Page 43 of A Twisted Gift

She steps back in shock. “That can’t be true.”

“Oh, but it is. I’ve spent an entire lifetime not truly fitting anywhere. Since my parents were killed, the only love I received was out of obligation. Family helping family because we’reblood. Because what happened to my parents was horrible. But… no one loved me for me.

“And then I grew up, and most people stayed away. Anyone who did get close had some other motive. Money. Sex. Proximity to a ruthless man who earned himself that reputation at a startlingly young age. People were fascinated. Afraid. But curious, too.

“It all left me feeling used. Caged. Like I was something to peer at through thick glass, only to be taken out when it was advantageous. So… no, Raina. I don’t understand. I can’t. Because no one has wanted me for me since…”

“Since what?”

“Since you. But that was a long time ago, and we were both so young, and I don’t even know what’s real anymore or what I made up in my head.”

Blinking back tears, Raina shakes her head. “But you fit with me. We fit with each other, don’t we?”

“I’d like to think so, but I can’t stand the thought that this is all because you feel like you have to. That, at some point, you’ll wake up and regret me.”

“Erik.” She cups my face in her hands, gasping when she realizes my cheeks are wet. “Oh, Erik.”

“I can’t be something you regret, little rose,” I whisper. “Please.”

“You never could be.”

But she doesn’t know that. How could she?

I pull away and wipe at my face. “It’s almost one. Are you hungry?”

“Erik…”

Turning away, I shed my coat. “Let’s just eat lunch, all right?”

“All right.”

The defeat in her voice kills me, but I walk away.

In the kitchen, I throw some sandwiches together while tension buzzes between us. I expect Raina to stay upset—for her disappointment to morph into anger. But when I place her food in front of her, she locks eyes with me, and I’m almost startled by what I find there.

Determination, not anger, burns in her eyes, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sight.

Chapter fourteen

Raina

After lunch, Erik makes a few phone calls, and then we both shower separately. My mind replays our conversation while I scrub the sweat off my body. In all my imaginings of Erik coming back for me, I never thought he’d be afraid to let me close.

I don’t like it. This isn’t how things used to be—isn’t how they should be now. And, as long as my plan works, it won’t be how things stay.

Once I’m dried off, I put on the lotion Erik left for me in the bathroom and then pull on my robe. The silky fabric is cool against my skin, and I arrange it carefully over myself, not bothering with the tie.

The hallway carpet absorbs the sound of my footsteps as I make my way to Erik’s room. Even though I know I’m free, I still find myself moving around as quietly as I can, scared to be caught outside of my room. But Erik won’t be mad at me. He’d never lock me away like Father did.

Clutching my journal to my chest, I stop in front of Erik’s bedroom door. It’s unlatched, and it opens slightly when I knock.

“You can come in.”

After taking a calming breath, I push the door open and step inside. Erik is seated in an armchair similar to the one in my room, also next to a window. He’s holding a glass in his hand, halfway to his lips, but he freezes when he sees me. His gaze drags down my body, following the flow of fabric, snagging on the tease of my breasts and the bare skin of my stomach. When his eyes drop lower, his breath stutters, and he stands.

“Raina. What…”

Warmth curls inside me at the way he says my name. It’s like a caress, hesitant but filled with an undeniable want. I move closer to him, feeling him tracking me, watching his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows.

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