CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR – A PATHETIC EX

It was during one of those lowest ebbs that her doorbell rang out unexpectedly. Mara briefly considered pretending not to be home, but a second flurry of knocks spurred her to angrily yank the door open. "What?!" She snapped...then immediately regretted her harsh tone. It was Andy standing there, looking appropriately chastened at her prickly greeting. But he quickly recovered his usual faux-roguish demeanor, giving her a crooked smile. "Why hello there, fair Mara! Might your cantankerous mood this evening be soothed by...this modest gift?" With a decidedly immodest flourish, he revealed what appeared to be a stunning diamond tennis bracelet, glittering brilliantly even in the dim hallway light. Mara's jaw dropped, equal parts amazed and appalled that Andy was still so persistently chasing her affection. "Andy...I can't...you shouldn't have!" She sputtered, rendered temporarily incoherent by the extravagant present as he slipped it around her slender wrist. The stones were clearly