Five minutes later, Kael emerged, a bag in hand, placing it on the counter by the door. He hesitated as though a thought had just struck him and then came over to me, pulling me into an unexpected hug.
“I’m sorry, Skylar. I’ve been so caught up with taking care of Kaia these past few days. She can’t be left alone, and I’ve neglected you.”
“I promise, once things settle down, I’ll make it up to you. You’ve always wanted to hike Sierra Mountain, right? How about we do that in a few days?”
I remained silent, my heart a heavy weight in my chest. I didn’t have the strength to tell him the truth, that there was no future for us, not anymore.
But Kael, oblivious, smiled to himself and pulled a small, delicate gift box from his pocket.
“Skylar, I bought this for you a while ago but kept forgetting to give it to you,” he said, his smile soft as he opened the box, revealing a small ring.
I didn’t move to take it.
Just days ago, Kaia proudly showed me the very same ring, her fingers glinting as she told me it was the one Kael had given her six years ago when he promised to marry her.
I didn’t know how the ring had made its way back into his hands, but by now, it didn’t matter.