Page 80 of Eat Your Heart Out
47
Ali
Sleeping next to Gerard and waking up with him was a cure for everything that had happened yesterday. Our first land trip had been torpedoed, though once we got home and relaxed without rocking in a bed, I tried to put those moments out of my mind. And honestly, my life was good because I trusted him and, more importantly, myself.
I finished my morning cup of coffee and watched the sun rise from the balcony. Gerard hadn’t joined me. I gazed inside the bedroom, and he wasn’t there. I left the second cup and decided to go downstairs.
In the formal dining room, Gerard stood with a shorter, gray-haired man. Diamond rings covered the table. My heart raced. He was going to propose. If he did, I would belong to something bigger, as his family was awesome.
I shook a little. “What’s this?”
He nodded toward the display. “Tomas brought some ring options. I want you to have one you love.”
Tomas folded his hands on the table as if in prayer. “Let’s start with picking a cut.”
I pressed my lips together. Cut meant squares, rectangles, and circles, I supposed. I walked around, and one caught my eye immediately. “The square one is a classic.”
“It’s a princess cut,” Gerard said.
“Do you like white or yellow gold?” Tomas asked.
I picked up the one that I liked. “White, but this dual-tone one is pretty awesome. I like the little circle of diamonds leading up to the big square.”
Tomas took out a key ring holding a number of circles. He tried a few on my hand until he found one that fit my ring finger.
“What’s the color?” Gerard asked.
Tomas wrote down an eight as he answered, “Colorless, D.”
He handed Gerard a magnifier.
“Let me see…” Gerard took the ring from me. “The clarity is flawless.”
I narrowed my gaze. “What does that mean?”
Gerard placed his hand on my back. “One second.” He sighed. “It’s only four carats.”
Tomas nodded. “So something bigger?”
The ring had a lovely design of small flowers embedded near the circular diamonds.
I pressed my hand on Gerard’s chest. “Something bigger would weigh my hand down. This is lovely.”
Gerard smiled. “Ali gets what she wants.”
Tomas took the ring. “Give me a moment to size this.”
Tomas took the ring to the side, and a woman came in from another room to pack up the other rings.
Gerard directed me to the side. “You’re sure you don’t want something custom-made to your liking?”
I shook my head. “I like that one.”
Tomas returned and handed Gerard the bill and me the ring. I tried it on, and my heart stirred. We were becoming a forever couple. Gerard signed, and the jewelers left.
“Can I have the ring back?” Gerard asked.
My heart squeezed, and I tugged it off my hand. “Yes.”
Then, like the hero in a movie, he went down on one knee. Tears welled in my eyes as he asked, “Ali, will you marry me?”
“Oh god, yes!” I shouted and grabbed for the ring.
He stood and slipped it on my finger. Then I kissed him. He was the man of my dreams and more. I could never have imagined someone more perfect than him. I loved him, and he loved me. It was just the beginning of forever.
