Just One Year(67)

Maura came to find me in my bedroom after I’d returned from school.

“Hey. I came for an update,” she said. “Did you have any luck in talking to Northern about transferring next year?”

“They said they needed to talk to some people at the university in England to see if it would be a possibility. So I have to wait.”

“Do you think you’ll go even if you can’t transfer?”

“Yes. I know that for a fact. I only have a year left, and I could always come back and finish later or figure something else out. I can’t last another year away from him now that I know he wants me there.”

“That’s very romantic.” Maura smiled. “And there’s something I’d like to give you, Teagan, to make this easier.”

I sat down next to her. “Okay…”

“I had planned to wait until you were a bit older, but I feel like this is the right time.”

Maura pulled a small box from her sweater pocket. “Before I show it to you, I should preface this by saying that I think your father was completely insane when he bought this. But everything works out for a reason.”

“What is it?”

Maura opened the box, revealing a large, square diamond that looked fit for a queen. It had smaller diamonds all around the center stone. It was breathtaking.

“Did my father buy that for you?”

She shook her head and chuckled. “No.”

“No?” My forehead crinkled in confusion.

“He bought it for Ariadne.”

My jaw dropped. “What?”

“Yeah. It was a last-ditch effort to get her to stay. She wore it for a while, but gave it back to him before she left. At least she had the decency to do that. To this day, I’m still shocked she didn’t keep it.”

My mouth dropped. “You want to give this to me? I’m not sure I can take this.”

“Oh, yes you can.” She looked down at the ring. “Listen, after your father and I were in love, he showed me this ring and told me we would sell it and pick out something else. At that time, we’d just gotten on our feet financially, so it didn’t make sense to spend that money on myself. Still, it also didn’t feel right to trade it for cash, either. So I asked him if it would be okay if I saved it—either for you or for a rainy day if the family ever needed it.”

“He was okay with that?”

“You know your dad. As long as I was happy… He let me hold it for safe keeping. I always knew in my heart I’d give it to you because it was the last thing Ariadne left you—the only thing she left. This ring never seemed like mine. In my mind, it was always yours.”

I stared at the sparkling diamond. “Wow.”

She smiled. “So, what I’d like you to do is sell it and use the money to pay for your ticket to England and living expenses for as long as the money lasts. A ring like this should represent love. In selling it, you’ll be able to be with the one you love and have money to support yourself for a while.”

So overcome with emotion, I could hardly speak. “Are you sure?”

“There’s nothing I have ever been more sure of.”

I took the diamond and held it in between my thumb and index finger. The overhead lights reflected into the stone. It was gorgeous. But it was so…gone. So freaking gone. I needed that money, and I wasn’t going to fight it. I’d owe Maura big time.

I wrapped my arms around her. “I’ll never be able to repay you for this.”

“No need. As I said, this has always been yours anyway. Knowing you’ll get to be with Caleb makes me so happy. That’s worth more than this ring could ever be.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE




* * *



TEAGAN




Even though Caleb and I talked on the phone almost every day now, it wasn’t the same as getting to be with him. The remainder of the school year progressed slowly and painfully. What got us through was knowing each passing day brought us one step closer to being together. But it was finally over.

I hadn’t been able to get into an exchange program through Northern University, so I’d decided to take the next year off to figure out my life. That started with hopping on the first plane to the UK once classes ended.

“Can you take me in your suitcase?” Shelley asked.

It was two days before I was set to leave for England, and I had a long way to go with my packing.

I smiled. “You know, I never thought I’d say this, but I really wish I could.”

Sometimes you don’t appreciate something until you’re about to lose it. My sister and I had grown a lot closer over the past year. She’d come to my room to talk about boys she had crushes on. I’d helped her with her homework. Sometimes, she and I just chatted about random things. But we were part of each other’s lives. And now, after we’d finally found a groove, I was moving to England for at least six months.

“I’m gonna miss you so much.” Shelley tried to sneak something into my carry-on.

“What’s that you just put inside my bag?” I asked her.

“It was supposed to be a surprise.” She fished it out and handed it to me.

It was a silver bracelet that said sister and had two intertwined hearts on the charm. My heart swelled.