Page 80 of Twisted Gift

I grab onto the back of his shirt when he tries to get off the couch. “You should take it easy.”

He turns his body and glances down at where I have a fistful of his shirt. “You know I can’t do that.”

“You can take today. One day to take care of yourself. To letmetake care of you.” I loosen my grip on his shirt. “Please.”

He hesitates, but finally says, “Fine.”

“Thank you,” I say. “Nik is going to get me Max’s sister’s number, and I’ll call and speak with her, okay?”

“Monica. His sister’s name is Monica.”

I nod. “Okay.”

“Have you seen Skylar?” he asks.

“No. Nikolai is with her, though. He’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”

He scowls a bit. “You’re sure about him?” he grumbles.

I hold back a little smile. “Yes, and you obviously trust him to some degree.” When he arches a brow at me, I say, “You wouldn’t have left her with him last night if you thought for a second he wouldn’t take care of her.” His eyes narrow a fraction, and I continue. “Don’t look at me like that, Westbrook. I know you, and you know I’m right.”

He exhales, and it almost sounds like a ghost of a laugh. “Yeah, all right, smart mouth.”

“If only you knew what you’d signed up for when you kidnapped me,” I tease. My phone dings in my pocket before he can respond. I pull it out and find a text from Nikolai with Monica’s phone number. I frown at the screen and type a quick thank you before I tell Tristan I’m going to call her.

“I should do it,” he says. “She doesn’t know you. It should come from me.”

“You don’t have to, Tris. I can do this.”

He nods, holding out his hand for my phone. “I know.”

I hesitate before handing it to him. “Okay.”

When he lifts the phone to his ear, I reach over and slip my fingers through his free hand, giving it a gentle squeeze just to remind him I’m here. I rest my shoulder against his and listen while he speaks softly to Monica, explaining what happened and apologizing over and over. His voice is low and thick with grief. My eyes sting with tears, and I have to look away. He tells her to call him if she needs anything, that’s after he offers to fly her here and give her a suite to stay in.

Once he’s off the phone, I kiss his shoulder. “Is she coming?”

He clears his throat. “No. I made her promise to check in, but she doesn’t want to come here. She thinks it would be too hard.”

“You’ve done all you can do,” I tell him; he has to know. He shouldn’t feel the guilt I can see on his face. He doesn’t deserve that feeling eating him alive. I want to take it away from him.

What’s done is done, and now we have to live with it.

Three days later, we gather in a cemetery on the outskirts of town to pay our respects to Max. Tristan purchased a large plot near the back of the cemetery in a more secluded, private section that overlooks a river. It’s surrounded by trees and flowers and silence—it’s beautiful.

Allison stands beside Oliver, holding his hand. Tristan is next to me with his fingers entwined with mine, and Skylar stands next to Nikolai, just close enough that their shoulders are touching. I’m not sure what’s been going on between them, but at least she looks more put together today than I’ve seen her lately. We’re all dressed in black—the girls in formal yet plain, knee-length dresses and the guys in crisp suits.

Tristan takes the lead, clearing his throat before he starts speaking. “I knew Max for... hell, what seems like forever. He stood by my side when my father died and the dark fae leadership was passed on to me. He never let me down, and he never questioned my intentions. He believed in me, in my leadership, sometimes more than I did. Max would have you believe that he didn’t care about much, but that was never true. He cared more about the people in his life than most. He would do anything for any one of us here. What he did at that facility is further proof of that. I will never forget the sacrifice he made so I would get to see the woman I love again.” He shifts his gaze toward the casket. “We won’t stop until we finish what you started.”

Allison steps forward next. “I didn’t know Max as well as Tristan or Skylar, but I’m sad he’s gone. I will do everything I can to help ensure his absence is not in vain.” When she steps back and takes Oliver’s hand again, I glance around the small circle, waiting for someone else to start talking. No one does, so I take a deep breath and let it out, taking a small step forward.

“It’s no secret that Max and I weren’t the best of friends. He was kind of an asshole, actually.” I smile, taking the time to look at each of my friends standing around me. “Except when it mattered most. When the people he loved needed him, he was there for them. I will forever be grateful for his bravery. One day, when I see him again, I hope we can be friends.”

Skylar’s head drops slightly as she glances at the ground, hiding her face. Nikolai slips his arm around her, and she leans into him.

“Thank you, Max,” I say in closing. “Rest easy.” I step back, and Tristan squeezes my hand, leaning down to kiss my cheek.

“Thank you,” he murmurs so only I can hear.

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