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She cocks her head. “Is something bothering you, Marcus? You seem…off.”
Her question hits me in the gut. I try to remember a single time Taylor asked how I was feeling. I come up blank. It’s probably stupid, but her concern chokes me up.
“He’s fine,” Josh supplies. “Just preoccupied. Complicated calculations. That’s what you get when you spend your time with a guy who double-majored in economics and mathematics. We’re leaving now.” He grabs my arm and drags me to the car, sending me an impatient glance. “What is your problem? Are you hung up on what I said earlier? Is that why you almost freaked Kate out?”
I shrug free and throw myself into the passenger’s seat. “Buddy, we’ve known her less than two weeks, and you dropped the M-bomb. It’s too fast.”
“It doesn’t matter how long we’ve known her.” He clenches his teeth as he hauls out of the parking lot, zipping down the two-lane road to town. “It’s about how strongly we feel. She would be a great wife for us.”
He’s not listening to reason. “We went too fast with Taylor. We didn’t know her or her feelings the way we should have before we bought that fucking engagement ring. We—”
“We wanted to be in love with Taylor, and we ignored the warning signs. With Kate, we both tried not to fall, but we have—hard. I’ve been watching her—scrutinizing her behavior—for any reason to feel an ounce of caution. There isn’t one. You know it. That’s why you’re scared. Since we’re running out of time here, I want to show you something.”
I freeze. “What the hell are you up to?”
“Stop freaking out. You know Kate is different, Marcus. Special. We’ve both fucked around enough to know she’s everything we want. The future we’ve craved right in front of us. You’re afraid. I get it, but try to believe in us. Take a leap of faith.”
He has a point. Actually, he has a lot of them—and they’re annoyingly valid. If I wasn’t haunted by Taylor’s stab in the back, I would probably be in lockstep with Josh, eager to get down on one knee and pledge my life to Kate.
Aren’t you doing exactly what Josh accused? Aren’t you letting Taylor win?
Yes. She’s the only thing holding me back. Everything between Josh, Kate, and me feels terrifyingly perfect.
“What do you want to show me?” I sigh.
“Come with me.”
Through the dusk, we head to Hilo’s main street. The farmer’s market is closing up for the day. The Mexican food joint a few doors down is getting crowded. We find a hole-in-the-wall pizza shop and place our order before Josh tugs me up a half-hidden staircase. In a narrow hallway, between a psychic and a masseuse, sits a cramped storefront for a custom jeweler.
Josh whips out his phone and sends a quick text. Seconds later, he gets a ding in return. “Maleko is waiting.”
“Who?” But since Josh isn’t the sort to have his palm read and doesn’t need his neck rubbed, I know the answer.
“I met Maleko yesterday when I picked up lunch. We were both waiting for our food, and he guessed that I was here working on the hotel. I answered his questions. Apparently, his grandmother once worked there. Turns out the whole town is curious about our plans. He wanted to know if he could bring his grandmother out to see the grounds if we buy it. He gave me his card, so I asked him about his work. He’s been making one-of-a-kind jewelry for people all over the world for twenty years.” Josh shrugs. “On a whim, I asked him how long it would take him to make something custom for us. He said he could do it by this afternoon…if I promised his grandmother first look at our remodel.”
“Youboughtthe ring?”Without even talking to me?
“No, I simply had Maleko design it. No obligation. But I told him our situation and the kind of diamond Kate deserves. He said he could make something perfect. Let’s at least look at it.”
If I do, I’m afraid I’ll be tempted to slide it on Kate’s finger and keep her forever. Even though it’s not smart, I’m already looking for ways to bind her to us. “Two minutes.”
Josh raises a brow at me. “Five. Keep an open mind. We’re talking about our future.”
Reluctantly, I follow him into the poky little shop. It’s packed with glittering gold, winking diamonds, and pearls of all kinds. A cursory glance tells me Maleko is skilled and he has a good eye.
“Hello, Josh.” The Hawaiian guy who’s around our age sticks out his hand. “You brought your friend.”
“Marcus,” he supplies.
Dutifully, I shake with him but say nothing.
As if he’s picked up on my reluctance, Maleko gets down to business, fishing a key from the ring at his waist. He unlocks a drawer to his right and withdraws a cloth pouch. “I have the ring ready. It turned out even more beautiful than I thought. You will like it.”
The man pulls out the piece. As he’s giving it one last polish, the pristine shine of platinum and the bling of diamonds is unmistakable. Then he sets it on a rubber mat in front of us with a proud smile.
I look down at the three-stone masterpiece. My breath stutters. It’s perfect.
Josh’s face tells me he feels the same. “The larger center stone represents Kate. The smaller diamonds on either side…that’s us, always surrounding her.”
