Chapter Twelve A Ruby Ring
Christian
W aiting for Haven to give me an answer to my proposal is a lot more nerve-wracking than I anticipated. Sitting in my office, I stare at my phone like it’s going to ring any second. The silence in the room is deafening, broken only by the occasional sound of the clock ticking on the wall. Every minute that passes feels like an hour, and it’s taking everything I have not to pick up the phone and call Haven myself.
I’ve never been this anxious waiting for a response. I’m a man who’s used to making decisions, to taking control of situations, but this is different. I’ve put the ball in Haven’s court, and now all I can do is wait. And the waiting is killing me.
Running a hand through my hair, I push back the frustration that’s been building all morning. It’s not just about me—it’s about Oliver. Every second of this custody battle has been about protecting him, about making sure he has the life he deserves. This marriage… it’s a way to secure that. It’s practical, it makes sense, but it’s also more complicated than that, and I know it.
Replaying our conversation in my head, I wonder if I said the right things, if I made it clear that this isn’t just some business transaction. Sure, it started out that way—a way to help both of us, but there’s more to it. More than I was willing to admit last night. More than I’m willing to admit even now.
The truth is, I care about Haven. A lot.
And, yes, I find her attractive. In fact, there are times when I can’t stop thinking about her.
I glance at the clock again, then at my phone, willing it to light up with a message, a call, anything. But it stays stubbornly dark, and I feel the tension coil tighter in my chest.
What’s taking her so long? Is she talking it over with someone? Is she trying to figure out how to let me down easy? The uncertainty gnaws at me, making it impossible to focus on anything else.
Maybe she decided to run far far away. I mean, only a crazy person asks someone they barely know to marry them.
I wouldn’t blame her for completely ghosting me after this.
Standing from my desk, I pace the room, trying to burn off some of the restless energy. But it doesn’t help. Nothing does. All I can think about is Haven—what she’s thinking, how she’s feeling, and what her answer will be. I know this isn’t fair to her. I know I put her in an impossible position, asking her to marry me like it’s just another business deal, but it’s more than that. It’s everything. For me, for Oliver, and maybe even for her.
The thought that she might say no—that she might decide this is all too much, too fast, too complicated—makes my stomach twist. What will I do if that happens? I mean sure, I’ll get over it. I’ll have to. It’s not like my custody situation was ever hers to worry about in the first place.
But damn would it all be easier with her by my side.
I guess one can dream, right?
I stop pacing and lean against the window, staring out at the estate. The land that once felt like my fortress now feels more like a cage, trapping me in this endless waiting game. Taking a deep breath, I try to steady myself, but it doesn’t work. Nothing works.
I need to hear from her to know what she’s thinking, how she feels about all of this. I need to know if she’s willing to take this leap with me, even if it’s just for convenience. Even if it’s just to help us both.
Hell, even if she doesn’t want to do this—I just need to know.
Deciding I need a distraction, I make my way out of my office, through the house, and out to my car. The moment my car roars to life, I head towards town. Oliver’s at daycare today, and though I know Haven isn’t, after I dropped him off this morning and didn’t see her, I can’t help but wonder if maybe I’ll run into her.
Then she’ll have to tell me something. Or maybe that just makes me sound desperate and completely crazy as well.
What the fuck am I doing?
I’m a little overwhelmed, and it’s not just from my sudden proposal. I’m wondering if I actually feel something for Haven, and that worries me. After all, she’s my best friend’s little sister. Of course, I was the one that did all of this. I set everything up, and now I can’t be having second thoughts, can I?
Stopping at a cafe in town, I force myself to eat something even though my stomach is turning like a raging sea through a massive storm. It isn’t until I finish my lunch that a sense of calm washes through me. There are tons of things I need to think through, whether she says yes or no.
One of those being wedding preparations if she says yes.
I mean, I can’t ask her to marry me and not have an engagement ring or anything. The fact that I even asked her to marry me without something like that is sort of embarrassing. I can only imagine what my father would say if he knew.
Stepping out of the cafe, my eye catches sight of a jewelry store across the street. My mother had left behind her wedding band for me to give to my future wife before she died, but not an engagement ring. She’d lost it when my parents first married.
A story my father has told for years.
The moment I step inside the shop, the small petite older woman with graying hair eyes me like a prized pig for slaughter. I’m sure she doesn’t get as much business as she would in a large city, and she knows it by her eagerness to show me anything I want.
Moving around from case to case, I catch sight of something that instantly makes me think of Haven. It’s a beautiful ring inlaid with rubies to match Haven’s auburn hair. As much as she doesn’t seem like a materialistic kind of girl, I can’t help but want to shower her with something expensive.
The ring itself proves to be just the thing as the two carats of diamonds that surround the ruby glisten against the store's bright lighting. It’s aggravating that I’m thinking so much about this, that I want to get her the perfect ring. But I can’t fall in love again. As much as I feel some sort of way towards Haven, I have to remember that this will only be for business.
Love just isn’t something that makes sense to me. While I’m grateful that Theresa gave me Oliver, she wasn’t the girl for me. The stress she’s put me through and continues to put me through is only going to send me to an early grave.
I can’t risk losing him, which is why I asked Haven to marry me. If it’s a situation that benefits us both, maybe she won’t run off. At least, that was my logic at the time. I just have to be sure not to fall for her, and things will be fine.
At least that's the hope.
Staring at the ring in my hand, I watch how the rubies catch the light as I turn it over. It’s beautiful, no doubt about that, but it feels heavy in a way that has nothing to do with its weight. This isn’t just a ring—it’s a promise, a commitment, and one I’m not sure I’m ready to make, even though I’ve already asked Haven to take this leap with me.
