Page 110 of Lightning Angel
“I guess, after all my efforts to stop the feelings I dreaded and all my attempts to steel my heart against it, he has always had a hold of it from the start.” Alexa’s eyes dampened at the admission. She shrugged, averting her eyes. “I just didn’t realize it until tonight.”
Cassie’s own eyes turned wet. She took a step closer, her eyes studying Alexa’s. “Do you love him?” she asked softly.
Alexa’s tears increased and they slipped her eyes, overwhelmed by a sudden whirlwind of tangled emotions. “I don’t know.” She wrung her hands. “I feelstronglyfor him, like I’ve never felt toward any boy before. So much so it feels nearly impossible, but I know it’s real too. Could it… could it be love?”
Cassie stroked her hair with one hand. “I wish I could say, but I’m not sure, sweetheart. I think we’ll have to wait and see.”
“How will I know if I love him?” The moment she asked, Alexa regretted it. Cassie was the last person who deserved to hear such an inquiry from her. But before she could apologize, Cassie spoke.
“I don’t know that either, sweetheart.” Her eyes were sad, not the kind of sadness Alexa thought she had caused, but from feeling helpless that she couldn’t give her a proper answer. “But I believe you’ll know it one day, sooner or later.”
Cassie drew her into her arms and Alexa hugged her tightly.
“Do you feel terrified of it?” Cassie murmured a moment later.
“Of falling in love?”
Cassie hummed.
“No,” Alexa said slowly. “Not anymore. He makes my life beautiful, even at the prospect of falling in love with him.”
Saying it aloud made her realize how true it was.
* **
“We’re going to the city?” Alexa marveled, reading the signboard on their way. She glanced at Tristan for confirmation.
His lips twitched in answer, eyes focused on the road. “Took you time.”
“So, you’re going to show me the panoramic views to fulfill your dream?”
“That would beoneof the things I have in mind for our evening, yes.”
She leaned back in her seat with a smile. “You’re so romantic.”
The car glided through the bustling streets of the city. The twilight sky loomed over the vibrant cityscape. Tall buildings adorned with neon lights reached for the sky, casting a kaleidoscope of colors on the streets below. The city’s energy was as infectious as Alexa remembered it. The last time she had been here was with Cassie and their dad, before he fell ill.
Sudden tears burned in the back of her eyes, but she blinked rapidly to stave them off. Her dad wanted her to be happy and she had found that happiness. She wouldn’t cry, as much as his absence still hurt. Wherever he was—Heaven, she believed—he would be happy that she was. The thought brought back her smile.
The car slowed to a stop, and Tristan looked at her. “Ready for a night to remember?”
She flashed him a dimpled smile. “I was ready from the moment you dropped the hint last night.”
He got out of the car and came for her door, and they stepped out into the vibrant city life together. The air was alive with the mingling scents of street food and distant music. Tristan’s hand reached for hers, and he led her through the streets, weaving through the crowd to each destination he had in mind.
The night turned out to be an unforgettable one, full of life and laughter, and love. Tristan didn’t let go of her hand once, swinging it between them as they walked, and when they reached less crowded areas, he’d twirl her under his hand and bring her to his chest to steal a kiss.
Alexa’s heart threatened to explode from the sheer joy of simply being with him. Every stolen glance at his face showed his unadulterated joy, and now and then, he would lean down and press a spontaneous kiss to her hair.
After a romantic dinner in a luxurious hotel, one she hadn’t thought of visiting even in her dreams, Tristan took her to his last destination, the only one she had been so far aware of.
He pulled her into the shadows and enveloped her in his arms before he teleported them to the quiet seclusion of the open rooftop of the city’s tallest building.
Alexa lifted her head from his chest and her breath caught at the breathtaking panorama. The city that was normally a cacophony of sounds now lay silent beneath the canvas of the night. The skyline stretched out like a majestic work of art—almost like Tristan’s mural—adorned with a thousand glittering lights that mirrored the stars above.
He led her closer to the edge. As she marveled, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her to his chest, a contented sigh escaping him.
Alexa relaxed into him, feeling as though she could stay like this forever. A contented sigh escaped her own lips. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered in reverence. “Even the wordbeautifulis an understatement.”