Arianna Smith's Arc

Chapter 18 of 23

The rep's question followed Arianna home. Official. The word stuck in her chest. She wanted to marry Kylie. She had wanted it for years. But a rushed ring, grabbed off a shelf, would feel like a fan gift, not a promise. Kylie had been burned by someone who faked trust. Arianna would not hand her something hollow. So she waited. She watched how Kylie moved through their small apartment. She noticed the red streaks in Kylie's black hair. She remembered the ornament on the piano, the marker of trust they had earned one honest day at a time. A ring, Arianna decided, had to say all of that. Red for Kylie. Bold, not borrowed. She spent weeks looking. Most rings were cold and plain. Then she found one with a vivid red diamond in a gold band. It was loud and warm, like Kylie on a stage. Arianna held it up to the light and knew. This was the one that matched what they had built. She booked the elegant restaurant where they had their first real date. Gold lamps glowed over the door. Flowers spilled from the window boxes. A waiter led them to the same dark table, set with two candles and two red chairs. Kylie smiled when she saw it. "You picked our spot," she said. "On purpose," Arianna said. Her hands shook, so she set them flat on the table. "I didn't want to rush this. You had people lie to you. Promise you things they didn't mean." Kylie went still. The candle flame leaned between them. "I can't promise I'll be perfect," Arianna said. "But I waited years just to hear your voice. I walked a mile to your gate. I'm not going anywhere." She pulled the small box from her coat and opened it. The red diamond caught the candlelight. Kylie's eyes filled. For a second she didn't speak. Arianna's heart pounded in the quiet. "You didn't buy something fast," Kylie said softly. "You thought about what it meant." "I did," Arianna said. "Kylie, will you marry me?" Kylie laughed and cried at once. "Yes," she said. "Yes." She held out her left hand. Arianna slid the ring on. It fit. Red on gold, exactly right. They ate with their hands laced over the table. Then Kylie set her phone down between the candles. The screen was already lighting up. The clip from the press event had kept spreading. Now a reporter had posted a new photo, taken through the restaurant window. The ring showed clear in the glass. "They saw," Kylie said. She wasn't smiling now. "People are asking where we'll live. Your apartment is one room. The second they know we're engaged, they'll park outside and never leave." She looked at Arianna. "We need a place no one can reach. A real home, with a gate."