send 💍 for my muse to find a box with an engagement ring in it.
Tia wasn’t intentionally snooping as she ran her fingers along the insides of Huntley’s drawers. Honestly, she wasn’t! But since she’d been spending more time sleeping over at his cottage as they got closer to graduation, his organization habits were driving her insane. Honestly, how was she supposed to remember that he liked to put things back in their “proper place” instead of keeping them nice and safe where they liked to use them best?
She’d been rooting around everywhere in his room to locate her missing highlight stick that she was certain she’d left on his nightstand since it was the closest surface to the best lighting in his room. So when her fingers brushed against something other than clothing in one drawer, she’d been surprised to find a small blue Tiffany’s box. So much for everything being in it’s proper place. she thought, peeking inside of the blue box and then the slightly smaller black box inside to see if it was a present for her.
And boy was it a present for her. Sparkling brightly even in a dimly lit room was the most beautiful ring Tia had ever seen outside of a romcom specifically sponsored by Tiffany’s themselves. Rose gold with multiple pink diamonds, it was the perfect ring for her and she couldn’t help but immediately try it on. Since in her mind at that moment, she was definitely going to say yes, so it was practically hers already anyway and she just wanted to make sure it fit correctly.
Of course, it couldn’t be too perfectly perfect, because right as Tia got the ring onto her finger, her phone went off with a text message notification. After scrambling to get the ring back in the boxes, (just in case Huntley somehow knew that she’d found them and was texting her to call her out for going through his drawers,) Tia picked up her phone and all certain thoughts of saying yes to the unconfirmed proposal went out the window as she read the words, Twinkle, I’m back in town.
Just as quick as the thoughts of doubt entered her mind, so did her regret for them. It wasn’t at all fair to Huntley. He was he one that was almost everything she could ever want in a man. He was cool, handsome, fun to be around, and most importantly, he was the one dating her now. He was the one who came over on holidays, taught her how to play guitar and (probably) bought her the perfect engagement ring. She'd never had to worry about what would happen to them after they graduated college because they'd be going right back to the same town they'd grown up in and (probably) get married, work as a lawyer and do PR for her Grandfather's company respectively and have the most picturesque life imaginable. And for the first time since they'd started dating, the very thought of that kind of future brought on an IMMEDIATE panic attack.
Curled up in a fetal position and sobbing at the foot of the bed she'd come to think of as theirs, Tia struggled to figure out why this was happening to her. It was exactly the kind of future she'd always wanted, once she realized that being a royal like her little sister now was would be pain in the butt, but all of a sudden it felt so wrong. Like she was accepting a runner up pageant crown instead of trying to own a unicorn. Like she was settling. But how could it possibly be settling when the alternative would be to see the man she loved loves loved maybe once or twice a year and always come in second to his urge explore the big dumb sea.
Soon, like gift from God to calm her down and steer her mind in the right direction, Huntley returned to his room with a surprise pizza and then cuddles once he found his sobbing girlfriend on the floor. Subtly kicking the ring box under the dresser, Tia made a mental note to move the box back later and not even think about the text on her phone. Settling for first place wasn't even a thing and she was going to say yes to the (probable) proposal without a hint of doubt in her mind and absolutely no panic attacks.