Chapter 1

My fiancé, Lucas Quinn, gave me a necklace for Valentine's Day. The thing cost six figures.

When I opened the box, I realized the matching bracelet was missing.

I looked at him. "Doesn't this necklace come with a bracelet?"

His expression froze for a second.

He shrugged and said, "I gave it to Lily. She's never had nice things, so I figured she'd appreciate it more." His voice stayed casual. "It's just a freebie. You're not gonna make a big deal out of it, are you?"

That night, a young man brought me roses he'd made himself. I took them.

Lucas' face went cold.

I smiled and said, "A friend made these. You're not gonna make a big deal out of it, are you?"

*****

When Lucas pulled out his Valentine's Day gift, I felt a flutter of excitement.

I'd had my eye on this necklace for weeks, but never found the time to buy it.

The matching bracelet was even better, though. The design was intricate and thoughtful, exactly the kind of detail I loved.

But when I opened the box and searched through the packaging, the bracelet was missing.

"I thought this necklace came with a matching bracelet," I said, keeping my tone light. "Did you forget to grab it?"

I was about to suggest we swing by the store after dinner to pick it up, but Lucas' expression froze for just a second.

I swallowed my words and waited for him to explain.

He shrugged and said, "I gave it to Lily. She's never had nice things, so I figured she'd appreciate it more." His voice stayed casual. "It's just a freebie. You're not gonna make a big deal out of it, are you?"

I set the gift box aside, and my mood sank with it. "What if I do make a big deal out of it?"

Last time we went out, I'd casually mentioned that his family's new necklace line looked pretty nice, and I'd specifically pointed out how unique the bonus bracelet was.

So when Lucas pulled out the gift, I thought he'd actually been paying attention.

I guessed I was wrong.

Lucas looked annoyed and said impatiently, "Julia, you're not like that. It's just a bracelet. If you want one, I'll buy you another. I can't exactly ask for it back now."

I nodded. He was right. He couldn't ask for it back.

Besides, even if I got it back, it would already be tainted.

I looked down and cut my steak absently, but my mind was already somewhere else.

I'd always been pretty satisfied with my engagement to Lucas.

In our circle, he was one of the cleaner and better-looking guys our age.

But now I was starting to think I needed to reconsider this whole engagement.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

It was Shawn Winters, the cute younger guy I'd met at a school event a few days ago.

Shawn: [Julia, have you eaten yet? I learned how to make roses, and I made one for you.]

I opened the image and saw a rainbow-colored rose with glass rhinestones decorating the petals.

It must've been hard for a guy to do such detailed handwork, even if it was ugly.

I glanced at Lucas across from me, then looked back down and sent Shawn the restaurant's location.

I texted back teasingly: [Having dinner with my fiancé.]

I had not expected Shawn to actually show up.

He called me, and his voice came through clear and casual. "Julia, I'm outside."

I looked over and spotted a heavy motorcycle parked right in front of the restaurant.

He pulled off his helmet and waved at me with a huge grin on his face.

When Lucas followed my gaze, Shawn started waving even harder, like he was trying to get extra attention.

"Who's that?" Lucas asked, and I could hear the irritation in his voice.

I smiled and put down my fork. "Just some kid I met recently. He's pretty fun."

Before Lucas could say anything else, I got up and headed outside.

Shawn handed me a bouquet of roses, and my eyes caught on his bandaged hand.

"It's nothing, really, just a little scratch," he said quickly. "You don't need to worry about it, Julia. So, uh, is that your fiancé in there? No offense, but he looks kinda old."

I couldn't help but laugh at that and glanced back toward the restaurant.

Lucas didn't look happy at all, and he was staring at us like he wanted to burn holes through the window.

"Yikes, that's a scary look," Shawn said. "You know you can still back out before the wedding, right? Just saying, you might want to think about it."

I looked at him and gave his shoulder a light pat. "Thanks for the flowers. Be careful heading back, okay?"

"You got it!" He snapped off a mock salute and flashed me a bright smile, showing all his teeth.

The engine roared to life, and a second later, he was gone, disappearing down the street.

When I got back to my seat, Lucas said in a flat tone, "I thought you'd have some boundaries, considering we're engaged."

I set the colorful roses on the table, and looking at them now, the glass diamonds looked real.

The restaurant lights made them sparkle like crazy.

I replied casually, "A friend made these. You're not gonna make a big deal out of it, are you?"

Lucas froze for a second, giving me a long, intense look.

I just kept eating and ignored him.

That night, we left on bad terms.

We'd planned to see a musical together, but we both conveniently came up with excuses and bailed.

When I got home, I put away the necklace Lucas had given me and made a phone call.

"Do you still have your latest Valentine's Day necklace in stock?" I asked. "I need the full set. Can you have it delivered to me?"

Less than an hour later, the necklace and bracelet arrived at my place.

I was trying them on when my friend, Sophie Lane, sent me a photo.

Sophie: [I just saw Lucas. Who's that girl with him?]

I opened the photo and saw Lily Warren in a dimly lit bar, tears in her eyes as she looked at Lucas.

She looked like a girlfriend acting all cute and clingy with her boyfriend.

Before I could even respond, a second photo came through.