Pushing my sunglasses up the bridge of my nose, I tried to look relaxed as I sat on the steps of a luxurious apartment that had high walls and security that blocked people that did not belong in the premises. I obviously did not have any trouble getting here because with what the public knows, I am still Tom's girlfriend. My breath got caught in my throat at that thought. Not girlfriend. Fiancé.

Fi-an-cé, I mouthed the words.

I glanced at my ring finger which was bare. I was always a hopeless romantic and religiously never wore rings on my left ring finger. I wanted it to appear special for when I do get engaged. I pulled off my moonstone ring from my other finger and slid it on my ring finger. Is that what the ring looked like? Watching my ring twinkle in the sunlight on my finger made me smile. My body started to become flooded with warm emotions focused on the image of this ring on merely a different finger. I pressed my lips together as I stared at my hand before I looked away and scoffed while removing my ring and putting it back onto my middle finger. I returned to focusing on looking relaxed and not focusing on the fact that maybe what I am doing at the moment might be a little too dramatic but my impatience and curiosity is to be blamed behind my actions.

I was waiting for Tom to arrive home so I can just talk to him and find little hints about this apparent engagement period we had. I was going to act cool, calm and collected and just have a conversation with him. He's not going to know that I know about this ring on the finger business. I'm just going to observe those tiny hints that I might have missed previously. He might mention the word 'engaged' or 'ring' or he might look at my left ring finger or ask if I can remember saying 'I do'. I did not have a plan ready but I was just going to be subtle about this.

My breath hitched up in my throat when I saw Tom approach the steps that I was trying so hard to look relaxed sitting on them. I was grateful that I had my sunglasses preventing him seeing my eyes widened at the sight of him. It has been two weeks since I last saw him and I obviously did not plan on looking relaxed when I did see him next.

He paused mid step when he saw me but resumed back to his long strides as if nothing happened. He licked his bottom lip while looking around before his gaze dropped down to me. "Should I be asking what you're doing here?"

Even though I was disappointed that he did not greet me, I should have expected it since we have not spoken after our last encounter while he was drunk. "Well, hello to you too." I got up from my sitting position and looked down at him enjoying that I was the taller one for once. "I just wanted to chat."

"Lara, we haven't spoken in weeks and now you just want to chat?" with one raised eyebrow, he narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. "Why do you want to talk?"

"No reason!" I replied defensively. When his facial expression did not change I sighed and took one step up towards the door, "Look, can we just talk?"

He shook his head and glanced back at me, "Alright," and started running up the step passing me. He stopped at the top of the stairs and look back at me, "I guess you don't remember but you could have gotten inside yourself. You still have my house keys."

"Right," I muttered and followed him up.

"So… what have you been up to?" I asked in a high pitched tone. We were sitting at the dining table with juice. I had taken one sip to give some time before I started asking questions and also because I love orange juice.

Tom was looking down at his cup and blinked a few times before his piercing gaze locked into mine. "So we're going to act like nothing happened since New York?"

"Uhm," I chuckled uneasily. "No, I was just trying to start a mundane conversation with you."

"Alright," he paused to sip his juice. "Well, I have been doing interviews. Actually just came from one now."

"Oh yeah, what sort of questions did they ask?" I leaned in slightly.

"The straightforward set of questions about how the filming for the movie was and how I got along with the other cast. General questions really."

"Nothing about you?"

"Me?" he looked up at me suspiciously.

"Yeah, about your life. I mean those fans would want to know what you're up to."

"My fans would want to know how I feel about filming this movie."

"And also your personal life."

"Lara," he had his thumb and index finger rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing," I shrugged. Abort mission Lara, abort mission. I was not being subtle and relaxed as I thought I was going to be.

"If you were thinking if I have told the media that we have broken up, then no I haven't. Not yet."

I felt a churn in my stomach and shuffled in my seat. "No, I didn't mean that," I felt a burn in my chest.

"Then what did you mean Lara?" his voice was raised and his hands were both laying flat on the table as if he was ready to slam the table or ready to leave.

"It's nothing!" I raised my voice to match his except mine came out as a squeak.

"Don't beat around the bush Lara, just tell me," the level of his voice decreased and he appeared calmer, probably because I looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Look, it's fine. I'm just going to go," I stood up and grabbed my purse. I should have a plan next time.

"I didn't mean to raise my voice," he stood up too.

"It's fine, I'll walk myself out," I told him and tried not to run out. This was my chance just to ask him but I had too much pride to ask him what has been on my mind for these past few weeks. I did not want him to know that I was pondering about it the whole time. It would show him that I was vulnerable and I definitely did not want to appear as that. I'll just have to leave it as that and leave him alone for a couple of weeks. The thought of a couple of weeks just disheartened me.

