Chapter 7
One day, his friend, Leroy, slammed the door open and yanked Chand up by the collar. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Chand didn’t resist. He just stared at the ceiling, his voice dull and lifeless. “Leroy… I think I really loved her.”
Leroy’s grip faltered and he let out a long breath before sinking down beside him.
Chand ran a hand down his face, his fingers trembling. “No one’s ever gonna love me like she did.” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“She was scared of everything, but she still left home for me. She stayed in that tiny apartment all alone. How much do you think she missed me? And I-” He let out a bitter laugh. “I walked past her place so many times and never even knocked.”
Leroy stayed quiet, rubbing a hand over his face. Chand staggered to his feet, barely holding himself up. “Just go,” he mumbled.
Leroy hesitated, then pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him. Chand stared at it for a second before suddenly bolting out the door.
The screen on my phone went dark as the video ended. Chand never went back. I didn’t think twice, I closed the app, unlinked the account and deleted it.
A light tap on my arm pulled me back. Mom was looking at me. “So? What do you think?”
It took me a second to process. Then, I forced a small smile. “Let’s do it. You two can handle the details.” That was all she needed to hear. She and Ms. Linda instantly started planning.
I felt Skylar’s eyes on me. He didn’t say anything right away, but his expression was unreadable. Then, he motioned for me to step onto the balcony with him.
“Jayla,” he said quietly, “if you’re only going along with this because of our moms, tell me now. I’ll stop it.”
I shook my head. “No, my mom is right. It’s better to put everything out in the open. The past is over. But if it makes you uncomfortable, I can say it differently.”
Skylar studied me for a long moment, then his lips quirked into a slight smile.
“I’m not against it,” he admitted. “But to make sure you don’t regret it… let’s go on ten dates first. We can treat it like wedding prep. And if anything doesn’t feel right, you can still change your
mind.”
Behind me, I heard Mom and Ms. Linda laughing. My face heated up, but I nodded. After dinner, Skylar took me to a studio. Workers were moving things in and out, setting up.
He walked me through the space, explaining every little detail. I listened carefully, taking it all in.
When he finished, he looked at me seriously. “Since we’re doing this, I want you to understand what my future will look like. And honestly… I was planning to move back anyway. So don’t worry too much, okay?”
I was touched by his thoughtfulness.
After we left the studio, Skylar pulled into a jewelry store. I watched as he browsed the display cases, carefully inspecting each ring and explaining the diamond-cutting process like he was
giving a lecture.
I slid one onto my finger, tilting my hand to admire how it caught the light. Just as I was about tc say something, I noticed the staff whispering among themselves.
Before I could look up, a hand shot out and yanked the ring right off my finger. The ring hit the floor with a sharp clink.
I blinked in shock, my gaze snapping to Chand.
His eyes were bloodshot, his jaw tight and his beard looked like it hadn’t seen a razor in days His once-crisp clothes were wrinkled and the heavy smell of cigarettes and alcohol clung to him
He grabbed my wrist, his grip firm. “You’re really getting married?”
Before I could react, Skylar calmly took my hand, threading his fingers through mine as he me Chand’s stare without a hint of hesitation.
Chand let out a sharp, bitter laugh. Then, in one sweeping motion, he knocked everything off the counter. Rings scattered across the glass.
“Pack them all up,” he said coldly. “I don’t care which store you go to, I’ll make sure there’ nothing left to buy.”
The staff froze, exchanging uneasy glances, but no one moved. Chand’s face darkened. He pulled out his card and slammed it onto the counter.
Skylar didn’t flinch. He simply picked up the card and handed it back with a small, polite smile “Mr. Kimball, let’s not take this out on the employees, yeah?”
