Love & Conditions (New York Billionaires Book 2)

19| Cherish

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Cherish

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Chapter 19: Cherish (Jules's POV)

I close the door, resisting the urge to slam it just so my parents don't get too suspicious and lock it instead so they don't interrupt. I held up the ring, standing in front of him while he strolled ahead and sat at the foot of the bed casually. "Why do you still have this?" I asked bluntly. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Don't play dumb, Christian. I told you to get rid of it." 

"You gave it back to me, Jules. That ring's mine, I can do whatever I want with it." 

"You kept it!" I snapped. 

He stared back at me blankly and then shrugged, "So?" 

"Why?" 

"Tell me something. You've seen your parents in the past year, haven't you?" 

"Don't change the subject." 

"I'm not. Answer me."

"Yes," I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. 

"And they never questioned your bare finger? Not once?" 

"They did." 

"And what did you do?" The longer I looked at him, the more obvious it became that he wasn't asking me this question to patronize me or out of suspicion. He genuinely wanted to know, his question was... sincere. 

"I saw my parents just twice, Christian. In the one year we've been apart, I saw them just twice. I don't see them as often as one would think. The first time, they didn't even notice. The second time, I said I forgot." 

"You're a liar, Jules," he scoffed softly. 

I rolled my eyes and looked away from him. 

"Don't do that. You got yourself in this mess, you're in this position today because of your own mistakes." 

"You think it was easy? Then you go out there right now and tell them the truth," I said slowly, taking a step forward. 

"I have no problem doing that," he replied, stepping ahead until there was barely a hand's breadth between us. "What I don't want is your parents questioning their daughter's honesty. Which they have every right to question but it won't help the situation. So just put on the damn ring." 

"Why did you keep it?" It was gnawing at me. When I left Christian, I told him very clearly that he needs to get rid of the ring along with every little thing that was ours. I didn't want to remember us and I didn't want him holding onto anything of that sort either. 

"These are our engagement rings. Why wouldn't I keep them?" 

"I asked you not to." 

"I don't care what you asked me. I cherish that ring, Jules, I would never get rid of it and you don't have to agree with what I do but that doesn't mean I won't do it."