It was at that moment when my brain decided to let go of all power and let my body take it. I slammed the front door shut and my body turned back towards the dining room. My legs took long and quick strides back into the room where Tom was still standing at the table.

He stood there frozen with his face displaying an element of surprise.

"We were engaged?" my voice was louder than I thought.

"Did the girls tell you that?" his face softened and his lips were almost smiling.

"Yes! That was the reason why they planned the whole thing!" I frowned.

"That would make sense now that I think about it," he smiled at himself and sat back down.

"You did not tell me though! Why? You said I was your girlfriend!" I exclaimed.

"I was going to tell you."

"But you didn't! This whole time you didn't bother to tell me!"

"What does this change Lara? I said you were my girlfriend and all you did was run for the hills. Did you think if I said you were my fiancé that it would change everything? Did you think that you would be in my arms again?" his voice echoed across the house.

"It would have changed some things," I sighed. "I would have known how special our relationship was. As in, it was real. It wasn't just a relationship between a normal person and a celebrity."

"I showed you that this is real. A ring shouldn't show you all that."

"It's symbolic, okay?" I sighed. I was getting annoyed with this whole conversation with him. "When were you planning on telling me? Never?" I had my hands on my hips and still standing at the doorway to the dining room.

"Actually I was going to tell you in New York."

"But you didn't."

"You didn't let me!" he growled. "I told you that I remembered every place and almost every conversation we had in New York. I decided to do all the things we did on a particular day which was the boat ride. You stopped it short. I was going to take you to the place where I asked your hand in marriage. I was going to tell you there that it was the spot that you said yes to spending the rest of your life with me and the happiest day of my life thus far. I did not want to tell you beforehand because I did not want to throw all this information at you. I thought maybe being at the place physically would help with your memories."

We stood in the dining room in silence. The life that was taking place outside the apartment could be heard through the windows. The sound of cars driving down the narrow streets and people walking on the footpaths probably heading towards restaurant and cafe for dinner.

I slowly walked to the table and sat back in my seat which was across him. "Oh Tom," I sighed.

He did not say anything but kept staring into his cup while his hand was turning the cup around.

"That would have been romantic," I mumbled.

"I am a romantic kind of guy," he replied and looked up at me with a smirk.

I chuckled at him. "So where is the ring? I searched for it in my place. Did something happen to us before the accident?"

"The ring isn't at your place and no, we were quite happy up until the accident."

"You have the ring then?"

He nodded. "It was a spur of the moment. When I got to the hospital, they gave me your belongings including all jewellery. When you were settled in your room, the doctors said there may be a chance of a concussion or amnesia. They did not say if you were going to recover from that so I just took the ring. I've just watched too many movies and stories about the person who has amnesia freaking out that they have a spouse or fiancé. I didn't want that to happen to us."

I suddenly felt so horrible for all that I have done to him. It felt like both my heart and stomach was holding a ton of weight. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said but did not look at me.

I did not say anything except look outside to the darkening clear sky. I had this urge to do something dramatic just so I can make it up to him. "What if," I said slowly. I licked my lips and turned to him, "What if I were to say that," I grabbed his arm which caused him to look at me. "We should go back to New York?"

BIGGEST APOLOGIES TO EVERYONE. I'VE RECENTLY BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF REVIEWS FOR A NEW CHAPTER WHICH MOTIVATED ME TO WRITE AGAIN. HONESTLY THOUGHT YOU ALL GAVE UP ON THIS STORY CONSIDERING THAT IT HAS BEEN A YEAR SINCE I LAST UPDATED. LIVING OVERSEAS IS A STRUGGLE AND I SWEAR I DID NOT HAVE TIME ON MY OWN TO WRITE BUT I AM BACK IN AUS - SORRY ENGLAND WAS WAY TOO COLD FOR ME AND I MISSED MY LIFE HERE.

REGARDLESS I AM BACK.

PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW OF WHAT YOU THINK. I KNOW MY WRITING STYLE HAS CHANGED AND IF IT DOES BOTHER YOU, DO TELL.

ALSO A QUESTION, ONE OF MY STUDENTS SAID THAT THEIR ENGLISH TEACHER DOES NOT APPROVE OF EXCLAMATION MARKS BEING USED IN STORIES. NOW I AM NOT AN ENGLISH TEACHER MYSELF BUT I DO LET MY CLASS USE IT. BUT IS THERE A RULE?

THANKS.

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