Chapter 3

Nolan frowned and looked at me coldly.

"Ella Harper, apologize."

I didn't answer. Zoe tugged at his sleeve, looking both sympathetic and hurt.

"Nolan, don't be so harsh.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought up the past."

Zoe's graciousness only made me look petty, as if I were the one who couldn't let anything go.

But I lifted my chin. I wasn't backing down.

"It's not my fault. I'm not apologizing."

An awkward silence settled over the table.

Nolan looked at me in disappointment, as if I'd committed some unforgivable crime.

After a moment, he unclipped a wizard charm from his bag.

On our first day here, Nolan had taken me to a vintage shop. I'd browsed for half an hour before finding a matching pair of charms. This was one of them.

He'd smiled so tenderly then. "Don't these two look just like us? One for each of us."

Now he handed his to Zoe.

"Didn't you just say it was cute and you wanted it?

"Here. Consider it an apology."

He hadn't hesitated when he undid the clasp, as if the charm had always belonged to Zoe.

Their friends laughed.

"Zo, look how well you trained Nolan.

"You two broke up three years ago, and he still remembers you saying that an apology doesn't count without a gift."

I gripped my knife and fork.

There was no way I could laugh along with them.

Of course. Whenever Zoe was involved, I was always the one Nolan was willing to sacrifice.

Zoe turned to me with a sympathetic look.

"Aw, don't be upset.

"Don't read into it. I have a boyfriend. We're about to get engaged."

Beside her, Nolan's hand went still. Something that wasn't quite a smile crossed his face.

"Since when? How come I didn't know?

"How many times did he have to propose? Ten?"

Zoe held up a finger. "Once."

She looked Nolan right in the eye. "I said yes the first time."

Nolan let out a short laugh, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Really? What won you over? You didn't complain the diamond was too small, or the flowers were wrong, or the weather wasn't perfect?"

Neither of them looked away. Zoe gave a thin smile.

"Nolan, what does it matter to you?

"You've got a girlfriend now too, don't you?

"You two have been together a while. When are you going to propose?"

I knew Nolan had proposed to Zoe ten times.

From snowy mountaintops to the ocean floor, he'd carefully planned every proposal.

I'd daydreamed about whether he and I would ever get there, and what it would be like if we did.

But I never imagined it would be today, with nothing planned.

Nolan stared at Zoe for a few seconds, then blurted, "I was planning to propose on this trip anyway.

"Since you brought it up, it might as well be today.

"Zoe, if you can say yes to another man the first time he asks, then I can get a yes the first time I ask too.

"The wedding will be in New York. You're welcome to come if you're free."

A stubborn look crossed his face.

It didn't sound like a proposal. It sounded like he was trying to win an argument.

"Nolan!" I snapped, cutting him off.

Even if he wanted to one-up his ex, he had no right to use me to do it!

But he stared straight ahead, looking at neither me nor Zoe.

As if he hadn't heard me, he stood in front of me, lowered his eyes, and opened a ring box.

Was I supposed to feel lucky?

He had, after all, brought a ring.

But all I felt was anger and humiliation.

Zoe stood up.

Just as Nolan reached for the ring, she turned and walked away.

Nolan's back remained ramrod straight, but his hand closed tightly around the ring.

After a moment, he snapped the box shut, shoved it at me, and sighed.

"I'm going to go check on her.

"Just put the ring on yourself."

I was so furious I laughed and grabbed his arm.

"Who has to put on their own ring during a proposal?

"Nolan Cole, do you think you can call all the shots in this relationship forever?"

But he just pressed his lips together, said "Sorry," and strode off.

"Let's break up." I finally got the chance to say it.

He stopped for a moment but didn't turn around.