Opening the box, my heart thunders against my ribcage as I stare at a thick, silver band paired with a clear, teardrop cut diamond.
Simple, but elegant.
Gold had always been my go-to whenever I bought myself jewelry. I felt it always suited my skin tone nicer than silver. But I wore my engagement ring every single day because of what it meant to me, and who it came from.
But now… now I couldn’t think of anything worse than being engaged ever again. The thought alone makes me cringe.
I remember the moment Austin proposed to me so vividly. Despite my wish for a private proposal, he made a grand, romantic gesture in front of our families on Christmas day. Healways did whatever he wanted. I guess I should have expected him to do things his own way when he proposed to me.
"Are you ready?" Jenna’s voice snaps me out of my trip down memory lane, forcing me back to reality. I slam the box shut and quickly place it back down on my vanity. Blinking rapidly, I stop the tears that threaten to ruin my makeup before I turn to face her.
"Ready," I say, forcing a smile.
"You chose the green?" She raises a brow, conveying her disappointment, but she quickly recovers.
"The blue reminded me of…” I don’t have to finish my sentence for her to know exactly what I was going to say.
"You look beautiful either way."
"Thanks. So do you." My smile turns genuine as I admire her.
A high, wavy ponytail holds her blonde hair up, while her lips are coated with a deep, red lipstick and the perfect jet-black, large wing to make her soft, blue eyes pop. Huge silver hoops standout against her tight, black dress.
It compliments her curves perfectly.
Jenna has an hourglass figure—the type rich people pay for. But she’s hated it for as long as I’d known her.
I, however, think she looks incredible.
"I’ve booked that new Spanish restaurant in town. Once we finish dinner, we’ll go for drinks," Jenna says, closing my apartment door behind us as we head out of my apartment building.
The sun is still setting as we walk hand in hand down the busy streets of L. A, and I slow down our pace to take in the beauty.
This place has been my home for all of my adult life, and I’ve never really appreciated it for all that it is.
Returning to my hometown would have to be temporary. I couldn’t trade in my window view of the ocean for small town living, where the closest bed of water is a dirty creek, could I?
No, I don’t think I could.
Though, it hasn’t stopped mom’s pleas from constantly ringing in my head.
Do I really want to leave a job I love, for a job I could hate?
Or no job at all?
Would I seriously consider leaving my best friend behind to go back to a place where the only people I have left are my parents and sisters? I don’t think I could.
Sabrosa, the new Spanish restaurant on the main strip, is just a few blocks from my apartment.
Austin and I would walk past it often, and I would always beg for us to go together, but he was always busy with work or complained that he didn’t like Spanish food.
I could guarantee he had never actually tried it before, but he liked to argue with me, so I learned to stop asking.
A dark-haired girl wearing a white blouse and black pants greets us at the door of the restaurant.
"Reservation for two, under Jenna," my best friend says to Isabel, our hostess, while my eyes wander around the room, taking in its beautiful decor. The walls are a deep red with soft, yellow accents. The chairs are velvet red to match. I feel like I’ve stepped into luxury.
"Right this way.”
