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"Not even Deacon?"

Aiden shook his head

"I feel… honored that you’d share that with me I know it’s a lot" I squeezed his arm "I just wish you’d never had to experience any of that It wasn’t fair to any of you"

Several moments passed before he answered "I had justice for what those daimons did to me I know it’s different froive you that justice I wish I’d told you before"

"A lot of stuff was going on then," I said We hadn’t been talking, and then Caleb’s death happened My heart didn’t clench as badly as it used to at his name "I understand what happened with Eric"

He smiled a little "It was a knee-jerk reaction"

"Yeah" I searched for so We both needed it My gaze found the acoustic guitar propped against the wall "Play souitar reverently Walking back to the couch, he sat on the floor in front of me He tipped his head down and locks of hair fell forward as he fiddled with the knobs along the headstock His long fingers plucked a pick out fros

He peered up, his lips tipped in a half-smile "Treachery," he murmured "You kneouldn’t refuse you"

I eased down on rown accustohed as he thruhtly After a fewThe song was as haunting as it was soft, pitching high for a few strands, and then his fingers slipped down the chords My suspicious were confir slip or falter

It entrancedmy head on the throw pillow, I curled up and closedthe roouitar was soothing, like the perfect lullaby A s in front of a packed bar, playing tunes that enchanted everyone in the roo ended, I openedback at me, eyes so soft, so deep, that I never wanted to look away "That was beautiful"

Aiden shrugged and gently placed the guitar beside hilass of wine froertips His eyes watched lass aside, too Minutes could’ve passed as we stared at each other, neither of us talking

I didn’t knohat came over me, but I reached out and placed a hand on his chest, beside his heart Underhard and teardrop-shaped tucked under his shirt I’d felt the necklace before and never really paid it … faasp as coh ht A shiver ran downspeed I reached up, sliding ers under the thin chain

"Alex," Aiden ordered, pleaded really His voice was thick, gruff "Alex, please…"

I hesitated for an instant, but I had to see it I just had to Carefully, I tugged the chain up My breath caught in my throat as I lifted the chain until it was co frootten hiiven it to him he’d told , and

Speechless, I ran emstone There was a tiny hole in the top, where the chain threaded through

Aiden placed his hand over uitar pick "Alex…"

When my eyes met his, there was a brutal level of vulnerability in his stare, a sense of helplessness that I shared I wanted to cry "I know" And I did I knew even if he never spoke those words, even if he refused to, I’d still know

His lips parted "Couldn’t fool you for that long, I guess"

I squeezeddown ht the tear with his finger as he pressed his forehead against mine "Please I hate when you cry because of me"

"I’m sorry I don’t want to be all weepy" I wiped atfoolish "It’s just that… I never did know"

Aiden clasped the sides of entle kiss to my forehead "I wanted a piece of you with me always No matter what"

I shuddered "But I don’t… I don’t have anything of you"

"Yes, you do" Aiden brushed his lips over my damp cheek A soft smile filled his voice "You’ll have a piece of my heart--all of it, really Forever Even if your heart belongs to someone else"

My heart tumbled over, but I stilled "What do youback "I know you care about him"

I did care about Seth But he wasn’t my heart When Aiden was there, in front ofmore than prophecy My true fate--real and not an illusion Prophecies are just dreams; Aiden was my reality

"It’s not the same," I whispered "It never has been You have my heart… and I only want to share my heart with you"

Aiden’s eyes were back to liquid silver I saw that before he lowered his gaze Mo gled with When he spoke, I wasn’t sure if he’d won or lost "We should go to bed"

A shock ran through o to bed together or that we go to bed in separate beds? I really had no idea, I was too afraid to hope, and oddly, I was frightened by the idea It was like being offered what I’d waited for so long and suddenly having no idea what to do with it