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The corners of his lips turned up but not enough to really be called a smile. He wasn’t watching Ambrose any longer but looking slowly around the room.
Ambrose tugged at a curl, anxiously twisting and untwisting around her finger. Did he know someone was in the room with them? Had he caught a glimpse of Ephram? Or wondered why she looked so flushed?
“Bee,” she whined, suddenly feeling like the young girl who’d begged for his attention while he pined for Ophelia again.
“Hmm?” he hummed finally looking back at her.
She pointed a finger at the door.
“Right. I’m leaving.” He turned, pausing with his hand on the doorknob, his back to her. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry it ended the way it did.”
Burke didn’t wait for her response or to see the way her eyes narrowed on his back in suspicion; he locked her in and left in search of a red dress.
Ambrose never expected an apology. She didn’t want one either.
“So that’s the famous ex-fiancé?” Ephram stepped out of the corner of the room.
“Unfortunately.”
“Should I be worried?” His frame filled Ambrose’s line of sight, a single hand sweeping over her jawline.
“Not at all.” She pressed herself against him trying to forget herself in his embrace.
Her palms were slick as she clasped her hands around him and her heart gave a little tumble in her chest. She tried to steady her heartbeat.
No matter what she told him, no matter what she told herself, the longer she was around him the more apt she was to remember their history and her heart wouldn’t let her forget it. Part of her had begun to wonder if perhapssheshould be worried.
Ace
The ring itself wasn’t heavy—it was quite delicate actually—but still, her hand felt weighed down. Ace sat on her hands pretending as if the wind was making her cold when really she couldn’t stand looking at the ring. Worse, she couldn’t handle the idea of Shelby seeing the ring.
Knowing he was right, knowing he would not have her because of his morals, and all the other reasons she found him to be so good. Too good.
They’d ridden several miles in silence, Rehan’s arm stretched out across the seat behind her, a light smile tilting his lips as he stared out the window watching the trees pass. Ace was slouched in her seat trying to ignore the way her hands were going numb underneath her. Nervous butterflies were wild inside of her stomach sending jittery nerves all the way through her limbs down to her tapping heel.
Across from her, Shelby had tipped his head back against the carriage wall, eyes closed as if he was sleeping. Ace swore that he was still awake even though he hadn’t moved for several minutes and his breathing had slowed. Further proving her point, he cracked an eye.
“For the love of the gods, quit bouncing your damn leg. You’re shaking the carriage again and I just want a single moment of peace.”
Peace was not a luxury that they could have but she tried to stifle the anxious energy inside of her nonetheless. No longer able to take the worry that her hands might fall off if they remained without blood for a moment longer, she pulled them out from underneath her and smoothed her hands over her lap.
The single slitted glance turned into a wide-eyed gape at the sparkling stone of the ring. Even the sun managed to find its way through the parted curtains on the window to shine down on it so that it gleamed with its fullest potential. Boots squealed against the floor. Shelby pulled his outstretched legs toward him, setting himself up and pointing at her hand.
“Have we taken to stealing again? Plan to pawn that off? Before or after you become queen?”
Whether he meant it or not his words were steel poking at her, and the fragile way she was trying to contain the intense mixture of emotions inside of her could hardly take it.
“I didn’t steal it.” Ace crossed her arms trying to hide her hand with the ring.
You could have, Ramdon reminded her.You’ve been awfully well behaved as of late…
Somehow now that Shelby had seen the ring, her hand had gained another fifty pounds. Not only had it gone from being a weight but now it was also the elephant in the room, er, carriage.
“I gave it to her,” Rehan admitted, turning his body toward her. “I felt it was only right that we make the engagement official. It’s not like we’re hiding it from anyone.” He smirked. “Well, anyoneotherthan the queens.”
“It’s an engagement ring?” Shelby scratched at his beard, his expression somewhere between disgusted and amused.
“Yes, Aylee and I shared a brief but beautiful moment.”
