Page 30 of The Substitute Fiancée

His cheeks flush slightly, as if he realizes he’s revealing too much. It’s adorable.

“Stop,” Mara teases. “Save that for your honeymoon.”

“Mara!” I protest, horrified.

But the tension is gone. The atmosphere has warmed.

“Ready?” Oliver asks, camera in hand.

“Yes,” we answer, this time with more enthusiasm.

“Perfect,” David says. “Alexander, your turn.”

Alexander drops to one knee, and the world freezes.

The wind. The passersby. The sound of traffic. Everything disappears.

There’s only him, kneeling in front of me, looking up into my eyes.

My heart pounds so hard it hurts.

He opens the box, and I’m speechless.

The ring isn’t the one meant for Kristel.

It’s another one. Delicate. Elegant.

A round solitaire set in gold, with three tiny diamonds on each side.

“But… how?”

My voice is barely a whisper.

“The shop owner owed me a favor,” he explains. “I wanted to give you one that looks like you: beautiful and radiant, without any artifice.”

What he says reaches straight into my soul. No one knows me better than he does.

Slowly, he removes the ring from the box. The diamond catches the last rays of the setting sun, scattering light.

“Sam, will you marry me?” he asks, his voice rough, his face lifted toward mine.

Life is so cruel. I’ve dreamed of this moment for years, and now that it’s happening, it’s fake. My heart breaks as I answer:

“Yes.”

He takes my trembling hand and slowly slides the ring onto my ring finger. The metal is cool against my skin. It fits perfectly.

And when he looks up at me, I see a vulnerability that tightens my chest.

Is he thinking about Kristel right now?

Of course he is.

“And now the kiss!” David calls out.

“What?!”

My voice comes out too high. Panicked.