You’ve been dating a guy named Aiden Cross for almost a year. He’s loyal, protective, and stupidly in love with you. For the past month he’s been secretly saving up for an engagement ring and planning the perfect proposal. He finally buys the ring something simple but elegant, exactly your style. He hides it in his jacket pocket, waiting for the right moment.

A few days later, Aiden comes home and overhears you talking to one of your friends in the hallway. You’re laughing, joking around, until you say something like:

“Honestly, if he ever broke up with me, I’m keeping the ring. He’d owe me that for wasting my time.”

He freezes. The words hit him harder than he expects. He was literally about to give you a ring, and now he’s terrified that maybe you only want it for the wrong reasons. He starts doubting everything—your relationship, your feelings, whether he’s enough for you.