17. Ellie
Chapter seventeen
Ellie
“ S orry I’m late,” Evie says in a rush, tugging her scarf from around her neck. Aiden’s younger sister joins us at the jewelry counter before tossing her giant purse onto the floor. She sits in the vacant chair next to Aiden.
“Hey, Eves. No problem. I’m glad you could make it,” Aiden says, before returning to his examination of several rings displayed in a velvet tray on the counter.
Stones, large and small, catch the light and sparkle in a variety of settings, from delicate, vintage pieces to bold statement rings.
Goddamn, my best friend is going to need to up her lifting to carry around a ring like this. Perks of dating a professional athlete.
“Think we could see a few more? None of these feel right,” Aiden says. The woman assisting us, Joanie, smiles and nods, taking the tray.
Aiden is the most nervous I’ve seen him. Even when Dom and I were trying to talk him through a difficult time this past summer, this is completely different. He’s hunched forward, elbows resting on his knees, both bouncing incessantly since he sat down fifteen minutes ago. His shoulders rise and fall before he looks to Evie, a hint of panic in his voice. “We just got started, but I’m worried that nothing will feel good enough for Bec. ”
“You know, you don’t have to do this. Grandma’s ring is still sitting at my place just waiting for you,” she says cheerfully, bumping his shoulder with his.
“Evie, we’ve been over this. That ring is meant for you .”
Her shoulders sag slightly with his declaration. “Bec would love it.”
“Of course she would; it’s beautiful. But it’s yours .”
“Single ladies do not need rings like that.”
“You don’t need to be in a relationship to deserve a ring like that. Besides, just because you haven’t found someone to spend your days with, doesn’t mean you won’t. Mom wanted you to have Grandma’s ring, and I do too.”
I melt a little at the sweetness. Having no siblings myself, I sometimes find myself paying closer attention to the dynamics siblings share. I’ve been fortunate to have a family that loves me, and I’ve never felt like I was missing out, especially since I grew up only a few houses down the street from Bec and her three older siblings. I always felt like the fifth in their crew.
Bec’s older sister Danny and her mom couldn’t make it today, but Aiden promised to video chat with them to show them his final choice before he made the purchase.
I’m seated on Aiden’s other side, Dom standing behind me with Luca on his chest in his baby carrier. His hands are resting on my shoulders, occasionally kneading the muscles. The casual contact probably appears natural to people around us, but it has me feeling giddy. Like I just met him and all this physical affection is brand new. In a way, it is.
Over the last year, our casual physical intimacy has…dwindled. Hands too busy, minds too tired, overstimulation and exhaustion controlling every aspect of our lives, emotionally and physically. It got to the point where showing physical affection was so infrequent it felt like if one of us initiated it, that it had to go somewhere…go all the way. So, instead, it kind of just…fizzled out.
But ever since Dom suggested we wait to have sex for a while, I’ve been able to focus on just being with him. I think it’s helped me get out of my head. I know small touches won’t give him the wrong idea and lead him to assume I want more, so I can touch him all I want.
It seems to have done the same for him, too, making him more relaxed. I welcome it, basking in the warmth of his hold, the deep pressure of his kneading fingers relaxing my muscles and relieving the stress I didn’t realize had solidified there.
Joanie places a new set of rings on the counter in front of Aiden. I peek up at Dom to find him intently studying the next tray of rings, that wrinkle in his forehead making an appearance, causing the corner of my lips to turn up in a smile.
It’s really not fair for him to be out here in the wild with his sexy dad bod on display, beard a little longer than usual, backwards Columbus Aviators baseball hat on, all while dissecting engagement rings like I imagine he did years ago for me.
My gaze rolls over him, and when I make my way back to his eyes, I find him staring at me with an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. Then he winks at me. Goddamn winks at me before looking back at the rings in question and responding to a question Aiden asked that I didn’t hear. There’s a direct line between a wink and my panties and after seven years, he fucking knows it.
“Ellie? You good?” Aiden asks, seemingly not asking me his question for the first time.
“Uh, yeah. All good. Sorry, what was the question?” I blush. My husband isn’t supposed to distract me from something this important.
Focus, Ellie.
“How about these? Are any of these closer to the dream ring?” he asks, a vulnerability and nervousness on the edge of his voice.
The last tray had beautiful rings, but they weren’t Bec’s. She and I spent hours in our college dorm room dreaming about rings, sharing Pinterest boards with numerous styles, metals, cuts, and settings. It’s been years, but I still have access to her page, and I skimmed through the pictures last night to remind myself what types of rings she was drawn to. But while Bec and I have talked a lot about rings, her favorites always changed, and that was years ago. The best I have to go off of is the similar characteristics and the feel of the design .
“I really feel drawn to one of these, but I want your opinion first,” Aiden continues, wringing his hands, his eyes almost pleading.
I smile, biting my lips to keep from giggling at his nerves. Every day that passes only solidifies my confidence that Aiden will always protect Bec’s heart, and that’s all I want for the people I love.
“May I?” I ask Joanie, who nods before returning to her paperwork.
I pull the tray closer in front of me and study the four rings. Just like the ones before, all of them are stunning, with beautiful stones, cuts, and settings. I don’t know anything about clarity, color, or the technical aspects of stones or settings.
Call it what you want, but I go with my gut. What feels more like Bec? What can I envision her shrieking in excitement over seeing for the first time, showing it off to her friends and family, smiling at it when she’s alone at the reminder of the man who loves her more than anything.
I hold them one by one, twirling them in the light, not putting any of them on my own finger because that feels wrong for some reason. When I get to the last one, I know immediately this is the one I’d choose.
“Okay, if you asked me of all we’ve seen so far,” I say. “My favorite is on this tray.”
He sighs a breath of relief and gives me a knowing smile. “The last one, right?”
“The last one,” I say with a nod, sliding the tray back toward him. He picks it up and studies it again.
A quick glance at Dom and Evie as they watch Aiden smile at the ring tells me we’re all on the same page.
“It’s perfect, Aiden. As radiant as Bec,” Evie says.
“Twenty minutes, and you’ve got your ring.” Dom sighs. “That’s got to be a record.”
Aiden’s eyes stay glued to the ring as it sparkles in the showroom lighting. “It only took a few hours to know I wanted Bec in my life forever. It’s fitting it should be that quick of a decision for this too.”
To be so sure of something, someone. It’s not lost on me what a gift that is. It’s a gift to witness too .
“Well, glad I showed up for the good part,” Evie says with a laugh. “Who’s feeling lunch? There’s an amazing place next door. You guys in for a celebration?”
The four of us spend the next two hours sharing great food and raising our glasses in cheers to the soon-to-be proposal, all while Luca babbles between me and Dom, throwing all the food we put in front of him across the table. We tip accordingly. What a mess.
I can’t wait to see Bec wearing that ring soon, knowing she’ll say yes before Aiden even has the chance to finish asking her.