Then a frown draws my brows together. "I've seen him wear this. I'm surprised he took it off."
Cocking my head to the side, I take it from Ade and lift it to my eyes. "It looks different though." I shake my head, unable to put my finger on it. "Then again, I only looked at it once up close… I could be wrong."
"What are we going to do with it?" Rhia asks. "It would seem silly to put it back."
"Mateo should have all of this," I reply.
"But he's missing."
"I know that. We'll keep it for him until he resurfaces."
I refuse to believe he's dead. Tiero's little brother has to be out there somewhere, alive and well.
"You should wear the necklace," Rhia suggests. "You've got Tiero's heart, so it's kind of yours, anyway."
I laugh. "That's stretching it."
"Not really," Rhia insists. "Plus, it's like a wedding present to you, given the timing."
My gaze goes to Ade to weigh his reaction. I like the idea, but if it makes him uncomfortable for me to wear Tiero's necklace, then, of course, I won't.
His thoughtful eyes study me. "You should wear it," he agrees. "In a weird way, it cements this three-way bond we seem to have."
And as if reading my earlier thoughts, he adds, "You're going to wear my ring. That's all that matters to me."
"It's settled then. Ella gets the necklace, and we'll take the papers home to Atlanta to get analysed. Once we know what they say, we can decide what to do with them," Lex summarizes.
"Agreed," we all say.
Ade leans over to take the necklace from me. He slides the leather band with the clay pendant over my head, and it settles comfortably against my chest, right over where Tiero's heart is beating.
"Now, after all this excitement, let's go and relax in that mud pool," Ade suggests.
"Yes!" Rhia all but shouts. Dialing back her enthusiasm, she adds. "Normally, brides and the bridal party get a spa treatment. It's just fair that the groom and his best man should get a pampering, too."
"Are you going to rub our feet while we soak in the mud, Trouble?" Lex winks at her.
"If you're lucky." She gives him her most flirtatious smile.
How Lex doesn't catch on that his beloved girlfriend is up to no good is beyond me. Surely, he knows her well enough by now.
But what do they say?
Love is blind.
Chapter Ten
Ella
After checking the depth of the mud with a tree branch and finding submerged stairs leading into it, the guys are keen to take the plunge.
"Come on, girls!" Lex calls, about to jump in.
"You and Ade go ahead. You'll probably want to float around in there, and there isn't enough room for all of us. Besides, you two deserve a pre-wedding pampering, especially after leading us so capably to finding treasure in that cave," Rhia replies sweetly.
Ade gives us a quizzical look, and we try our damnedest to appear innocent. Naturally, I can pull it off, but my devious friend?
He keeps looking between us, his brows furrowed, and I turn away and cheerily call over my shoulder. "I'll get the snacks. Just lay back and let us spoil you."
