Gilded Gold ⚭ NH

17 | Five Golden Rings

115 Days Until

"Is the honeymoon booked then?" Mack asked as she walked up and down the aisle of jewelry.

Libby's eyes sparkled. "Yes! I'm so excited! Cape Town here we come!"

"South Africa, nice," Mack smiled as she stopped in front of a glass case of rings.

She gazed down at them, a mix of emotions rolling through her. Ever since learning the other night what Niall was planning to do, participating in the wedding planning left her feeling hollow. She couldn't even imagine what it was like for Niall all these months, planning a wedding with the women he wanted to get married to, only for her to supposedly rip his heart out.

She chanced a look over at Niall then, who had kept his distance ever since she found the ring in his room. It was almost cruel to make him suffer more and stick the both of them in a room of engagement rings, like fate herself was laughing at them. His blue eyes landed on hers for a heartbeat before he looked away, turning his back and gazing out the window.

For someone who wanted to talk through it the night she found the ring a few nights ago, he was sure being bashful about it now. But that might have been because of the sudden appearance of Emma at his front door. Mack couldn't blame him. She was kind of dreading that conversation, too.

"What about you?" Libby asked, coming up beside her. "If you were going on a honeymoon, where would you like to go?"

Niall may have been on the other side of the room, but the shop wasn't very big so every word uttered in the space could be heard. Libby obviously couldn't read the tension between them, otherwise, Mack hoped, she'd be more sensible toward their feelings.

Mack hadn't asked Libby, because it would only result in her asking questions back ("How did you know about that? Did he tell you? Did you see the ring? Oh my gosh-!") and Mack very much didn't want to answer them. But she had come to the conclusion that Libby, and for sure Wes, know about the ring. A conversation she and Libby had way back when, they were taste testing out cakes and Libby had said something about Niall planning out this whole thing, before she was interrupted, but the man himself. That had to have been about the proposal that never happened.

Mack shrugged and traced her finger along the gold metal frame holding the glass pieces together. "Not sure," she answered honestly. "I haven't put much thought into it, I guess."

"How about Egypt?" Libby offered, coming up beside her. "I know you've always wanted to go there. Alexandria? Cairo or Memphis? Ohhh, Thebes!"

Mack smiled at the idea of going to Egypt. "If I were to go to Egypt ever, it would be to Ismailia. That's where my parents are from."

"The City of Beauty and Enchantment," Wes mused as he stuck his nose to the glass of expensive watches. It surprised Mack that he even heard of that town let alone know any details on it. But then again, he was particularly good when it came to geography. "I wouldn't mind going there, either. I'm sure Niall would go, too. He seems to be all up in Egypt's business."

Mack looked up at Niall, surprised. That was news to her.

"Hey!" Libby snapped her fingers next to Wes' ear before continuing her advance to look at more rings. "We're here to look at rings, nothing else. Oh, look at this!" she exclaimed, drawing Mack over to where she stood. "You can't possibly tell me this doesn't scream my name."

The reason they were picking out rings was because Wes insisted. The engagement ring he had gotten was cheap and nothing Libby actually deserved, despite her loving it with all her heart. Wes refused to let it be the thing on her finger. So it was actually his idea they all go out and pick something out, for a ring for her and a band for him.