As if someone had unclogged a drain, every ounce of excitement, joy, and romance washed out of Oliver in an instant. His hairline tingled, his flesh went cold and beneath the table his fingers tightened white as he squeezed the black velvet box through the fabric of his trousers. But it wasn't out of jealousy, surprisingly, rather betrayal.
On several occasions, hadn't Verity told Oliver that he had been her first relationship? That in that one very special regard they were exactly the same? 'How long has he been missing?' Oliver asked calmly, though the special affection that had dripped off his every word earlier in the evening was no longer there.