Chapter 1 He Doesn’t Care
Everybody knew that I was dating Jayvon Sawyer just because Jaslene Glenn went abroad.
They were all eager to see what’d happen next, thinking Jayvon would dump me as soon as Jaslene got back.
But they had no idea that I was waiting too–waiting for Jayvon to break up with me.
***
Jayvon and I were supposed to get engaged at the end of the month. Today was the day we planned to go pick out an engagement ring.
But I waited for him at the jewelry store for hours, and he never showed up. He didn’t answer my calls or texts.
Worried, I drove over to his office, just to see him bending down to cover a girl lying on the bed in the lounge with a blanket.
He had never been that gentle with me.
My hand tightened on the doorknob.
Hearing the noise, Jayvon turned around, and I blurted out, “Who is she?”
He put his index finger to his lips, shushing me and motioning for me to go outside.
“Jaslene has been abroad for years and just got back last night. She’s still jet–lagged. Let’s talk outside. Don’t wake her up.”
Jaslene?
The stepdaughter of Jayvon’s uncle?
I didn’t realize who she was until I sat down on the sofa. Even though we moved in the same circles, her situation was kind of tricky. She went abroad right after high school, so we barely crossed paths.
All I knew was that Jayvon used to be close to her, treating her like his own sister.
I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. Just because his cousin came back, he stood me up for something as important as picking out an engagement ring?
He always said he loved me and spoiled me, and his proposal was such a big deal that the whole city was talking
about it.
But now it seemed like he didn’t care at all!
Reality gave me a rude awakening.
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Chapter 1 He Doesn’t Care
But I didn’t show it. I didn’t want to make a fuss and embarrass Jayvon.
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I took a deep breath, swallowed my disappointment, and pasted on a smile. “Since she’s sleeping, let’s go pick out the ring now, and then we can have dinner at your place tonight.”
But Jayvon shot me down right away. “No. Jaslene just got back, and she’s still adjusting to being here. She needs me around. The ring can wait. Let’s put it off for a couple of days.”
Hearing this, I clenched my fists. “Are you saying you don’t want to get engaged to me anymore?”
“No, don’t be silly. Don’t jump to conclusions,” Jayvon said after a short pause, sounding kind of distant.
I wasn’t happy with his answer and was about to say something when the door to the conference room opened. Jas- lene, who had been sleeping, out.
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She still looked a little sleepy, and she had a pure, innocent look about her.
When Jaslene saw me, she froze for a second, then smiled, “Hey, Bree! I’m Jayvon’s cousin. You look even better in person than in your photos. Nice to meet you!”
She started off by saying I looked good, so I couldn’t stay cold. I had to smile back and say hi.
“I heard you’re going to check out engagement rings. Need me to tag along and help you guys decide?”
When she said “engagement,” I noticed her eyes got a little sad.
Jayvon looked a bit weird, too. His eyes got kind of serious as he walked over to Jaslene and said softly, “Did we wake you up with all the talking?”
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