Page 84 of Twisted Gift

My eyes narrow. “Fine,” I say.

Tristan gets out of the car and walks around to my side, opening the door for me. I take his outstretched hand and step onto the sidewalk. We walk to the front of the building, and Tristan pulls out a key, sliding it into the lock; I still can’t see what’s inside.

“Don’t let go of my hand,” he instructs.

“We’re walking into a pitch-black building.” I squeeze his hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”

His responding chuckle echoes off the brick alcove surrounding the door. He steps over the threshold, and I follow him, squinting at the endless darkness. Tristan closes the door and leads me a few steps further into the room.

“You’ve pulled some creepy shit since I’ve know you, Tris, but this is—”

“Relax, sweetheart.” He leans in and kisses the side of my head. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

My pulse skyrockets. “You just told me not to let go of your hand.”

He tweaks my chin, and even in the darkness I can see the smirk on his face. “I’ll be right back,” he repeats.

Biting back several snide remarks, I let go of his hand and don’t move. A few minutes pass, and then without warning, the lights come to life, illuminating the entire room in a soft golden glow.

“Oh my god...”

Bookshelves stand in rows and along each wall, fully stocked with books. There’s a counter set up with a Mac and a cash register, along with more stacks of books and one of those single-serve coffee machines. Strings of twinkling lights are hung along the upper shelves and across the front of the counter. There’s a sitting area adjacent to the front door with a couch, a couple of chairs, and a coffee table that’s covered with magazines.

This is it.

This is the bookstore I’ve always dreamed of owning, the one I told him about.

He remembered.

My eyes are flying all over the room, bouncing from shelf to shelf, before they finally land on Tristan. In the time it took for him to turn the lights on and return to me, he put on a tie and combed his hair back neatly.

“I love you more than any person should love another person.”

My brows tug closer as my pulse kicks up. “Tristan...”

A faint smile touches his lips as he stares at me. “I want to be with you forever, Aurora. There will never be a day—hell, amoment—that I won’t love you, respect you, cherish you. I want to heal with you, grow with you, make new memories with you.For as long as we both shall live.”

My heartbeat is hammering against my ribcage, threatening to burst free. “What are you—?”

“You were right when you said we don’t have forever,” he murmurs. Silence hangs between us for several beats.

“I don’t understand,” I whisper, my lower lip trembling and my eyes burning.

Tristan steps forward. “What you went through those days you were locked up in that place is unimaginable. I don’t condone what was done, and I’m glad those monsters are gone. But what they did—” He shakes his head. “They did the impossible, Rory. They took a fae leader, and they made you human again.”

My mouth is bone dry. I’m too afraid to speak.

“I’ve been thinking about it.” A muscle ticks along his jaw. “If they could do it once, surely they could do it again. Sure, it might be a little different for someone who was born fae, but maybe it could work.” His expression is calm, peaceful. A stark contrast to the panic and fear etched into my features.

My heart stops, and hot tears spring in my eyes. “You . . .” My eyes bounce all over his face. “You want to behuman?”

His smile widens. “I want you. Forever. But I would never take the chance of trying to make you fae again, even if there was a possibility you wanted it. This way, we’ll grow old together. I’ll die satisfied, knowing I got to spend my life loving you.”

My knees buckle, and Tristan catches me, guiding me to the floor. He kneels in front of me, holding my face in his hands.

“This is a lot, I know. I love you with every part of me, and if you’ll do me the incredible honor of spending your life with me, I will continue to love and care for you until our final day together on this earth.”

Tears roll freely down my cheeks, and I don’t bother wiping them away.

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