“Y-you look beautiful,” he stammers, clearing his throat and offering me a small black velvet box. I open it, and when the necklace catches the light from the lamp, he gestures for me to turn around so he can fasten it around my neck.

“I knew I chose the right one,” he murmurs near my bare shoulder, sending a shiver down my spine—one that has nothing to do with the necklace now resting on my chest.

“I-it’s time to go,” I whisper as Nathan gently turns me in his arms, his eyes ...