A Gypsy woman.

Chapter eleven.

“No Lian your mothers ring? I can’t take this.” I whisper hating myself for saying it… I wanted to keep it, something so lovely and perfect what girl wouldn’t want to have such a thing to call her own.

He stands and looks at it with a slight smile playing on the corners of his mouth he strokes the side of it as if he’s polishing it. And yes I am very aware of the fact that he’s still holding my hand but I try to ignore that and focus on his words.

“Wow…it just looks like it belongs there doesn’t It.” he says quietly in an almost whisper. His voice is far off as if he’s deep in thought a content smile on his face as he speaks.

I stare down at it smiling myself now as I nod in agreement its soooo pretty! But my better half speaks up. “But it’s the only thing you have of her’s It would be wrong of me to take it.”  I protest thought It kills me to think of having this ring Not on my hand.

He meets my eyes now. “Calm down, it’s just until we leave, and besides my father will expect it. And if were truly going to convince him were serious, this ring is a big step to proving it.”

In the end it wouldn’t take much to sell the idea of wearing a ring like that, so I agreed and as I sat at the table watching it glitter as my hand drummed on the table top I couldn’t help but giggle even with my nervousness at meeting with Dee.

God that ring just turned me into some silly love sick teenager!

I wondered how many women who had before been forced into an arranged marriage fell in love when they got the ring.  And then I thaught how many girls get to wear rings like this one?

And the thought following that one was A bit hard for me to swallow…

How many girls get to have men like Lian in their lives… how many girls get to laugh as hard as I do when he’s with me? How many girls actually meet a person that could make them feel as outrageously happy and safe and free… and loved…..

I stop to find myself smiling stupidly sitting alone in the kitchen thinking about Lian! And my stomach flips with fear.

Stop that right now Cacia!   I scold myself.   You are an independent woman! You sound like a love struck puppy! Don’t let a pretty ring fool you into such feelings. Lian doesn’t love you that way and he’s like your brother! Focus on the plan! Only the plan.

I give a curt nod as I vow to listen to my much smarter inner voice when I hear a laugh form behind me.

I turn my head to see a bare chested lian sliding a muscular arm into a white cotton shirt… every movement he makes causing his chest muscles to flex in unison.  I quickly avert my eyes.

Out of all the times in the world now he chooses to come out shirtless? Really?  I think angrily in my head as I stare deeply into the eyes of a dusty stuffed owl to my right. Praying lian buttons up his shirt quickly so the burning in my cheeks may go away.

“You having a nice conversation with yourself in here are you?” he asks suddenly not seeming to notice how unbelievingly awkward I’m being.

“What?” I ask meeting his eyes.

He chuckles under his breath finally fastening the last of the buttons. I heard you mumbling to yourself when I walked in.” he explains absentmindedly pulling a warn black vest over his shirt.

“Oh… just going over what I should say to your dad.” I lie skillfully.

 He nods picking up his hat on his counter before taking two steps forward to sit back across from me.

“As If you have to practice, you’re too fair of a liar for your own good.” He jokes playfully but I can see he’s worried too.

“Your right you can never tell when I’m lying.” I tease with a mischievous glance his way.

He scoffs. “I can always tell when you’re lying.” He argues smugly leaning back as if he has absolutely no doubt he’ll be found correct in the end.

“Oh really remember two weeks ago when you lost your hat and I had you convinced Timo had taken it?”

He smiles brightly. “Knew it was you the whole time.”

“No way, I had you chasseing Timo around camp with a broom stick!”

“Honestly I just like messing with the little bug. He probably deserved it anyways who knows half the things Timo does to all of us when we’re not looking.”  

I stop to study him suspiciously. “Alright fine, say you can tell when I’m lying what makes you so immune to my superpower huh?”   

His eyes dim a bit as he replies.

“Because I know you.”  The words seem hollow and yet so filled with meaning.

Such a simple sentence but it had a lifetime of memories behind it. He did know me. He knew better than anyone in my life… why did that seem so terribly sad to him though?  His eyes had darkened as he said it like it hurt him to know it…

For a moment I just studied him trying to work him out. He had gotten a bit hard to read lately. Sort of seemed to be pulling away every so slightly….

“So you ready to go my dear lady?” he asks standing abruptly suddenly bright once again.

I nod happily though I’m anything But ready. But what must be done must be done so I take his arm and let him lead me to the door of his caravan wondering if… no praying that we would be able to fool dee. Our entire lives depended on it!