Bonus Chapter
Wesley
Three Years Ago
I push open the glass door like I’ve been here before. A little bell chimes overhead, but it’s followed by silence.
It smells like old money and furniture polish. The guy behind the counter looks up from his phone and adjusts his glasses.
“Afternoon,” he says after a beat. “Can I help you with something?”
I walk right up to the glass counter, heart pounding like I just ran sprints. “Yeah. I wanna see your engagement rings.”
He pauses, blinks at me. “Engagement rings?”
“Yes, sir.”
There’s a moment where he clearly is trying to put it together…why a sixteen-year-old farm kid with dried cow crap stuck to his boots just waltzed in here. “Alright, then.”
He walks down to another case and I follow. He eyes me again. “How old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
His eyebrows shoot so far up they practically leave his face. “And you’re looking to get engaged?”
“Not yet. I just want the ring. For when the time’s right.”
He nods slowly, processing. “You and your girlfriend been together a while?”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
That shuts him up completely.
“…Oh.”
“Not yet at least.” I glance down at the rings. “So, I figured, why wait? Might as well snag one of these bad boys before they get more expensive or something.”
He gives a slow, disbelieving laugh. “Well, that’s…a thought process.”
I shrug and lean over the glass. “Just planning ahead. That’s all.”
He mutters something under his breath, but I’m already pointing to the one I want. A simple gold band with one round diamond in the middle and 2 smaller diamonds on each side. Small but pretty, and kinda perfect. No extras. Nothing fake.
Just like her.
“She’d like that one,” I say. “It’s not too much, but it still says something, you know?”
“Right. Does price prohibit your interest or…?”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “Just tell me how much I owe ya.”
He stares for a beat but reaches for a velvet box to place it in, and then we head to the cash register. I whip out my wallet.
“That’ll be $1500.”
I was expecting it to be more, honestly. I brought nearly my entire savings just in case. I thumb through the cash and hand it over. He counts it, checking to make sure the bills are real before placing them in the cash register.
“You planning to give it to her soon?” he asks.
“Nah.” I tuck the box into my hoodie pocket. “She’s still figuring it out. But one day…she’s gonna love it.”
“And if she says no?”
“She won’t.” I grin and turn to leave.
I push open the door and head straight for my truck.
Sitting in the cab, I stare at the ring a second before closing the box.
One day.
Not this year. Probably not even the next. But when the day comes…I’ll already have the perfect ring to give her.
Because I refuse to be just friends the rest of our lives.