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“I come with gluten-free, sugar-free cupcakes from Audrey and a week’s worth of food for my baby and her honey,” Fallon declares as she and the girls bring in trays of food and then the box of cupcakes. “So y’all don’t need to cook.”
Posey makes a face. “Sorry, I need the gluten and the sugar.”
All three women glare at her as Fallon says, “Boon Hoenes told me otherwise.”
Posey looks back at me, but my heart is in my throat. “Why am I in love with him?”
“He’d die for you,” I say, my voice breaking as the girls set their trays beside me. I feel their gazes on me, but I’m looking everywhere but at them. I bet they know. Surely, they know. Or maybe not. He doesn’t like talking to them. I don’t know, but my anxiety is out of this world right now. What if they say something? Emery is the one I’ve got to worry about.
I run my hand down my face, trying to get myself together, but then Fallon exclaims, “Wait, that’s my ring.” I look up to see who she’s talking to, but she grabs my hand, and my body goes still. “What are you doing with my ring, Allison Titov?” She says it in a joking manner, but confusion is deep in her eyes. “Well, it’s Asher’s—”
Her words fall off, and she narrows her eyes as if it’s all finally coming together. Everyone is staring between the two of us, and I slowly pull my hand out of hers. It’s shaking so badly, I tuck it deep in my pocket and look down at the counter.
“What?” I ask, and she nods her head toward my hand.
“That’s my engagement ring that I gave Asher to give to Jasmine.”
It’s like being hit in the face with a wicked quick spike from a 6’2” Russian volleyball star. Posey fills her cheeks with air as she shakes her head. My mom and Elli are utterly confused, and the girls press their lips tight together. “I’m sorry, what?” I somehow choke out, and her eyes are searching mine.
Did he really give me Jasmine’s ring?
I am the new Jasmine.
Keep it together, Ally.
“Asher never gave it to Jasmine.” All the attention shifts to Emery. She stands there with no cares in the world, crossing her arms over her chest. “He bought her another ring because that ring was for Ally.”
All the attention swings back to me, and I’m so confused. “This is your engagement ring?”
“Yes, and I guess since Asher gave it to you, I’m correct in assuming you two are an item?”
My mom whips her head to me, and tears threaten my eyes. “Are you engaged?”
“No, no,” I say, and I twirl the ring around my finger as it all hits me at once. Asher gave me his mom’s ring. Her engagement ring that is for the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with. The ring he was supposed to give Jasmine but didn’t.
Wha
t in the actual fuck is wrong with him?
“He didn’t tell me that.”
Stella coughs. “Because he didn’t want to make such a big deal about it.”
For real, though, what is wrong with him?
“This is so complicated.”
Everyone just stares at me like I’m dumb. I don’t know what to say, but I guess I don’t have to. Not with Emery Brooks in the room. “Asher won’t admit to loving Ally, when she is totally in love with him. Because of that, they got into a huge fight and haven’t talked in six days.”
More gasps as everyone stares at me. Stella’s jaw is hanging open as she gawks at her sister. “Please, don’t hold back our brother’s business.”
“She isn’t going to say anything. Look at her. She’s almost as bad as he is, and the thing is,” she says, looking back at me, “you guys are being stupid. He does love you. He’s tired of people telling him how he feels, and he wants to feel it himself. Believe me.”
Stella clears her throat, stealing my attention. “Sometimes, actions are more important than words. If a guy did half the stuff for me Asher has done for you, I wouldn’t care one bit if he said the words or not because I wouldn’t need them.”
I blink. “It’s more complicated than that.”
They both nod. “Maybe so,” Stella says, looking uncomfortable. “But we hate seeing two people we love, who we know love each other, suffering.”
