Page 85 of City of Liars

It occurred to me that the box looked exactly like what it was: something that contained jewelry. Which…oh my God, what if she thought⁠—

I was definitely having a heart attack.

“This isn’t what it looks like,” I managed.

Her jaw shut with a snap.

“I mean, if what you think it looks like is that I’m proposing,” I rattled onward, having apparently lost control of my mouth. “Because I’m definitely not. Proposing. I mean, of course I’m not. That would be ridiculous.” I dug my fingers into my knee with my free hand. “Jesus fuck, Liv, tell me to shut up.”

Her lips curved in amusement. “But if I do that, how will I ever find out why you dragged me out of my cozy house to freeze my butt off on the coldest day of the year?”

When she put it that way, it didn’t sound romantic at all. It sounded stupid, not to mention bound to result in pneumonia. “Never mind,” I muttered, starting to shove the damn box back into my pocket. “You’re right. This was dumb. Let’s go inside.”

She caught my hand. “I didn’t say that. Show me what’s in the box.”

“No.” I shook my head, trying to tug my hand free.

Before I could stop her, she pried the box out of my fingers. I lunged for it, but she held it high. I had two choices: tackle her to get it back, which had its appeals, or let her open it. “Fine,” I grumbled, sitting back. “Go ahead.”

She sat back, peering at me with those eyes that always saw too much. “If you really don’t want me to, I won’t,” she said, her voice soft.

“I got it for you,” I said, bracing my hands on my knees. “Open it.”

Obediently, she removed the lid—and gasped. “Oh my God,” she said, sounding awed.

“You like it?” My voice was gruff.

“It’s beautiful.” She lifted it out of the box. Even though the angle hid it from view, I knew what she was seeing: a thin sterling silver chain, from which hung a deep blue sapphire, studded with diamonds. “But why...”

“Let me see how it looks on you.” I slid behind her, and she gathered up her hair. That intoxicating coconut-and-vanilla scent wafted up from her skin, and I drew a deep breath, resisting the urge to press my lips to the nape of her neck. My fingers trembled as I struggled to hook the clasp.

“There,” I said when I finally succeeded. “It’s gorgeous.” Like you.

She glanced down at herself doubtfully. “Somehow, I don’t think it was meant to be worn with this coat and my glittery hat.”

“It looks perfect. When I saw it, it reminded me of the color of your eyes. And of the sea.” I gestured at the ocean, where the sun had half-sunk into the waves.

Her hand came up, closing around the sapphire. “That’s a sweet thing to say. But I still don’t understand. This is an expensive gift, Theo. And it doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you get a—friend.”

“Well, that’s the thing.” My heart was beating even more unevenly than before; was it too much to hope she knew CPR? “I think I made a mistake.”

Her eyes, nearly the same color as the sapphire, widened. “What do you mean?”

When I was done talking, maybe she’d rip the pendant from around her neck and fling it at me. But I had to try. “I got you that pendant because it reminds me of the sea, like I said. And you always smell like the ocean to me, like the home I made for myself.”

How was it possible that it was a few degrees above freezing, but I was sweating? I looked at Liv for a clue to how she was taking this, but she just stared at me. In shock? Horror? I couldn’t tell. Bravely or stupidly, I soldiered on.

“If I hadn’t met you, I would’ve missed out on the best part of my life. You listened to me in the beginning, even when you didn’t want to, and you stuck with our search, even when your family gave you shit about it. Hell, they threatened to disinherit you, and you still cared more about the truth than your own comfort or Chloe’s college fund.” Sometimes, I still couldn’t believe how much she’d been willing to risk. “Because of you, I’ve been writing music again. Because of you, my grandmother might find out if her sister is still alive. You made this possible, and I will never forget that.” I swallowed hard.

“You were right, outside your cousin’s apartment. My feelings for you scare the hell out of me. But I’m sick of hiding from the truth.” I looked her dead in the eyes. “Liv...I love you. I loved you when I walked away in New York, and every day, I fall a little harder. I don’t know anything about loving someone like this, and I’m sure I’ll screw it up. But if you’ll take a chance on me, I swear I’ll do my best to learn.”

She gripped the pendant harder, her face white. But it was too late to turn back. “I wanted to tell you this now, so you can see that I want to be with you, no matter what the DNA test says,” I said, scrutinizing her face. “Just give me a reason to stay, and I will.”

I finally ran out of words—and oxygen. I was pretty sure my heart had never beat this fast in my life. Liv, on the other hand, had turned into a statue. The wind blew through her hair, ruffling it beneath the glittery hat, and the cold had turned her cheeks bright red. She was still clutching the pendant.

“Are you done?” she said at last.

Mute, I nodded. Now she would tell me to take my declaration of love and shove it. That I’d had my chance and wasted it, that she had no interest in a bastard like me. But at least I’d laid it all on the line. If she walked away now, I’d know I’d done everything I could.