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“What do you think of the ring?” he asked, holding my hand out and angling it under the light.

“It’s pretty.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Pretty?”

“Yeah. It’s more than I was expecting.”

The ring was so much more than pretty; it reminded me of everything I ever wanted but was too scared to fight for.

Brooks looked over at the woman behind the counter. “She’s real excited to marry me. Can’t you tell?”

I shot him a glare, but he smirked.

“She’s probably just overwhelmed,” the woman said, trying to reassure him. “I’ll give you two kids a few minutes alone.”

Once she was gone, he dropped my hand and turned to me. “Really, Harlow? Pretty? That’s the best you could come up with?”

“Brooks.” My cheeks heated. I didn’t know what to say. This seemed like a weird joke.

“What?” he asked, feigning innocence as he leaned against the counter. “We’re supposed to make it believable, remember?”

Right. Fake. Temporary. Doesn’t matter.

“I’m just nervous.”

“There is no reason to be nervous. Just pick a ring. Any ring. The sooner you do, the sooner we can get out of here.”

God help me. I wanted to strangle him.

“How are you not freaking out like me?”

“Because it’s only a ring.”

For him, maybe, but not for me.

He blew out a sigh and placed his hands on his hips. “Seriously, though. I think this once suits you.”

The band was delicate, but the severity of what it stood for made it seem heavier than it should have.

I stared at the beautiful diamond, twisting it around my finger.

This is the exact ring I would want if it were real.

The only problem was that it wasn’t, and pretending would be harder than I thought.

There was nothing harder than faking a relationship with the man I never stopped loving.

“Does it fit okay?” I looked up to find Brooks staring at me.

“It fits fine.”

His eyes flicked to me before dropping to the ring. My chest tightened with guilt. I knew what marriage meant to him. We used to talk about the future and how we would build a life together.

This was heartbreaking.

He cleared his throat. “Is that the one you want?”

I nodded, trying to blink away the sting in my eyes. “I love it, but should we at least look at a few more first?”

He stared down at the ring, like he was having a hard time looking away. “We can if you want, but I think that one looks perfect.”

I forced a smile.“I agree. Let’s go with this one.”

He narrowed his eyes, as if he could tell something was off. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re on the verge of crying.”

So many things. For a fleeting moment, I wanted to tell him that I couldn’t go through with it. Pretending would be too hard, but this was the only option.

I wanted my mother’s house. I wanted to be free of my father’s control.

My mind raced, and the diamond mocked me, reminding me of all I could have had if I had stayed.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked, twisting the silver band around my finger.

“What? Have the reception in the church basement or get married?”

I glared at him. “You know what I mean. People are going to find out. They are going to have questions. This isn’t a game. This is my life.”

I was unraveling. I needed to get a grip.

He set his hands on my shoulders as if he were trying to steady me. “It’s my life, too.”

I swallowed. “You’re right. I’m just freaking out.”

This was just a temporary fix. I knew that when I agreed to it. I just didn’t think I would feel like this.

He sighed. “Look, Harlow, half the people in this town already thought we’d end up together one day. I wouldn’t worry about people believing it. I think you are overthinking.”

Maybe I was, but what other choice did I have? I had to follow through with this, no matter how hard it would be.

The saleswoman came back over. “Well, would you look at that? That ring looks like it was meant to be on your finger.”

Normally, I would say she was full of shit and only wanted her commission, but the ring was perfect. Like it always belonged on my finger.

I looked up at him. His expression was soft. A moment passed between us, and I wondered if he was feeling the same tangled-up feelings that I was. It felt like I was caught between our past and our new reality. Lines were getting blurred, at least for me.

“We’ll take it.” He grabbed his wallet and pulled it out of his back pocket. The saleslady beamed and started talking about sizing and stone clarity, but all I could focus on was not falling apart.

She completed the transaction and boxed up the ring.“Congratulations, again.”

She smiled while handing me the black bag. “I recognize true love when I see it, and you both have it in spades. I hope you have a long, happy life together.”

I smiled and clasped the handles a little too tightly. I had to remind myself that the ring meant nothing. I had to forget this was the same boy I fell in love with when I was twenty-one years old.

The one who told me I deserved the world.

I knew I agreed to this. I was aware of what I signed up for, but that didn’t lessen the knot in my stomach.