Falling For The Wrong Twin

How to get a new engagement ring

Gia

We’ve been standing here for what should be almost an hour. Mitch crouched down, face buried in his palms—frustrated and exhausted. Maverick on the other hand slowly crushed a cinnamon candy between his teeth, staring at the whole chaos unraveling in front of us like it was ridiculous.

In truth, it was ridiculous. Vivienne was dramatic. I mean, it was already getting late, how could we possibly find a ring that had sunk to the bottom of the ocean?

Mitch already told her he was going to get her another one. The exact type but she wouldn't listen.

Barbara, on the other hand, remained in the water. Honestly, she was kind. The things she did for Vivienne, I could never.

Tears spilled from Vivienne’s eyes. “I didn't move deep into the water and I swam around this side. If it slipped off my finger, then it should be around here. If we take another dive into the ocean, we should find it this time…I’m sorry for putting you through this stress,”

Then slowly Vivienne’s gaze cut to me. “Gia…” her voice was soft, warm enough to melt ice as it tugged

at the empathetic corner of my heart. “Please, don't just stand there. I need a collective effort to find my ring,”

Vivienne barely asked me for help

If she did, then it was that important to her. I processed the tired look in her eyes, her teeth grinding together in the cold. Vivienne and I might not be on good terms, but it wouldn't hurt to help.

I knew this search was hopeless.

But who knows. We could find it.

“Please…” she sobbed.

I took a step forward and before I could unbutton my shirt, fingers latched around my elbow yanking me back against something solid.

Maverick.

“What are you going to do, comb through the ocean?” Disbelief coated his voice as he pulled me behind him and stepped forward. “I don't mean to crush your hope but you are not going to find it. If you want to keep searching, I wish you the best but Gia won't be a party to your search–and–rescue team and we will be going home,”

Mitch stood up. “He is right. This is hopeless. Get out of the water, Vivienne,”

Barbara added, the same devastation reflected in her eyes as she placed a hand on Vivienne’s shoulder. “They’re right. I know how much it hurts, but the chances of us finding it are slim.”

Vivienne sucked in a shuddering breath. “I understand. You all should go without me. I’m not leaving until I find my ring. Go, everyone. Leave without me. If I drown out here on my own, then fine. It's my horrible fate,”

Mitch looked crushed. “Who talked about drowning?”

Then a voice came behind us. I turned only to see Robert approaching.

And coincidentally, Vivienne found it as the perfect moment to break into a loud cry.

“Hey…” a mix of confusion and concern in his eyes. “Why is everybody gathered here and—” his gaze narrowed towards Vivienne and he quickly hurried to her.

“What's going on?”

He rushed into the water, and the woman who had stubbornly refused to come out even after her fiancè begged her allowed Robert to pull her out. As if she had been waiting for him.

My gaze narrowed towards her suspiciously as she sobbed and crumbled in his arms.

“What's going on? Why is everyone just standing there and not helping!” He removed his jacket and draped it around her.

“It’s okay…it’s okay,” he murmured into her hair, wrapping a comforting hand around her.

Water dripped from Barbara’s hair to the sand, sluicing down her body. “She lost her engagement ring while she was swimming,”

Robert glanced up at her. “She did? And is that the reason everyone decided to let her remain in the water instead of helping her out?”

Mitch sighed. “She wouldn't listen, look—” he pointed to the scratch marks on his neck. “This is what she did to me”

Something cracked inside of me as I stared at the wounds on this side of his neck. This was the problem between Mitch and Vivienne. Toxicity. Constant fighting.

The worst part, he didn't want to be saved. He was exactly where he wanted to be.

I turned, only for Maverick’s eyes to clash with mine as my heart slammed against my ribcage. He stared at me like I was an open book he could read through. As if he could see my deepest thoughts. My darkest desire. See how I desperately wanted to comfort Mitch and apply ointment to those wounds.

Maverick’s expression remained impassive. “You better not,”

“Excuse me?”

“Do the scratch marks bring back memories? Memories of how you used to dig your nails into my back and rake them all the way down while I’m buried inside of you?”

My cheeks flamed up, lips parting as heat blossomed in my core.

“Shut up”

I could feel Mitch’s gaze sharpen on me. Did he hear that? I think he did. Oh My God.

I drew in a slow steadying breath, and it took a lot for me to tear my gaze off Maverick and fix it on Vivienne.

“I’m sorry. He was trying to drag me out even when I kept saying ‘no’ and I scraped him mistakenly…I didn't mean to, I’m sorry Mitch,” she whispered.

“I didn't mean to cause a scene over a ring. It is just that it means a lot to me. Mitch worked so hard to buy me that ring and losing it…” Fresh tears welled in her eyes as she choked out. “I felt so guilty. He doesn't deserve it,”

The anger that had tightened Mitch’s muscles melted off him and in the next second, he sank to his knees, collected her, and gathered her straight to his chest.

“I-I’m sorry baby,” he kissed the top of her head, my own heart clenching. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you,”

“I should have been more careful too,” she swiped her thumb through the marks on his neck. “I’m sorry baby,”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Robert smiled, a satisfied one as he rose to his feet. “Vivienne, you shouldn't have to cry over something like that the next time. It's just a ring. I will have samples sent in tomorrow and we’ll find the ones that fit,”

Mitch’s muscles visibly tensed, his arms loosening around her a bit.

Light sparked in Vivienne’s eyes, the swift reaction taking me aback. “Oh My God…I would want nothing more than—”

Mitch cut in, his voice sharp. “Thank you for the offer dad. But, Vivienne is my fiancée and I’ll—”

Vivienne’s humorless laugh interrupted his words while I slanted my head, studying her properly. “Please don't mind Mitch, he has had a lot to drink. When he is drunk, he tends to spill a lot of words that he doesn't mean. We appreciate the kind gesture…it would ease a lot of burden from the wedding off our backs,”

Mitch’s jaw hardened.

“I am not drunk,”

Her voice rose, drowning out his words. “I don’t need the samples. I’ll send you my ring size. Thank you, Robert.”

“You could also have the jeweler make her the exact type as mine,”

Vivienne gasped, hands covering her mouth. “Wouldn't that be too expensive?”

Barbara chuckled, waving her off. “Expensive? It’s just 40k. It’s nothing,”

Vivienne’s mouth opened as she turned to a seething Mitch with stunned disbelief. When she saw his cold gaze, she clamped her mouth shut.

“I don't think it’s meant for me,”

“Please don't mind her Robert. She wants something like this. Maybe better than mine too,” Barbara said.

Then a dam broke. “Thank you, Robert. Thank you, Barbara,”

Slowly, it sank in. All this drama was a calculated stunt to change her engagement ring. How did she reject Mitch’s offer to buy her another ring and immediately jump at Robert’s offer?

Maverick’s small chuckle laced with something dark also confirmed my suspicion.

“Isn't Vivienne one smart woman?”