Page 37 of Twisted Gift

“You should realize that what you have with Tristan is whatever you want it to be. Let go of what happened in the past. Fuck Jules. Whoever he was, the prick is dead now, Aurora.”

My eyes widen at his use of my actual name.

“Even if you’ve convinced yourself that what you had in the past with Tristan wasn’t real—which I don’t believe for a second—you can be sure as hell of everything from this moment on. Whateverdoeshappen will only happen if you make it.”

I stare at him wide-eyed for the longest minute of my life. He’s right—so fucking right it makes me want to scream. “How did we end up talking about this? We were supposed to be planning a birthday party.Youcame to getmyhelp.”

“I guess you needed me more than I needed you.” He shrugs. “You repeat this conversation to anyone and I’ll kill you. I don’t give a shit what your title is now.”

I almost laugh. “Believe me, this conversation didn’t happen.” Even as I say it, I bet Max can see the gratefulness in my eyes, canfeelit surrounding me like a warm fleece blanket on a cold day—and I’m okay with that.

He nods, turning his face away probably so I don’t see the touch of a smile on his lips.Too late.“I’ll see you at the meeting.” With that, he shifts out of the apartment, leaving me standing there, still struggling with that deep ache in my chest.

I turn off the kettle, deciding I’m going to bed instead. I’m not in the right headspace to enjoy the book I was reading. I wash my face and brush my teeth before crawling under the covers. Staring at the ceiling above my bed, I count the panels over and over, waiting for my eyes to droop, but they don’t. As exhausted as I am emotionally, my body won’t relax enough to let sleep wrap its arms around me. I roll onto my side, my stomach, then return to my back. I flip my pillow over and fluff it, then kick the sheets away from my legs. Nothing works, nothing is comfortable. Not when my thoughts won’t quiet enough for me to close my eyes and rest.

Max’s words play over in my head until I’m dizzy. The room starts spinning, and it’s harder to focus as his voice gets louder.

I need to find a way to let go of the past, or I’m going to be stuck there—quite literally—forever. But how do I do that?Maybe you already are, a voice—definitely not Max’s—murmurs. I toss the idea around. I’m working with Tristan to put an end to the fae war, and I’m going to try to find a job in my field as soon as it’s over. I’m taking steps to ensure my future is what I’ve always wanted it to be; Iamworking to keep from being stuck in a place where I’m miserable.

I meet Nikolai at the pub the next morning. It isn’t open yet, so it’s safe to talk without worrying about eavesdropping humans. He wraps me in a one-armed hug and kisses the side of my head. It’s not weird, which is kind of weird.

I guess we’re at that point in our leader-confidant relationship.

“Hey,” he says, sliding onto the barstool beside me.

I smile and say it back.

“How goes it?” he asks, his eyes searching my face as if he’s assessing my appearance.

I shrug. “Well, Tristan and I came to an agreement—”

“Really?” Nikolai cuts in, feigning amusement at the idea that Tristan and I agreed on something.

I lift a brow at him. “Oh, shush.”

“Are you ready to plead your case to the dark fae?”

I laugh. “I’m getting there.”

“We should come up with a plan in case things go south.”

This meeting is to promote peace. I don’t want it to turn into a fight, but going in unprepared to defend ourselves would be unwise. Nikolai is right. We need a plan to make sure our people are safe.

“Okay. What’s your plan?”

“You stay beside me the entire night.”

I scowl. “I don’t mean aboutme, Nikolai. I mean to protect our people.”

“If anything, you’re their target, Aurora.”

I push away the dread that curls up in my belly. “While that may be true, if they try to attack me, they’re sure as hell going to go after the other light fae.”

He nods. “Fine. I’ll monitor the room and intervene if things go badly. I’m sure Westbrook has his people doing the same.” The thought of Max and Skylar preparing for a fight makes me shiver. I’ve heard them talk strategy before, but back then, I wasn’t on the opposing side.

“I should talk to Skylar. Make sure they have a plan in place as well.”

He shakes his head. “I’ve got it. You focus on what you’re going to say. I hope your public speaking is as good as it was when you were trying to convinceourside.”

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