Page 90 of Twisted Truth

He sets the other jewelry boxes back into the bigger box and returns it all to the safe.

“This,” he says, returning to the counter and opening the green box, “is an old ring of mine. All Langfords get a ring with their initials when they turn twelve.”

He turns the box to me. Inside is a gold ring with a circular, flat surface, and the letters, “AHL” engraved into it.

“It’s beautiful. Why don’t you wear it anymore?”

“It’s too small. I wore it until it wouldn’t even fit my pinky finger.”

“Why didn’t you have it sized?”

He shrugs. “By then I was trying to make my own way, and I didn’t want the constant reminder of my name and my heritage. I wanted to prove myself to be more than another Langford. But I want you to wear it now, for the duration of our arrangement. If you’ll agree to it.”

I hesitate. “Why?”

“Consider it an olive branch. A promise of better behavior. I’m sorry it took me so long to figure out that how I acted Saturday night was not okay. I’ve had some sense knocked into me by Matthew, as you know. And last night my motherreminded me lovingly, but forcefully, that I might be a brilliant businessman, but I’m sometimes an idiot.”

My lips twitch, somewhere between shock and laughter.

“But more than Matthew and my mother,” he says, running his hand over his jaw, “I was speechless after our conversation in your room last night. After you told me how you felt, I realized that you were more than right.Iasked this of you. I asked you to be vulnerable with me and to trust me, and I didn’t hold that trust with the care it deserved.”

He lifts the ring from its cushion. “I want you to trust me again. And I want you to know that you have a partner in this.”

Tears prick the backs of my eyes. I’m so stunned that I can’t find the words to respond. How dare he be so sweet and perfect out of nowhere! It throws me for a loop.

“Asher, it’s . . .”

He reaches for my right hand and slips the ring onto my middle finger. It’s a little big, but still fits. Then he brings my hand to his mouth and kisses my knuckle just above the ring. My head swims.

“It’s too much,” I whisper.

He chuckles against the skin of my hand, which sends shivers down my spine and goosebumps across my skin.

“It’s perfect, just like you.”

My heart pounds. I take some deep breaths.

“I don’t know,” I say, unsure. “I’m still so hurt and humiliated. And it’s not so much the bad press and all the shit people are saying about me online. I’m more humiliated by the fact that we were sort of intimate, and the next day you tossed me aside like I was nothing. I don’t put myself in the position to be used like that, ever. For obvious, good reasons. I went against my better judgment, and I did with you, and it didn’t turn out well for me.”

Asher lets out a heavy breath. “You’re right. But you’re also wrong. I didn’t toss you aside because I got what Iwanted and discarded you. If anything, I only got a fraction of what I wanted, and you left me practically starving for more. I was awful the next day because it all hit too close to home. Like you said Friday, I had already jumped into the deep end, and then I got scared and decided I didn’t want to swim. And now I’ve hurt you, and myself, and us, and I am so fucking sorry.”

Asher gently grabs my hand and runs his thumb along the ring on my finger. “Please know that I would never treat you like some girl that doesn’t matter to me. It’s not better, per se, but I treated you like shit because I was scared. I realized how quickly everything was moving, and how the world would be watching. The attention and press I get sometimes ruins the things I care about—and now you’re a part of that. And it makes you a target, and that terrifies me.”

“Asher,” I whisper, in shock. “Thank you for being honest.” I don’t know what else to say. I’m so overwhelmed.

I take a breath, unsure. But this gesture is very sweet, and seems completely sincere. And vulnerable. And I realize that I have to try, at least once more. We’re both in the deep end, and the only way through is to swim. There is no backing out now, not without Asher losing everything. Which I shouldn’t care about, but for some reason, I do. As much as I want to stay neutral, I can’t deny that I care for Asher. And I don’t want him to fail at this. It was a rocky start, but maybe we can start over, and really get somewhere this time.

But I won’t get too close again, and I won’t put up with behavior like that again. If he treats me like shit, I’ll be contacting my lawyer to walk me through the contingencies and safety nets in place that give me a way out.

I tell him as much.

“I understand, Ella. I do. And you’d be completely within your rights to do so. You’d get no fight or complaints from me.” He touches the ring on my finger again. “I want you to wearthis,” he says, softly. “And when you look at it, I want you to be assured that you’re not alone. That we’re partners in this.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. “I’m honored to wear it.”

His eyes flash with something I can’t quite place my finger on.Surprise?

“Let’s go,” he says, stepping back and smirking his usual, smug smile. “You have loads of work to get done, I hear. We don’t want you to be late.” He winks and leads the way out of the closet.