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Aaliyah's heart raced as she sat across from Tyrone at the dimly lit table in Mastro's Steakhouse. The low hum of conversation filled the elegant restaurant, but it did nothing to drown out the thoughts swirling in her head.
She knew what was coming. She had found that ring in his car a few days ago when she was cleaning it big, flashy, and impossible to ignore. The thought of Tyrone proposing made her feel like the walls were closing in.
She had been avoiding him ever since, trying to come up with excuses to dodge his calls and delay any plans. But tonight, there was no escaping it.
He had insisted on this dinner. The way he was dressed up, the way he looked at her it was written all over his face. He was going to propose, and Aaliyah wasn't ready.
The evening had started off nice enough. They talked and laughed as they always did, enjoying the luxurious meal. But as the night wore on, the tension started to build.
Tyrone was being too sweet, too attentive, and his eyes kept darting to the small box that she knew he had tucked away somewhere, just waiting for the perfect moment.
Aaliyah felt a wave of nausea hit her as she picked at her food, the rich steak and mashed potatoes now sitting uneasily in her stomach. She couldn't do this. She wasn't ready to be someone's fiancée, let alone a wife. Not yet. Not with Tyrone.
As he reached across the table and took her hand, she knew it was coming. His deep brown eyes locked onto hers, and he gave her that smile—the one that always made her heart flutter, but tonight, it only made her want to run.
"You know I love you, right?" Tyrone's voice was low and sincere.
Aaliyah swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. She nodded, managing a weak smile. "Yeah, I know."
He leaned in a little closer, his thumb gently rubbing her hand.
"I've been thinking about our future. You and me, together. And I think it's time I make it official."
Aaliyah's stomach flipped, and a cold sweat broke out across her skin. She couldn't do this. She couldn't sit here and let him ask her to marry him when everything in her was screaming no.
She had to stop it before it got any further.
Suddenly, she put her hand to her stomach and winced, acting like she was in pain.
"Ugh... I don't feel so good," she said, her voice strained.
Tyrone's expression immediately shifted from anticipation to concern. He sat up straighter, his hand moving to her shoulder.
"Baby, you okay? What's wrong?"
"I don't know... My stomach, it's been bothering me all day,"
