Chapter 1

Katherine’s POV

“You’re smiling so hard that it’s honestly embarrassing to watch, Katherine. If this man does not ask you to be his girlfriend tonight after everything the two of you have been doing together for the past three years, then I personally volunteer to run him over with my car.”

I burst into laughter at Brittany’s dramatic voice echoing loudly through my bedroom while I stood in front of my mirror with two dresses spread across my bed behind me, my cheeks already aching from how uncontrollably I had been smiling ever since Damon texted me earlier this afternoon.

“Brittany, stop it,” I groaned while trying to hide my grin, though the excitement bubbling inside my chest made it impossible to sound annoyed properly. “You’re going to make me overthink things before I even get there.”

“Oh please,” Brittany scoffed immediately, sounding entirely unconvinced by my weak attempt at denial. “That man literally asked you to meet him at a ring shop and then told you to wear something pretty because he has a surprise for you. So unless Damon suddenly plans to propose marriage to another person tonight, it is painfully obvious what’s happening.”

My stomach flipped wildly at her words because deep down, a huge part of me believed she was right. No, I hoped that she was right.

For three years, Damon had existed at the center of my world so completely that sometimes I genuinely struggled to remember what my life looked like before him.

At first, he was simply my best friend. The charming, frustratingly handsome business student who sat beside me during freshman orientation while making sarcastic comments under his breath about the dean’s painfully long speech, and by the end of that day, we were already laughing together like we had known each other forever.

Then came the late night study sessions, the coffee dates that stopped feeling platonic far too quickly. And eventually, Damon became the person I called first every morning and the last person I spoke to every night before sleeping.

“You’re doing that thing again,” Brittany suddenly said through the phone, dragging me out of my thoughts.

“What thing?” I asked distractedly while reaching for the silver earrings sitting on my table.

“The thing where you zone out and smile like a maniac whenever Damon crosses your mind,” she replied dryly. “Honestly, it’s terrifying how down bad you are for this man.”

I laughed softly under my breath while clipping the earrings carefully into place before looking at myself fully in the mirror again. The black satin dress hugging my body reached just above my knees while the straps rested softly against my shoulders, and although I had tried on nearly twelve different outfits already tonight, this was the first one that made me feel beautiful enough for whatever Damon had planned.

“You think this looks okay?” I asked nervously while smoothing my hands down the fabric for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.

“Katherine,” Brittany deadpanned instantly, “if you walk into that jewelry store looking like that and Damon still somehow does not ask you to be his girlfriend officially, then I need scientific researchers to study his brain immediately because no straight man would survive seeing you tonight.”

Heat rushed into my cheeks immediately. “Bri!”

“What?” she defended shamelessly. “I’m serious. You look hot, and honestly, it’s about time Damon finally stops acting confusing and locks things down properly because the tension between you two has been ridiculous for years now.”

The moment she said that, memories flooded my mind so quickly that my chest tightened painfully with anticipation.

Especially one memory in particular. Eight months ago, during a terrible storm, I got trapped inside Damon’s apartment after our movie night because the rain became so violent that roads across half the city flooded within an hour, and by midnight, we were sitting together on his couch beneath a blanket while thunder shook the windows around us loudly enough to make me jump every few minutes.

Damon laughed fondly every single time it happened, like he genuinely adored every little thing about me. At some point during the night, the power went out completely, leaving the apartment swallowed in darkness except for a few candles Damon lit around the living room while teasing me for clinging so tightly to his arm.

“You know,” he murmured softly that night while staring down at me in the candlelight, his voice suddenly quieter than before, “I think you’re the only person who’s ever made me feel calm. You have no idea how important you are to me, Kathy,” he whispered against my mouth that night while staring at me with an intensity that made my entire body tremble helplessly beneath him. “Nobody understands me the way you do.”

Damon had kissed me for the very first time and even now I still remembered the exact way his hands cupped my face so gently that tears filled my eyes before he even touched his lips to mine.

Then he took my virginity slowly, carefully, and so lovingly that I genuinely believed no woman on earth could possibly be more cherished than I was in that moment, especially when he held me afterward for hours while tracing lazy circles against my bare skin and kissing my forehead like I already belonged to him completely.

After that night, everything between us changed. We had sex constantly and we spent nearly every day together. He called me late at night just to hear my voice before sleeping, he bought me flowers randomly whenever I felt stressed from work, and every single time I gathered enough courage to ask what exactly we were becoming, Damon would simply smile while brushing my hair behind my ear.

“Soon, baby,” he always murmured softly while kissing my temple in that devastatingly affectionate way of his. “Why are you always in such a rush to label things? You already know you’re my girl. Everyone knows that as well.”

