Lib Novel Page 31
“Can I see that one?” My voice came out hoarse, the weight of the decision pressing down on me. This wasn’t just a ring; it was a lifeline, a hope, maybe even a mistake, but it was too late to back down now.
“Of course,” the jeweler replied with an accommodating smile, plucking the ring from the cushioned surface and placing it into my outstretched palm.
The cool metal against my skin felt like a promise, a tangible piece of a future I was desperate to secure. As I held it, turning it slightly to watch the light dance off the emerald facets, something inside me clicked. It wasn’t logic or reason, but a visceral certainty that coursed through my veins—the same certainty that told me I would do anything for Abby, even if it meant playing a role in a farce that could destroy us both.
This was Abby’s ring. It was as if it had been crafted with her in mind, the green stones a mirror to her vibrant eyes, the diamond a testament to the strength I knew she possessed. A perfect contradiction of durability and beauty, much like the woman I couldn’t seem to let go of.
“Yeah,” I murmured, almost to myself, “this is the one.”
Lily leaned closer, her eyes bright as she examined the ring in my hand. “Nathan, it’s stunning. Abby will love it.” Her voice was soft but certain, a soothing balm to my tangled nerves.
Justin gave an approving nod, his usually guarded expression softening for a moment. “Good choice, brother,” he said, and I could tell he meant it.
I exhaled, relief momentarily easing the tension in my shoulders. Their agreement was like a sign, affirming my choice despite the whirlwind of doubt and fear that had become my constant companions.
The jeweler’s voice cut through the moment, professional but laced with a note of caution. “The price tag on this one is significant,” he began, eyeing me carefully as if gauging my reaction. “We can set up a payment plan if you—“
I raised a hand to stop him, my decision made. The price didn’t matter; not when it came to Abby.
Not when it came to this small piece of hope I was clinging to.
“Doesn’t matter,” I interrupted, my voice firm despite the tremor of emotion that threatened to betray me. “Just give me the bill.”
Money was just paper and numbers. But what it could buy in this moment was priceless: a chance at something pure amidst the chaos, a gesture of love in a world ruled by power and fear.
The jeweler nodded, perhaps recognizing the resolve in my eyes, and retreated to prepare the paperwork. As I stood there, the weight of the ring in my hand grounding me, I knew that no matter the cost, I would pay it.
Even after everything…I wanted to spoil her, make her a queen.
And this was just the beginning.
Chapter Sixteen: Abby
Nathan hadn’t come back to bed at all.
In the morning, he had stormed out, and I had no idea where he had gone. The city buzzed outside my window, a soundtrack to the chaos in my head. I fumbled for my phone with trembling hands.
This might be risky…but I needed to talk to my father.
Nathan was out of control; the situation was intensifying; the FBI knew Tyler was missing, and his body was currently decomposing in our basement.
This was absolutely the phone-a-friend moment I’d been waiting for.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Dad,” I said softly into my phone.
“Abby, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Dad’s voice was as steady as ever.
“When are you going back to Boston?” I asked, pacing across the balcony of Nathan’s place. “I need to see you before you go back.”
“Abigail Harper, I wasn’t planning on leaving until we talked. This old man knows when something’s up with his girl.” There was a gentleness to his tone that only made the knot in my stomach tighten further.
“I’m an FBI agent–”
“Yes, and always my little girl,” he said sweetly, but I could hear the undertone of concern in his voice, and it made me sick to my stomach.
“Can we meet, I don’t know…now?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The urgency in my words hung heavily between us.