---- Claude chimed in, "Nate's a great guy, but you know how us men work. We can be absent-minded sometimes." I turned around and looked at him coldly. He might sound friendly, but I knew what he was getting at. He was calling me an inattentive boyfriend. I put all my mind on this event, and it was invalidated just because of an outsider. That was infuriating. Winona nodded, as if she agreed with Claude. Her chilly attitude froze my heart. I couldn't care less about anyone else's opinion, but I couldn't believe even Winona thought my efforts meant nothing. She didn't even look at me. Instead, she left. "Forget it. There's always next time." I stood in my spot, seeing her off. What should I feel? Anger? Disappointment? Sadness? I... I didn't know. Claude stopped right beside me and quietly commented, "Don't take it to heart, Nate. You know what girls are like. Temperamental, I always say." ---- I gave him a look cold enough to freeze everything that met my eyes, yet he smiled at me smugly. He chuckled and went after Winona. I let go of my ring, and it touched my fingertips. The stab of cold nearly cut me down. The lights still shone on brightly, showering the manor in golden light. The mainstay of the event-Winona-however, was gone. Ihurled the ring box down on the ground, hard.