Page 124 of Say You Remember Me
“How’d you sleep?”
“Pretty good.” She yawned and stretched slightly. “How about you?”
“I slept okay,” I said, though honestly, I’d barely slept a wink. I’d been too amped up, buzzing with anticipation over my plans for today.
“Just okay?” she asked.
“I think I was just a little too excited for my brain to settle down.” I shrugged, a small smile tugging at my lips. “It’s a big day today.”
She blinked, briefly confused, before realization dawned. “Oh, right. Thanksgiving. My family will be here soon, won’t they?”
“Yes. Though we’ve still got a few hours,” I said, knowing how much she had planned to do before they arrived.
When Maddie first said she wanted to host Thanksgiving this year, I’d offered to have it catered and let my staff handle all the setup so she wouldn’t have to stress.
But Maddie beingMaddieapparently looked forward to the chaos of cooking a big meal and crafting centerpieces. So she’d politely declined all the help, insisting she wanted to do most of it herself.
Granted, we were still having the turkey and several pies delivered—there was only so much she could take on—but Maddie’s homemade sweet potatoes and hot apple cider were sure to steal the show.
“I should probably get started on decorating the table,” she said, sitting up and readying to climb out of bed.
But before she could slip away, I reached for her hand. “Wait,” I said, my heart thudding in my chest. “Just…hold on a sec.”
She paused, her brow arching. “What’s up?”
“I, uh…” My voice faltered as I shifted under her gaze. “I just wondered if you noticed something…different.”
“Different?” She searched my face, clearly puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“It’s something small,” I said, trying—and failing—to keep the nerves out of my voice.
She let out a sigh, her eyes darting around the room as if expecting to spot some new decoration or trinket. “What am I supposed to be looking for?” She turned her attention back to me, her lips curving into a faintly amused smile. “You’re being weird.”
“I know,” I admitted, blowing out a low breath.
Apparently, the nerves bubbling in my chest weren’t doing me any favors.
She leaned in slightly, her impatience growing. “Can you at least give me a hint?”
I glanced down at her left hand, trying to keep my smile from turning into a full-blown grin.
Maddie caught the movement, frowning slightly as she looked from me to her hand, clearly trying to figure out why I was looking at it. Then realization finally hit her and she froze.
Her eyes went wide, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she lifted her hand closer to her face. The light glinted off the ring, delicate yet sparkling.
“Ian,” she breathed, holding her hand up. “Did you put this here while I was asleep?”
“I did,” I said, unable to stop smiling now.
“Why?” Her mouth fell open slightly. “Is this because my dad’s coming and I never told him we called off our fake engagement? Because I promise I’ll get around to it.”
“No.” I chuckled and shook my head. “I put it there because I thought you should have it. It’s been sitting in my closet, all lonely, and I just thought…it could use a friend.”
She laughed, the sound soft and full of disbelief. “So you thought I should wear a huge engagement ring around because it was lonely?”
“Well, I mean, it only makes sense,” I said, my tone playful.
She shook her head, still laughing. “Ian, if I wear this, people are going to start asking questions. And since everyone at work is just now getting used to the fact that we’re dating and not actually engaged, I think this would only add to the confusion.”
