Page 123 of Lightning Angel
Tears clouded her vision. She shook her head. “Tris—”
“We shouldn’t have been together;Ishouldn’t have come into your life. I should’ve… I should’ve just been your mysterious Tristan, Lightning Knight, and your secret guardian, but no, I wasselfish. I have been too selfish, blinded by my desires for you, to treat you better when I saw how pathetic your ex-boyfriend was—”
“Are you telling me I’m the greatest mistake you ever made?” she interjected, demanding.
“No!” Tristan protested fiercely and cupped her face. “You are the farthest thing from a mistake, Alexa. I don’t regret meeting you; I don’t regret taking care of you all these months. You were my life, youaremy life. But my selfishness led us here; my selfish desires became the cause of you ending up in coma for two days and I can’t… I can’t be selfish again—”
“Youcan!” Alexa insisted, clasping her hands over his. “And I beg of you, pleasebeselfish and keep me.”
“Do you crave a future of isolation?” His voice broke, and his eyes narrowed on her.
“Yes! If isolation is the price I have to pay in order to be with you, I will!” she said defiantly.
“You’ll eventually get tired of it.”
She glared at him, a challenge in her eyes. “Try me.”
Tristan closed his eyes and groaned. “Why are you so stubborn?”
“Look, Tristan, do you want me to remind you thatyou’ve never had a lightning strike since you got that watch from your godfather?” She began seriously. “That night, you were distracted. We were kissing and you didn’t register the tingle warning. That’s why you—whywewere caught off guard. So, as long as we don’t make out when we’re outside, we’ll be on our full guard and teleport to safety the moment you get the tingling.”
“That’s impossible.” He shook his head.
“I’ll tell you what’s impossible—staying away from each other.That’swhat’s going to be impossible for the both of us. I know you love me and you’re breaking up with me because you thinkthatcan keep me safe. But what if I keep coming back to you?”
Tristan stared at her with longing, but then he composed himself and took a deep breath. “I can’t let that happen,” he murmured. “Even if I have to make you forget me.”
“Then thank God you don’t have the ability,” she said in serious sarcasm.
“Yet,” Tristan said. “But if I’m desperate, which Iamright now, to keep you safe from me, I can activate that ability like I did my others—if I have it in me.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, holding her face firmly.
Fear gripped her.
“Forget me.”
Alexa shook her head against his. “No.”
“Forgetme,” he said, firmly this time, despite how his voice cracked. “Forget that I ever existed in your life. You’ve never known a Tristan Knight, you’ve never heard such a name, even if you do, you won’t remember me. All you will ever remember is the mysterious LightningKnight who has defended you and saved your life. But you won’t know who he is or what he is. You never will. The memories we build together will just be an unforgettably remarkable dream from your sleep—”
“No!” Alexa pushed him away and glared at him through her tears. “Are you out of your mind?”
Tristan opened his mouth and closed it. He almost reached out for her, but stopped himself.
“Canyouever forget me, Tristan?” Alexa folded her arms across her chest and feigned a bold look in spite of her breaking heart. “Even if you did succeed in makingmeforget you, canyouforget me?” She didn’t wait for his answer. “Youcan’t.You cannot live without me. Knowing you, you will continue watching over me from the shadows. And you know what? One day, just like how we met at the bridge, there will come a time when you and I meet again. Yes, I might not remember having feelings for you then, but Iassureyou Tristan Knight, one look at you will all it takes for me to fall in love with you all over again.”
Tristan froze.
“Yes, Tristan, one look at you and I started falling, despite all my efforts to stop it. So no matter what you do to make me forget you or keep me out of your life, there’s nothing in this world that can stop love. Iloveyou!”
She paused and caught her breath, watching Tristan’s eyes bulge in shock.
“What did you just say?” he asked, barely above a reverent whisper.
The glare in her eyes softened. “I love you,” she repeated.
Tears glistened in his eyes and he turned away from her, his shoulders rising and falling as he took deep breaths.
Alexa waited with bated breath, but at his prolonged silence, she realized the depth of the shock she had put him in. After all, she too had been shocked when he told her he loved her. He needed time.