“It was my grandmother’s. When I was young, I think ten, she gave it to me. Told me to hide it from my parents. They would hawk anything of value. She wanted me to give it to the woman I would spend the rest of my life with.” His gaze shifted to me for only a moment before he smirked. “I hid it in Vulta, the old stuffed eagle I had since I was four. It was crusty and had several holes, but I knew my parents wouldn’t notice it and Jake would never touch it.”
“I remember Vulta. I thought you used to jizz in it.”
He scratched his head and blinked at me. “What sort of whacked-out fantasies do you think I have, Iona? Why would you think I’d get off fucking a stuffed eagle?”
“Patriotism. I don’t know.” I shrugged.
Grabbing my hand, he pushed on the gold band. I lifted it up to admire it on my finger. For a moment, it warmed my heart to wear his grandmother’s ring. The way he smiled at me, at the ring, I wondered if he felt it, too.
But then the gleam in his eyes faded, along with his grin.
“There you go. Officially, faked engaged.”