Page 187 of Only Be Mine

His eyes snapped to mine. “It’s John’s,” he said quietly. “It’s his fraternity ring.”

I nodded once. “You’re sure.”

“Yes.”

His voice didn’t waver.

He turned it slightly in the light. “See this?” He ran his thumb over the faint scratch near the crest. “He did that junior year. Slamming his hand into the dorm door after we fought. He wouldn’t let me forget it.”

I’d already known, but hearing Seth say it made the world tilt anyway.

“Okay,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “So there’s no chance it belongs to someone else.”

“No,” Seth said flatly. “There’s no chance.”

Silence fell between us, thick and heavy.

His gaze sharpened.

“Cate,” he said carefully. “Where did you get this?”

I looked at him.

Really looked at him.

“I need you to promise me something first.”

His expression darkened. “Cate…”

“Promise,” I repeated. “You don’t say anything. To anyone. Not yet. Not Marshal. Not anyone.”

“That depends on what you’re about to tell me.”

“It doesn’t,” I said.

We held each other’s stare.

Finally, through clenched teeth, he said, “Fine. I won’t say anything until you decide what to do. But you don’t get to keep me in the dark.”

“That’s fair.”

I inhaled slowly.

“It was in Trevor’s desk.”

The words landed between us like glass shattering.

Seth didn’t blink.

He didn’t gasp.

He just went very, very still.

“In his desk,” he repeated.

“Yes.”

“How?”