Page 68 of Lightning Angel
“Here, I’ve got you something.”
Alexa turned to see Tristan holding out one of her favorite chocolates. She gaped at it for a moment, her eyes lighting up, and melted at his thoughtful consideration.
“Aw, Tristan…” She pocketed her phone and accepted it from him before peeling off the cover and breaking it into two. She handed him one piece and took a bite from hers, moaning in approval. “You’re so sweet.”
Tristan laughed. “Me or the chocolate?”
She nudged him gently in the ribs and joined him in the laughter.
They sat savoring their chocolates when a familiar song floated to Alexa from the carnival. She absently tapped her feet against the stone to the rhythm, only realizing what she was doing when Tristan joined her.
She turned to him and shared an exhilarating glance and a knowing grin with him, and their tapping becamefervent and giddy. Alexa laughed and turned her gaze ahead, still rhythmically tapping her feet. Something in her loosened, and her heart felt so light that she thought she could fly. The grin stretched across her face hurt her cheeks, but there was no stopping it.
Her sudden-found joy knew no boundaries.
When the song finished, she and Tristan gave their tap dance a dramatic closure, and burst into laughter. Alexa couldn’t remember the last time she had fun, done something that was both silly and exhilarating, laughed her lungs out, and felt much like… herself.
“That was…”
“I know.”
She slumped back against the cool stone and closed her eyes. She heard Tristan take a deep breath and did the same. Once her laughter calmed down, she exhaled.
“Thank you for bringing me here. I needed this.”
She felt him turn to her. “Everything alright?”
Alexa opened her eyes and gave him a sidelong glance. “No,” she admitted with a sigh, and looked away. “The sheriff promised Brandon will be arrested tomorrow.”
“So…? Are you concerned or something?”
“I’m only worried about what Cassie will say about it. She might hate him now, but I know she loved him fiercely. Whatever hatred she feels toward him now… I don’t think it is—Oh, I don’t know! I just don’t want her to be mad at me for getting him arrested!”
Alexa ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.
“She won’t,” Tristan said with the confidence Alexa wished she had. Her sister would never hate her, but what if getting Brandon arrested was…too biga move? “Alexa, look at me, please.”
It was hard not to oblige when he used that cajoling tone. Alexa met his gaze wearily, his gaze that was the epitome of warmth itself. “She will understand; she has to.” He lowered his voice to the softest possible. “You were trying to protect her, and this is the right way to do it. What you didisright.”
Only, it had beenhisidea in the first place. It had beenhimwho was keen to get Brandon arrested, and saw to everything for her to file the case.Hewanted her to do this.
If his words told her anything,hehad been trying to protect her.
Something in Alexa thawed against her will. Did sweet and honest guys really exist? Or was she living in a fantasy dream she was soon going to wake up from?
She wanted to find out. In the meantime, despite the thaws and occasional cracks on the walls around her heart, she would guard it, at all costs. She would not end up like Cassie.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
A small smile pulled the corner of his lips. “You don’t have to thank me, Alexa.”
“What can I say? Gratitude is all I feel right now.”
His eyes smoldered, and they studied her gaze for a moment. “And thankfulness is allIfeel.”
“Thankful for what?” she asked slowly.
“For you,” he confessed. “That you’re here with me.”