I Never Told You

11

"Beca what is this?" Chloe asks me holding up the little black box.

"A box." I tell her trying to shrug her off. Please don't open the box. She plays with the box in her hand but she doesn't open it. She sets it down on the bed.

"What is in the box, Beca?" She asks me. I walk over and pick up the box. I sit down on the bed. Chloe sits down next to me. "What is in the box?" She asks me again.

"A ring." I sigh pushing some hair out of my face. She grabs my chin and turns my face so I am looking at her.
"Why do you have it?" She asks. I am pretty sure that is the dumbest question.

"Ya know." I shrug feeling so uncomfortable right now. "Fat Amy was planning on proposing to Stacie." I go to my number defense mechanism, sarcasm. Chloe doesn't laugh. She continues to stare at me. The more she stares, the more uncomfortable I get.

"Beca, don't get into defensive mode and just tell me why you have a ring in a little black box." Chloe says staying very calm. "Don't shut me out with your jokes. Let me in." She pleads with me. She takes my hand in hers, gently rubbing my hand with her thumb. I sigh, taking a deep breath. The last thing I want to do is shut Chloe out. She means everything to me.

"Beca, why are we going in here?" Emily asks as we enter the jewelry store. "Earth to Beca!" Emily exclaims waving a hand in front of my face. "We are supposed to be looking for food to eat besides fish, not rings." She ends that statement as more of a question.

"I am trying to find a ring." I tell her looking through the cases. "For Chloe." I say moving to a different case. Emily follows closely behind me. "When I propose." I finish, my eyes going from row to row of the different rings.

"Have you guys even said you love each other yet?" She asks me. It is a valid question. I shake my head no. "But yet you are planning on proposing before you have even said you loved each other." She says confused.

"No I am not planning on proposing right away. I want to wait until a while." I sigh looking up from the case. "I just saw a ring in a magazine that was perfect and I need to find it." I tell her clarifying. I pull the magazine out and show the woman behind the counter. She gestures for me to follow her. I follow with Emily closely behind. If they have the ring, I might cry. The lady pulls the ring out and shows it to me. I let it rest in my hand. The ring. It is the ring. The only ring that is good enough for Chloe.

"Beca did you see the price." Emily nudges me, nodding down where the ring once was. "That is really expensive Beca. Are you sure you want to buy it? I am sure Chloe would be fine with any other ring that didn't cost that much." She shrugs trying to be calm about it.

"I have been saving for this ring since I first saw it." I tell her hoping she stops questioning my decision.

"How long is that exactly?" She asks me. This girl needs to learn to stop questioning me so much.

"Four months." I admit pulling my credit card out.

"But you haven't been dating Chloe for four months. If anything it has been like two months." She says trying to put everything together. "You were with Jesse four months ago!" She practically yells. I glance up at her. "How long have you been in love with Chloe for? I know she has loved you since like freshman year but when did you realize it?" I take the bag from the lady and shove it in my purse for safe keeping. I just need to hide it somewhere Chloe won't find it. Which will be nearly impossible considering that girl is so nosey.

I sigh before looking at Emily. "I realized I liked her about a year ago. I was confused and scared so I didn't break up with Jesse. I figured that she was my best friend so it was natural to what to be with her so much. About four months ago when I saw the ring, the only thing I could think of was putting it on Chloe's finger one day and that is when I realized I loved her." I tell her as we walk out of the jewelry store. I stop and stare at her. "You tell anyone this and I will.." I stop talking realizing I don't have an actual threat for her. "I will do something." I continue not sounding scary at all.