tablecloth, right beside his glass. The sound of the small ring meeting the table felt impossibly loud in the sudden quiet.
The laughter died instantly. Every face around the table changed. Some looked embarrassed, some looked tense, and one or two looked annoyed that the moment had become something real.
Evan stood up halfway from his chair. “Claire,” he began.
I raised my hand gently, and he stopped. There was no need for shouting, no need for tears, no need for a scene that would give him an excuse to
