I narrow my eyes as I force the words from my lips. “I shouldn’t have kissed youst week.”


    She frowns as her eyes search mine again. “Oh.”


    We stand in silence; the tinge of regret hangs heavily between us.


    “I’ve  been  thinking.”  She  fumbles  around  with  her  hand.  “If  you  wanted  the  ring  for  yourText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    mother, maybe I shouldn’t have taken it from you, and I shouldn’t have made fun of your name. It


    wasn’t very nice of me.”


    My heart freefalls as she holds her ring out to me.


    What?


    “I keep going over our conversation in the shop that day and you said that you had wanted the


    ring for your mother for a long time,” she tells me softly.


    I stare at the precious ring in her outstretched hand.


    She shakes her head. “And I can’t have that on my conscience, knowing how badly you wanted


    it.”


    “You don’t like it?” I breathe as a cluster-fuck of emotions start to run rampant through my


    mind.


    “I love it. It’s the most precious thing I think I have ever owned.”


    “Why, then?” I breathe.


    I should be excited, instead I feel let down.


    Shut up and take it!


    She steps toward me, picks up my hand, and ces the ring in my palm as she gently kisses my


    cheek. My arms immediately curl around her waist and I hold her close to me, inhaling her scent one


    st time.


    She looks up at me with that kiss me look she does so well.


    I want this woman.


    One night.


    What harm could one night do?


    No.


    Stop it.


    “My  name  is  star,”  I  breathe  into  her  hair.  She  smiles  at  me  dreamily.  I  lift  her  hand  and


    ce the ring back on her finger. “And this is your ring,” I whisper. “It belongs with you.”


    “But what if it belongs with you?” she asks, squeezing my hand in hers.


    “I have no doubt it does,” I whisper with regret.


    End this now. I step back from her and her face falls as her eyes search mine again.


    “Don’t look at me like that,” I murmur.


    “Like what?”


    “Like you are disappointed with me.”


    “I was just hoping…” She stops midsentence.


    “Hoping what?”


    “That you were going to kiss me again.”


    “You are here with your boyfriend.” I snap.


    Her face falls. “He’s… not my boyfriend.”


    “You told me he was.”


    “I lied. I’d only just met him that day.”


    My gaze holds hers for an extended moment.


    One night, I just want one night.


    No.


    “That’s  good  to  know.”  I  step  back  from  her,  too  tempted  to  stick  around.  “I  have  to  go.


    Goodbye.” I nod.


    She stands and watches me but remains silent while I turn and begrudgingly walk away.


    It’s 11pm and I am in bed on myptop, stalking the divine Miss Mathew’s Facebook page.


    It’s nothing new. I have done the same thing every night since our impromptu kissst week.


    I’m not allowing myself to involve her in this, and I can’t believe I rejected the ring.


    That was the  n. The  whole n was  to get  the ring, and  yet when  she offered it  to me, I


    couldn’t take it from her.


    I smile. What a sweetheart to offer it to me when I know how much she loves it. The rain pours


    down  outside.  I  close  my puter  and  turn  off  my mp  to y  on  my  back  and  stare  up  at  the


    ceiling.


    I feel t.


    I need to pick up my game.


    This isn’t how it was supposed to go.


    My phone beeps, alerting me to a text, and I frown. Who would be texting me at this time of


    night? I sit up and retrieve my phone from my side table. Emerson.


    I’m thinking about you, star


    Goodnight.


    x


    Shit.