Page 46 of Twisted Gift

“Of course,” he says but makes no move to leave the room.

I almost smile. “I can manage on my own.”

Amusement flashes across his face. “You sure?”

I mentally zip my lips before I go and do something stupid, like invite him to stay, to forget about the party and about keeping this professional. “Tristan,” I say softly, “I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes.”

His expression smooths, and he nods before leaving the room.

I stare hard at his back, battling the urge to call after him—to ask him to come back. I don’t want him to go, but if he stays . . . there’s a very good chance we won’t make it to the party.

I change into a casual long-sleeved maroon dress and slip on some heels on my way out the door.

Downstairs, the pub is filled with people chatting and drinking while we wait for Max and Oliver to get here. Allison bounces over and hands me a beer, which I take a long drink of.

“This is a great turnout, Al. Thanks for taking care of the invites.”

She beams. “Not a problem. I just hope Oliver is surprised.”

I nod in agreement.

“I see Tristan decided to come.” She lowers her voice and gives me a look. “I also noticed him coming down from the loft not that long ago.” She wiggles her eyebrows.

I almost laugh. “Relax. Nothing happened.”

“But you wanted it to.” It’s not a question.

Of course, I choose that moment to scan the room and lock eyes with Tristan, who looks as if he’s waiting for me to answer Allison.

“We should get ready.” I take another drink. “They’ll be here any minute.”

She grins. “Nice one.”

I roll my eyes, walking away from her to where our friends are gathered at the bar. I set my beer down and say hello to everyone just as my phone chimes—it’s Max letting me know they’re outside.

“They’re here,” I shout, and the room quiets as someone flips the lights off.

We all stand in dark silence for a couple of minutes until the door to the pub opens, and I hear a mumbled, “I think they’re closed, babe.”

The lights turn on, and we all yell, “Surprise!”

Oliver’s eyes widen, and Max stands beside him, looking the happiest I’ve ever seen him. His expression while he looks at Oliver makes my chest tighten.He loves him. I recognize that look.It’s the way I look at Tristan.

Oliver leans over and kisses Max on the cheek before grabbing his hand and walking toward the bar, greeting people as they pass. When they make it to where our group is standing around the bar, I pull Oliver into a tight hug and kiss his cheek. “Happy birthday,” I say with a grin. “I hope you were surprised.”

He’s still beaming. “Are you kidding? This is amazing, Aurora.”

I peek over at Max and almost freeze when I find him smiling. At me. “It was a team effort.”

Oliver gets pulled away by a group of friends, taking Max with him.

I watch them go, smiling at the utter happiness they’re sharing. This is everything I could’ve hoped for. It’s the perfect distraction from the stress of all things fae. I grab a bottle of water from the mini fridge and lean against the bar, surveying the room. People sing and dance to the music. There’s a group surrounding the food table, and I bet half the booze I brought out for the party is already gone.

I sneak upstairs to grab more plastic cups and take a minute to breathe. When I turn around and find Tristan leaning in the doorway with his bare arms crossed over his chest, I almost drop the armful of cups I’m holding. “Uh, hey,” I say, adjusting my grip.

“Need some help?”

“Unless you’d prefer to stand there staring at me,” I remark in a dry tone.

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