Page 174 of Taken By the Fae

“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 presses his lips together, hesitating, but finally says, “Fine.”

“Good,” I say, then recall the brief conversation I had with Nikolai before coming to find Tristan. “I asked Nikolai to get me Max’s sister’s number. I’ll call her and explain what happened.”

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

“Okay.”

“Have you seen Skylar?” he asks.

“No. Nikolai is with her, though.”

“You’re sure about him?” he grumbles.

I hold back a smile. “Yes, and you obviously trust him to some degree.” When he arches a brow, I add, “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.”

My phone dings in my pocket before I can respond. I pull it out and read the message. “Nikolai just sent Monica’s number.”

“I should call her,” Tristan 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.

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, his voice 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 for however long she wants.

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 doesn’t deserve the guilt eating at him; I want to take it away.

What’s done is done, and now we have to find a way 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 going on between them, but at least she looks more put together than I’ve seen her lately. We’re all dressed in black—the girls in knee-length dresses with stockings—under heavy coats, considering it’s only the first week of March and snow still covers most of the ground—and the guys in crisp suits.

Tristan takes the lead, clearing his throat before he speaks. “I knew Max for… hell, what seems like forever. He stood by my side when my father died and again when I was knighted. He never let me down and he never questioned my intentions. Most notably, he believed in me, in my leadership, even when I didn’t. Max would have you believe he didn’t care about much, but that wasn’t true. He cared more about the people in his life than most. He would do anything for any 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 and 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 talk. No one does, so I take a deep breath and step forward.

“It’s no secret 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. “Except when it mattered most. When the people he loved needed him, he was there. 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.

I nod and smile at him.

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