AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He opened the cover of my box. “I hope you like spaghetti.”
I smiled. “It’s perfect.”
“I figured who doesn’t like spaghetti.”
I laughed, knowing not everyone got to see the lighter side of him. I was grateful I did. I twirled my spaghetti around my fork and took a bite.
“Did I miss anything in school?”
“Oh, like a run-in with Kiki?” I said with my mouth full.
He groaned. “What’d she do?”
I finished chewing. “She’s the reason I ended up at Windham Prep.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“She’s the one who called my school.”
He scrubbed his hands up and down his face. “I thought I was the only one crazy enough to do something like that.”
“Nope. You’ve got competition,” I said.
“I’m not gonna say I’m not happy you’re at Windham Prep. I’m just sorry you got ripped away from your friends because of Kiki.”
Once we finished eating, Seren cleaned up, putting all our garbage in the bag. He returned to the table and sat down, holding a small box with a red velvet bow out to me.
“I don’t need a gift,” I said, uncomfortable with the notion that he’d bought me a gift.
He pushed it toward me. “You’ll insult me.”
I sighed and took it from him. His eyes focused on the box, clearly eager for me to open it. My heartbeat raced as I untied the bow and lifted the cover off the box. A black velvet ring box sat nestled inside gold tissue paper. I glanced up at him.
“Go on,” he urged.
I pulled the ring box out and placed the wrapping on the floor at my side. I slowly lifted the cover and I gasped. Tucked inside its spot in the box was a ring very much like the one my father had given me. The one that readMy Girlinside that I valued more than any other object on this planet. But this ring was different. This one was covered in tiny diamonds. “Seren?” I said both awed and angry he’d done something this big.
“Take it out,” he insisted.
“This is too much,” I said.
“You’re hurting my feelings,” he said, his voice low.
I removed the ring from the box, examining the gorgeous piece of jewelry. Diamonds wrapped around it, twinkling in the soft light. It was exactly like my dad’s ring, only flashier.
“You can wear it with your other ring,” he said. “But look inside first.”
I tilted the ring so I could see inside. Just like in my father’s ring, there was engraving inside. It was the same scrolling font, but this engraving readAnd Mine.
I glanced at Seren. I could see the worry in his eyes. He was scared I wouldn’t like the gift. Or, the engraving. “Is that how you see me?” I asked, taken aback by what it said.
His lips slid into a small smirk causing dimples to dig in. “As my girl?”
I nodded.
“Yes,” he said.
I was quiet as I stared at the ring in my hand for a long time. It wasn’t that I didn’t love the ring. It was all just …so much. I looked back at Seren. The anxiousness in his eyes was like a rush of adrenaline. He was watching my expression and awaiting my next move. The ring was beautiful, no doubt. But what would I be saying if I wore it? Because I really wanted to wear it. Not giving myself any more time to wimp out,I slipped the ring onto my finger, fitting it right up against my father’s ring.