After making my purchase, I slip the ring’s velvet box into my pocket as I try to shake the unease that’s settled over me. This is the right thing to do—for Oliver, for my custody case, for Haven’s mother. It’s practical, and it makes sense, but as I walk out of the store and back to my car, I can’t ignore the nagging feeling that I’m on the edge of something I can’t control.
Driving back home, I force myself to focus on the road, on anything but the fact that Haven still hasn’t called. The silence is eating away at me, and every mile that passes only makes it worse. What if she says no? What if she decides this is too much, too soon? I’m not sure I could blame her if she did.
What if she says yes? What then? Am I really ready to go through with this, to make this arrangement work without letting my feelings get in the way? Because the truth is I’m not sure I can. Not anymore.
Pulling into the driveway, I sit in the car for a moment, staring at the front of the house. It’s quiet, too quiet, and the weight of the ring in my pocket feels like it’s pulling me down. I have to keep it together, for Oliver’s sake, for my own, but the thought of marrying Haven—of making her my wife in anything but name—is starting to feel like a line I’m not sure I should cross.
With a sigh, I force myself out of the car, closing the door behind me, and make my way back inside. The house is as still as I left it, the air heavy with the same tension that’s been building all day. I check my phone again, hoping for a missed call, a text, anything.
There’s nothing.
The ring burns a hole in my pocket, a reminder of the decision I’ve already made, and the one I’m still waiting for her to make. Walking into my office, the room feels smaller than it did this morning. My thoughts keep drifting back to her, to the way she looked last night when I asked her to marry me. There was surprise, yes, but there was something else too—something I can’t quite put my finger on.
Could this really work? Could we make it through this together without getting hurt? Deep down, I’m not as confident as I was when I first made the proposal. I’m already in too deep, and the longer this goes on, the harder it’s going to be to keep my feelings in check.
***
The silence in the house is so thick, I can almost feel it pressing down on me. For the last few hours, I’ve tried to do just about anything to distract myself. Including getting into some tv show that Garrett told me about a few months ago. Something to do with ex-cons and biker gangs. Though no matter how much I try to distract myself with work and a stupid tv show, I can’t stop thinking about her.
So much so that the ring I bought her has been passing through my fingers for the last twenty minutes, making me wonder if I’m a fool for buying it.
The sound of the doorbell is like music to my ears. My heart skips a beat, and I wonder if I imagined it, but then it comes again, more insistent this time. I stand up, the ring slipping from my fingers, landing softly on my desk as I hurry out of my office towards the front door.
When I open the door, Haven is standing there, her eyes wide, her expression unreadable. She looks like she’s been through a storm—her hair is a little tousled, and there’s a look in her eyes that’s a mix of determination and something else I can’t quite place.
“Haven,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “I wasn’t expecting you…”
She steps inside without waiting for an invitation, and I close the door behind her, the click of the latch echoing in the quiet house. We stand there for a moment, just looking at each other.
“I… I’ve been thinking,” she starts, her voice shaky. “About your proposal.”
I nod, waiting for her to continue, my throat suddenly dry. The words I want to say are caught somewhere between my chest and my mouth, and I’m terrified of pushing her too fast, too soon. I need her to say yes, but I know she has a right to say no.
“Okay… it’s not what I ever imagined,” she says slowly. “Marriage was never something I really thought about, let alone one like this. But… given everything that’s happening, with my mom, with Oliver… I think it might be the practical thing to do.”
I swallow hard, forcing myself to stay calm and not let my emotions take over.
“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice low, searching her face for any sign of doubt. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re being forced to do this..”
She looks down at her hands, twisting them together nervously before she lifts her gaze back to mine. “I know. But you’re right. This could help both of us. My mom, she… she wants to see me settled, and I can’t ignore that. And for you, with Oliver, I can see why it would make a difference. So, yes. I’m sure. It’s practical, and I think it’s the right thing to do. Plus, this is like a business agreement. We both will benefit from it.”
I should feel relieved and be grateful that she’s saying yes, that she’s willing to do this. Instead, all I can think about is the way she’s hesitating, the way she’s trying to convince herself as much as she’s trying to convince me. It makes me wonder if we’re both about to step into something we can’t handle.
“Okay,” I say quietly, nodding. “Okay. We can make this work, but I want you to know, Haven, that this isn’t just about convenience for me. I care about you. A lot. And I’ll do everything I can to make sure this doesn’t become something you regret.”
She smiles faintly, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I appreciate that, Chris.”
A moment of awkwardness passes between us as she stands before me. As much as I was hoping she was going to say yes, part of me feels guilty and I don’t exactly know why.
“I should probably get going,” she finally says, turning towards the door. My hand quickly reaches out, grasping her arm to stop her in her tracks.
“Before you go… I have something for you. Follow me.” I turn and head for my office, her soft footsteps following behind me as I make my way towards my desk. “I got something for you today. It’s just a formality, but you still need one regardless.”
Her eyes widen as she looks at the ring, and I’m worried that I’ve overstepped, that this is too much. To my relief, she reaches out and takes it, her fingers brushing against mine as she does.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers, turning the ring over in her hand. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Neither was I,” I admit with a soft chuckle. “I was hoping you would say yes, but I knew there was a chance you wouldn’t.”
She slips the ring onto her finger and to my surprise it fits perfectly, and seeing it there makes everything feel a little more real and a little more terrifying.
Haven looks up at me, and for a moment, neither of us says anything.
“We’ll make this work,” I say at length, more for myself than for her. “One step at a time.”
“Yeah,” she agrees, her voice a little steadier now. “One step at a time.”