Just when I thought he might take one of the rings off—maybe as a way of giving it back to me, some kind of answer—he surprised me.

"But they suit you. Unique, too," he said, letting my hand go.

I blinked, caught off guard by his response, before a small laugh escaped me.

He still wouldn’t admit it.

I understood why he might want to hide his identity. It was likely for his safety, a means of protecting himself. But why ...