Page 115 of My Roommate Is a Vampire

“You arenotselfish,” I insisted. “And you’re one of the best people I know.”

He waved a dismissive hand. “Points upon which reasonable minds can differ, I suppose. But what I want to ask you is—” He broke off. Closed his eyes. Shook his head. “What I came here today to talk to you about is—”

“You want me to think about it,” I said, interrupting him.

A flock of ducks waddled across the path a few feet away from us, quacking noisily at each other as my entire world tilted slowly on its axis.

Frederick nodded slowly. “Yes,” he whispered.

Then he opened the box in his hand.

I’d never given much thought to what I’d want my engagement ring to look like if I were ever to be on the receiving end of one. I’d always found diamonds to be sort of pretty, but in a bland and characterless sort of way. I’d never been able to imagine myself wearing one—on my hand, or anywhere else.

The ring that lay nestled within the black-velvet box had a blood-red ruby in its center that was the size and general shape of a dime but with interesting facets cut into it that caught the sunlight when Frederick’s shaking hands jostled it a little.

I may have never thought much about what I wanted in an engagement ring, but all at once I knew I’d never see one more beautiful, or more perfect, than this.

“If I say yes,” I said, my breathing starting to come too quickly, “you’ll need to teach me what to do.”

I chanced a look up at his face. He was gazing down at me with an expression I couldn’t read.

“Teach you what to do?” he repeated.

“Yes,” I said. “I’ve lived with you for over a year now, but you’ve been so careful to keep me from the... moredetailedaspects of things. I’ll need to know exactly what I’m in for if I...”I trailed off, trying to think of how to phrase the rest of what I was thinking in a way that wouldn’t frighten any passersby.

“If you...?” Frederick prompted.

“If I take the plunge,” I said bluntly. There. That should cover it. I raised my eyebrows meaningfully.

All at once, he understood what I was trying to say.

“Yes, of course. Darling—I’ll tell you everything,” Frederick promised, his words coming out in an earnest rush. “I’ll show you anything you want to see. If, after you see and know what it would be like for you, if you still say no—”

“I understand,” I said.

“And so will I,” he vowed. “Whatever you decide. This ring is just a promise that you will...”

“Think about it,” I agreed.

“Yes.”

Satisfied, I grinned up at him. And held out my left hand.

The ruby felt cool against my skin as he slid the ring onto my finger. Once it was in place, we both stared at it, unable to quite believe what had just happened, until the sun began setting in earnest.

Still beaming up at him, I took his hand.

He took mehome.