And because I loved him, I believed him. Tonight, however, felt different. It was finally going to be official.

“Katherine,” Brittany called again after several seconds passed quietly. “You’re spiraling into Damon thoughts again, aren’t you?”

I smiled sheepishly. “Maybe a little.”

“Oh my God,” she groaned dramatically. “You’re hopeless. Whatever. Just go so you won't be late. Tell me everything that goes on. Don't leave anything behind!”

“Okay. Wish me luck.”

********

By the time I arrived at Fifth Street, my palms were already damp with sweat while my heart hammered so violently against my ribs that it almost hurt to breathe properly.

The jewelry store glittered brilliantly beneath warm golden lights while wealthy couples wandered between glass display cases filled with diamonds expensive enough to ruin lives, and the moment I stepped inside the showroom, excitement curled warmly inside my stomach because what other reason would Damon possibly have for bringing me here?

I had barely taken two steps forward when I heard his voice somewhere near the back of the boutique.

“Yeah, babe, I’m already here.” Damon laughed softly into his phone while pacing near one of the engagement ring counters, his expression relaxed and genuinely happy in a way that immediately made my own lips curve into a smile. “I’ll see you tonight, okay? Love you too.”

Love you too… Love you too? The smile disappeared from my face instantly.

For some reason, a strange heaviness settled deep inside my chest while confusion prickled across my skin sharply enough to make me stop walking altogether, because Damon had never spoken to another woman with that tone around me before.

Then he turned around and noticed me standing there. “Kathy!” Damon grinned brightly while shoving his phone into his pocket before walking toward me quickly, his expensive black coat hanging loosely over broad shoulders that once felt like the safest place in the world. “You actually made it on time for once.”

I stared at him silently for several seconds while trying desperately to ignore the horrible feeling that was spreading slowly through my stomach. I was becoming more and more uneasy.

“Who were you talking to?” I finally asked carefully while forcing a smile onto my face, though I could even hear the slight tremble hidden beneath my voice.

“Oh, it was Hailey,” Damon answered casually, almost too casually, before reaching forward to grab both my hands excitedly. “Actually, that’s why I needed you here tonight because I seriously need your help with something important.”

The moment he said her name, something inside me twisted painfully.

Hailey Morgan. The gorgeous blonde girl from his marketing classes whose pictures constantly filled his social media recently while he insisted repeatedly that they were only friends working together on projects.

Before I could even process why he looked so excited mentioning another woman, Damon continued speaking rapidly while practically glowing with happiness right in front of me.

“I’m finally asking her out tonight, Kathy,” he admitted with a huge grin spreading across his face while his eyes sparkled with genuine excitement. “I know it sounds crazy because we haven’t known each other that long, but I swear to God, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

The world stopped. Everything around me genuinely seemed to tilt violently sideways while blood roared loudly inside my ears so intensely that for a moment I could not even hear the soft music playing throughout the boutique anymore.

Damon kept talking, completely unaware that every word leaving his mouth felt like another knife sliding directly into my chest.

“I want tonight to be perfect because Hailey deserves that,” he continued while smiling down at the glass jewelry cases thoughtfully. “You’re amazing at romantic stuff, so I figured you could help me choose a ring and maybe even help plan the setup for the proposal dinner later tonight.”

Proposal. The word hit me so hard that my knees nearly buckled beneath me.

“Your… girlfriend?” I whispered finally, “You’re asking Hailey to be your girlfriend?”

Damon blinked at me strangely, almost confused by my reaction. “Yeah?” he answered slowly while letting out an awkward laugh. “Kathy, are you okay?”

I felt sick, seriously and physically sick. “What about me?” I asked quietly, though my voice shook badly enough to humiliate me instantly. “If you're asking Hailey to be your girlfriend, then what about us, Damon?”

His expression changed immediately. The excitement disappeared first, then came irritation and annoyance.

“Katherine,” he sighed heavily while rubbing the back of his neck impatiently, “please don’t do this right now. I'm in a good mood.”

Katherine?! Throughout the years we've known each other, he's never called me by my full name before.

My throat tightened painfully. “Do what?” I demanded while tears already burned behind my eyes. “You slept with me, Damon. You took my virginity. You called me your girl for months, so what exactly was I supposed to think?”

For a moment, Damon simply stared at me silently, but then he laughed. “Oh my God,” he muttered while shaking his head like I was exhausting him. “Kathy, seriously? You thought we were dating? We were just having fun,” Damon continued casually while shrugging one shoulder without the slightest trace of remorse on his face. “You’re my best friend, and yeah, maybe I flirted sometimes, but you clearly enjoyed everything too, so why are you acting like I manipulated you?”