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I gripped the stool in front ofmyself to stay calm “This isn’t about your family It isn’t even really about you,” I told hi “I don’t want to call off the deal, no It’s just… It’s a lot for ht now, is all”

“Why?” Rahtly

To the side, Toun to ease into the front of the restaurant, before spotting our altercation He drew back, lifting a cigarette from his pocket He flipped it into his mouth and lit it, his eyes on me I wondered how much he could possibly understand

“My mother’s sick,” I told Raery soon, but we don’t have the nosis, I’ve sent paycheck after paycheck home, for the radiation and the chemotherapy and whatever else, but whatever I ery Not without your…input”

Rami didn’t speak When I finally forced , filled with a surprising a within him, for perhaps the first time

As the tears continued to flon ht his hands over mine on the stool He eased his thu to calhts begin to slow I felt

“I know there’s nothing I can say to make you feel better,” Rami said softly

He was right And yet, just the fact that he understood this unique thing about heartache endeared hi a s onRa beyond his incredible, handso deeper

Suddenly, with a flourish, Rami turned his left hand to his pocket and drew out a small, black box He tapped it on the counter, besidein to flutter

“Is that…?” I asked, cocking my head

“You don’t have to open it now if you don’t want to,” Rami said, his voice low “But just know that I’m here for you to help with this I know that this silly e is much, much smaller than your real problems But if you help er on the top of the engageo away Like that” He snapped his fingers

Reaching to the side, feeling soht of my mother’s illness on my shoulders, I drew the black box toward littered in the soft light of the grungy bar It was a strangeand Tommy’s

“It wasfros to you”

I gave hiy But after seconds of silence, I felt strength enough to reach toward hiainst his shoulder, inhaling the scent of his expensive cologne

Again,true could ever groeen us We were orchestrating a plan, each of us, separately—but together That was all

At the end of the night, I agreed to let Rami take me home in his convertible With the top down, the breeze blasted through ainst the seat Ranize, with a quick beat and vibrant vocals, and I allowed hts of

“So, do you want to do this again so me up to iving ain, e—desire

“We are engaged, aren’t we?” I asked hi a sneaky smile

“I don’t think we should announce it for another week,” Ra and irresistible I a he was in on the joke He knew that I sensed his arrogance