane. Shift coverage thing." He was a terrible liar. Always had been. Couldn't quite meet my eyes. Hand going to the back of his neck. Suddenly finding the coffee maker fascinating.
I decided to let him have it. Whatever he was planning, I'd find out soon enough.
"Okay," I said. "Shift coverage thing."
He relaxed slightly. "I was thinking we could take a walk later. This evening. It's supposed to be nice out."
"A walk."
"Yeah. Maybe the bridge? We haven't been there in a while."
The Brooklyn Bridge. Where he'd kissed me for the first time. Where I'd told him I loved him and meant it in a way I'd never meant anything before.
My heart did something complicated in my chest.
Could it be?—?
No. Too soon. We'd only been living together a few weeks.
But it had also been ten years.
