Page 117 of Harrison's Wedding

“I spy a Gabriel Knight fan,” Hayden teases him, distracting me from the whispers I can hear.

“Seems like it,” he says and shrugs.

“I bet you a thousand bucks she asks for your autograph before we leave,” Hayden smirks at him.

I shake my head and say quietly, “I’ll take that bet. This place is too fancy. She wouldn’t dare…plus she didn’t ask for my autograph the last time I was here.”

“Ah, but you’re not Perfect Gabriel,” Hayden says in a sage tone.

I chuckle in amusement but cut myself off as I see Dominic appear with the assistant from the door at the back of the room.

“Mr. Fletcher, it’s lovely to see you again. I was so pleased when I was told you were coming in today. How can I help you?” Dominic says as he sits down opposite us.

I’m not sure whether I like or hate that he’s helping me today. A wave of shame washes over me and I can barely stand the memories of the last time I saw him. I remember telling him how excited I was to propose to Heather. Here I am, nine months later, with a broken engagement and memories that slice my heart to pieces whenever they come to my mind.

I pull the ring box out of my pocket and place it on the counter, causing Gabriel to gasp, “Harrison, you can’t do this.”

I’m grateful that my friends are sitting either side of me and blocking the view of the other customers, so they can’t see what’s caused him to react that way.

I ignore Gabriel and give Dominic a tight smile. “I need a necklace that I can wear this on.”

“Oh,” Gabriel says quietly, and Hayden releases a breath in a rush of air next to me.

“Of course, Mr. Fletcher. Do you have any particular style in mind?” Dominic ignores my friends’ reactions, as well, and I’m grateful for his professionalism.

“I’m not sure. I was hoping you might be able to suggest something. I also wasn’t sure if I would need to wait for it to be made.”

“We have some pre-made pieces that might work, or we can make a custom item for you,” Dominic suggests.

I know that I want the necklace as soon as possible, so I tell him, “I’d rather be able to buy it and take it with me today if I can.”

“Absolutely. I’ll be back in a moment.” Dominic smiles at me and leaves the room.

There’s an awkward silence in his absence. I think that my friends don’t know what to say to me. It’s strange because for so long, we’ve all been tied together, a team working almost as a single unit in everything we do. We all had the same awful experience, but what I did set me apart from those that didn’t do something so terrible.

I am alone now.

They’re here with me, but I’m on my own. Just me and the ring that once held so much hope and promise, but now holds nothing except painful memories.

Dominic comes back with some options for me. I don’t love any of them, so he gets a few more, and one of them is perfect. It’s a rope chain made from white gold. I choose the longest length, so it hangs well underneath the neckline of my shirt. Nobody will be able to see the ring hanging on it as a pendant.

“Thanks, Dominic,” I say with a genuine smile as I press my hand against the ring hanging near my heart.

I’m calmer now that I have this necklace on with its Heather ring pendant hanging on it. Everything is still fucked up, but this connection to my former life is soothing. I place the ring box carefully back in my pocket. Even without the ring in it, this box holds great importance to me.

When we stand to leave, I notice that the couple has gone, but the two women are still here. The female jeweler who’s assisting them looks harassed, and I get the feeling the customers have been trying to extend their time with her because we were here.

I feel bad because we were already a late appointment, and we’re probably ruining her Friday evening.

“All right, let’s get out of here, I guess,” I say to the others.

I thank Dominic again as he leads us toward the exit. “Not a problem, Mr. Fletcher. It was a pleasure assisting you.”

Our bodyguards escort us back to the SUV, and we make our way toward Gabriel and Ariana’s apartment. Gabriel lets us inside, where Michael and Jesse join Gabriel and Ariana’s bodyguards in the entryway as we move further into the apartment.

We find Ariana sitting on the sofa in the living room dressed in an emerald green dress, and with her hair pulled back in a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. At once, Gabriel rushes over to her and pulls her into his arms for a hug.

As he kisses her, a stab of envy hits me. The precious metal of the ring hanging around my neck feels as though it’s searing my skin as I watch my friends, in love and happy. I ache for Heather, and I hate everything right now. My jaw tenses as I fight back a surprising wave of tears that are threatening to fall.

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