Page 9 of Twisted Gift

My eyes sting as I nod and blink back tears. “Thank you.” Even with my tank running on empty, I can still feel the pride and love pouring off both of them. It’s light pink and warm. I want to wrap myself in it. I swallow hard, leaning back in my chair, terrified that I might tap into their energy and steal it by mistake. The idea makes my hands shake, so I fold them in my lap under the table.

The waiter comes by with water glasses and takes our order. I settle on a garden salad. It’s the only thing on the menu that didn’t make me sick at the thought of eating it.

“So, how are things going?” Dad asks after the waiter walks away. “Are you still working at that hotel?”

My stomach drops as I squeeze the slice of lemon that was stuck to the rim of the glass into my water. “Uh, no. My placement ended.”

He frowns. “It sounded like there was a chance you’d get a job there after your semester was over.”

I shake my head, cringing at the pit in my stomach. “It didn’t work out.”

“I know that look,” my mom cuts in. “Did something happen between you and Tristan?”

My jaw clenches, and I turn to her. “We... I needed a break.”

“Why?” she asks, concern laced in her soft tone.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Not today. Please?” Ican’ttalk about it. The thought of him still makes my chest ache as if someone poured concrete into my lungs.

She opens her mouth as if she’s going to push the topic but then closes it and nods. “Okay, honey. You know I’m here when you do want to talk about it.”

Our food comes not long after that, so it’s silent for a few minutes before Dad asks, “If you’re not working at the hotel, whatareyou doing?”

I sigh. Good fucking question.

Arriving on campus an hour before the ceremony, I meet up with a group of girls from my program to get our gowns and wait to be led into the auditorium. Everyone is touching up their hair and makeup, chatting about summer plans and job interviews, but I stay quiet, only nodding my head and smiling when anyone looks my way. I just have to get through today. That’s all I can think about right now, taking it day by day.Hour by hour at this point.

Luckily, the actual graduation ceremony doesn’t last longer than a couple of hours. When the officiant calls my name, I walk across the stage, shake hands, accept my diploma, and keep going.

I meet up with my parents after it’s over, hugging them tightly. By the blotchiness of her face and the glassiness of her eyes, I can tell Mom’s been crying. She pulls it together and throws on a smile for the group photos we take, but if I had to bet, she’ll start crying again on the drive home.

Allison bounces over and throws her arms around me before embracing each of my parents. “You ready to go?” she asks.

Biting my lip, I look to my parents. They drove from Mapleville, and I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with them. While that was the initial idea so that they wouldn’t pick up on my shitty general well being, seeing them reminds me of how much I miss them.

“Go on, honey,” Mom says. “Enjoy your night. Your dad and I have to get on the road soon.”

“You’re sure?”

She smiles. “Absolutely.” Pulling me into a hug, her hand smooths the back of my head. “You’ve made us so happy, Aurora, and we can’t wait to see where life takes you.” Her pride beams brighter now, along with a sliver of worry, but I understand. I imagine she’s feeling somewhat like she did the day she and Dad moved me into the dorms my first year. Their little girl has grown up, graduated university, and is now moving into the real world. She’s also the leader of the light fae, but they don’t know that.

Today is the start of the next chapter of my life.

“Thank you.” I blink back the tears filling my eyes as we break apart, and I hug my dad.

“Take care of yourself, kid,” he says in a gruff voice.

After Allison and I walk my parents to the parking lot, and they make me promise to visit soon, we meet up with Oliver and call a cab.

I make Oliver sit in the middle and lean my head against the window as we pull away from campus. Our cab is following four others going to the same party, so the driver didn’t ask for an address. Hell, I don’t even know where the party is. The cab starts to slow as I turn to ask Allison, but the words get caught in my throat when the driver pulls up out front of the Westbrook Hotel.

“The after party is here?” My eyes are wide, and my pulse is accelerating by the second.

Allison frowns. “You didn’t know? People have been talking about it for weeks.”

I push my fingers through my hair, probably messing up the curls. I don’t care. Shaking my head, I say, “I don’t think I can go in there.” My voice is low, uneven. The chance of seeinghimfor the first time in months makes the back of my neck tingle; the hairs there stand straight. There’s anxious excitement, too, but it stems from the memory of the one passionate night we shared. I can’t allow myself to let it have any sway over me, or I would’ve been knocking on the door of the penthouse weeks ago.

Tristan would do everything in his power to help me, and he could make this transition much easier for me—but I can’t let him. The last thing he deserves is the weight of the consequences ofmyactions on his shoulders. He has more than enough on his own dealing with the conflict among the fae.

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