Page 105 of Born to Make You Smile

What was I going to say?

I shrugged, dismissively, my eyes darting around the restaurant. “Oh, I completely forgot. I chose this one instead.”

“Be honest with me,” he said with a frown. “Do you not like that bracelet? I haven’t seen it on you since New Year’s.”

“I love it,” I assured. “But it’s a lot. All those diamonds.”

He nodded. “But you deserve every single one.”

I put a lock of hair behind my ear. “Truthfully, sometimes I’m just not comfortable wearing it. Especially knowing how much you paid for it.”

I winced as the words slipped.

“What do you mean?” he said, taken aback.

I sighed. “I saw the receipt for the bracelet. Back in October.”

“The receipt? Where did you see it?”

“In your office. The desk drawer. I stumbled upon it when I was cleaning.”

“I see,” he said, his eyes narrow. “You saw the date on it, then?”

I nodded. “Did you really buy that for me all those months ago? Or was it intended for someone else?”

He scratched his forehead, and after a long pause, he spoke. “I suppose I should confess. I’d originally bought it for Michelle’s fortieth birthday. I figured I ought to get her something special. But then I immediately regretted it, not thinking of the implications of a piece like that. I was set to return it but couldn't find the receipt. Then, after I broke it off with her, it occurred to me that I wanted to give it to you.”

I blinked at him. “So you didn't buy it for me.”

I knew it.

“No, while I didn't pick it out for you specifically, it still made me think of you. So I held on to it because I wanted you to have something special. Something pretty. I wanted to show you how much I cared about you. But, if it’s too much for you and you don’t love it, or if you’re not fond of the fact that I picked it for her, it’s no problem. We can exchange it for something else.”

Like a new furnace, perhaps?

My pulse picked up, and I shifted in my seat.

I had to tell him. No more lies. No more hiding.

“Well. I, um...” I took a deep breath. “That’s not going to happen. I don’t have it anymore.”

He shook his head, seeming perplexed. “Why? Is it lost?”

My heart raced. It would be so easy to lie. To tell him I’d actually lost it.

“I sold it, okay?” I spat out. “I pawned the bracelet for cash.”

He blinked, moving back in his chair. “Youwhat? Why would you do such a thing?”

With a hand on my neck, I winced. “I needed the money. To buy a new furnace.”

“And you didn’t think to come to me?” he asked, his voice thick. “You know I would have helped you. In a heartbeat.”

The elderly couple glanced at us, and I leaned in closer to Gavin, speaking in a hushed tone.

“You already do enough for me.”

The server came by, interrupting our intense conversation with the bill. Gavin paid, not glancing at me the entire time.

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