THE PROPOSAL THAT ISN'T

Xander's Pov

I told myself I was only getting air. The truth was, I didn’t know what to do with the calm that had finally come after months of noise.

Cassandra was behind bars, the reporters had moved on, Ethan had stopped looking at me like I’d ruined his life. Olivia smiled again—small, careful smiles but they were real.

That should have been enough.

Then I saw it.

A jewelry store wedged between a café and a tailor, the kind of place you rarely notice.

A single ring in the window caught the streetlight and threw it back at me.

I don’t even remember turning the wheel, only the bell that jingled when I stepped inside.

The shop was warm, smelled faintly of wood polish and something floral. An older man looked up from behind the counter.

“Afternoon,” he said. “Looking for anything special?”

I almost said no. Then I heard myself answer, “Yeah. I think I am.”

He smiled like he’d heard that a thousand times and gestured to the glass case. “Take your time.”

Rows of rings blinked under the