Page 67 of Lightning Angel

“Nothing,” Tristan said with a shake of his head and rose to his feet. “Ready?”

“In a moment.” Alexa grabbed a paper and wrote a quick note for Cassie in case her sister came looking for her. “Ready.” She pivoted to him and accepted his offered hand, stepping to his side.

“Close your eyes,” he crooned in her ears.

“What?”

“Do it, trust me.”

“Fine.” Alexa closed her eyes and fisted a hand on his sweater for grip. Gravity shifted and restored beneath her, and she felt the atmosphere change into a lively one. The cool breeze of the night wrapped around her.

“Open your eyes,” Tristan crooned again, just as she was about to ask if she could.

Alexa opened her eyes, and the first thing she realized was that they were on an elevated point. A small gaspescaped her as her eyes fell on the breathtaking panorama unfolding before her.

“Oh, my God…” she whispered in reverence.

“We’re on the clock tower in Cedar Hollow,” Tristan revealed with a smile in his voice.

“The clock tower?” Alexa turned to see the glowing face of the enormous clock just behind them. “Oh,my goodness!” She looked beneath them. The town park lay below, a serene oasis beneath the night sky. “I can’t believe this.”

“Come on.” Tristan guided her to the edge of the platform.

Alexa gasped again as her eyes traced the outlines of Cedar Hollow. From this vantage point, she could see the entire expanse of the familiar town. It spread out before her like a miniature world, and she marveled at the intricacies of its layout. The houses, streets, and parks unfolded below her, creating a mosaic of interconnected lives.

But what caught her attention the most was the distant carnival. Lights twinkled in the distance, and she could even hear the faint strains of music carried by the wind. A rush of memories from the previous night flooded back to her, and she smiled at the recollection of their moments together.

“It’s marvelous, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Alexa breathed. “Do you often come here?”

“Whenever I am bored out of my mind, yes.” Tristan sighed and added, “At night andwhenthe sky is clear, that is.”

Alexa glanced at him as he continued.

“Icouldblend in if I want to, but what if I get thesignal to flee when I’m in the midst of a crowd? It would freak people out whether or not I shift away. So I decided it was best if I kept to myself and my secluded places.” He met her gaze and smiled, despite the faraway look in his eyes. “This is my way of staying in touch with the world.”

“Oh, Tristan.” She reached for his other hand and held it firmly in hers. Tears began to wet her eyes but she told herself she wasn’t going to pity with him. No one, including herself, wanted pity. “Thank you for sharing a part of your world with me. It is beautiful, the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”

But saying those words to his face, hisethereallybeautiful face, didn’t feel right. She soon understood why;hewas the most beautiful sight she had seen. Though, she didn’t want to say it out loud.

A grin broke onto Tristan’s face, his eyes shining like the stars above them as he squeezed her fingers. Alexa could feel like he wanted to say something, but he seemed at a loss for words. He looked out to the panoramic view before them and let out a contented sigh. The wind messed with his hair, the longer strands in the front flying to one side like all those handsome male leads in movies.

“Do you wanna go to the carnival? It’s the final day.” He turned to her.

“No.” Alexa shook her head. “I would prefer to be here than at a carnival; unless you want to…?”

“No, I was only asking.” He glanced down behind them. “Let’s sit down then, it’s more enjoyable that way.”

They sat down, leaning against the cool stone of the wall. Alexa sighed contentedly and propped up her knees. Comfortable silence stretched between them as theywatched the mesmerizing star-studded sky and the town slowly falling asleep, listening to the music from the carnival.

Alexa grabbed her phone from the pocket and held it horizontally to take a snap. After the first click, she almost sent it to Daphne—out of habit—when she realized she couldn’t.

Daphne would bombard her with questions she couldn’t answer. She frowned; she hadn’t kept a secret from Daphne before and her friend wouldn’t be so forgiving if she learned Alexa keptthisfrom her.

But this was Tristan’s secret. She had no right in sharing it with whomever she pleased. He trusted her, and she couldn’t allow herself to dither it.

She… shetreasuredhis trust.