Page 126 of Exile and Embrace

Dawson hauls open the frosted glass door to the jewelry store while I consider running the other way.

It’s not that I don’t want to be here. I do.

It’s that I have no clue what kind of ring Ava deserves.

The one I gave her was beautiful, but it came from a place of us needing to use each other.

The ring I get her now is going to reflect where we are.

I want her to know that when I bought it for her, I was hopelessly in love with her.

Dawson chuckles as I walk into the store. “All the color drained from your face the second you saw those glass cases.”

“I don’t know how to do this. Last time I just picked one that I thought she would like.” I rake my fingers through my hair. “She wears gold and likes things that are understated, but that’s all I have to work with.”

Dawson pulls out his phone and hands it to me. “Well, lucky for you, I asked Brooklyn what she thinks Ava would be interested in.”

“I didn’t know that you and Brooklyn kept in contact.”

Dawson shrugs. “She’s been an asset to the mob. Cillian recruited her to launder some money and repaint some things for him. She’s more than willing to keep her head down and work for him.”

I shake my head, knowing that this only pulls Ava deeper into the mob.

Although, at this point, everyone she talks to is a criminal.

“Does Brooklyn know the truth about me and Ava?”

I don’t want Ava to lose the only friend she has in Oregon.

He stops to look in a tall case with several necklaces. “No. She doesn’t have an idea about that. Cillian decided that it would be up to Ava to tell Brooklyn what was important to know.”

“Good. Ava doesn’t need to get back home and walk into a shit show. It’s better that she explains everything to Brooklyn in her own time.”

Though I think Ava needs more time to rest and process everything before telling the truth to her friend, half of me thinks it will be the first thing Ava does when she gets home.

Over the last few days since rescuing her from my family, I’ve been reminding myself that she is more capable than I give her credit for.

She might have been terrified of what my father and Declan could do to her, but she was still willing to fight.

I sigh and blink beneath the bright white lights, glancing at the gold and diamonds glittering in the showcase.

As I compare the rings in the case to the description Brooklyn sent, I only grow more frustrated.

The first time I picked a ring for Ava, it wasn’t this hard.

I give the phone back to Dawson, knowing that it isn’t going to help me much.

One of the salespeople hovers close to us, watching as I glance from one ring to another. Each ring looks the same as the one before it. Nothing jumps out at me as being Ava’s.

I groan and look at Dawson. “How the hell did you do this? I know what Ava would like, but none of these rings are it.”

The man behind the counter makes his way over to us. “How can I help you?”

I glance at the black velvet trays in the glass case.

Several gold bands set with small diamonds glisten there. “I’m looking for something like this, but more unique. She’s not a diamond kind of woman. I would ideally like it to match with this necklace, as if it were part of the same set.”

The man nods as I pull the gold chain out from beneath my shirt.

---