Page 610 of Bad Prince
She gasps softly.
“You leave my future daughter out of this.”
“Future daughter?” I echo. “Interesting. Very presumptuous.”
She fake swats at my chest with the hand wearing the ring.
The diamond flashes.
It nearly distracts me again.
Then from inside we hear Jade’s voice, louder now, unmistakably suspicious.
“If you two are making out instead of telling me what happened, I am coming out there!”
Stella closes her eyes and laughs into my shoulder.
I smile against her hair.
“Ready?”
She steps back just enough to look at me again.
Then down at her hand.
Then at the medal.
She slips her fingers through mine.
“Take me back in there.”
So I do.
I open the terrace door and we step into the warm wash of candlelight and voices and family and friends all at once.
For a half second, nobody notices.
Then Jade does.
Her eyes go first to Stella’s face.
Then to our joined hands.
Then to the ring.
She stops dead in the middle of whatever she was saying and slaps Leo so hard in the chest he nearly drops his drink. She’salready halfway around the table by the time Stella lifts her hand fully into the light.
And there it is.
The image.
Gold medal at her throat.
Diamond ring on her left hand.
Stella in the middle of the room looking like victory and love got together and built themselves a body.
The entire table erupts.
