76
~Belinda's POV
"Damon... I swear I didn't know the ring was on the floor," I said quickly, my voice low, almost shaky.
He looked up at me, eyes unreadable for a second. Then he slipped the ring onto my finger and nodded.
"It's fine, Belinda," he said simply. "You don't need to explain."
I took a small step forward. "No, please. I really didn't know. I thought she had taken it and…"
He cut me off gently. "I understand. It's okay."
The way he said it made it feel like it really was okay. His voice wasn't angry. It was calm. Soft, even.
"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions so fast," I said again, hoping he'd see how honest I was being.
He gave me a small smile. It wasn't a full smile, but it was enough to make my stomach flip.
"Apology accepted," he said. Then, like it didn't mean anything, he added, "I have to go now. Take care."
And just like that, he turned and left.
The door clicked shut behind him, and I just stood there in silence.
