Page 72 of A Twisted Gift

“Thank you,” Marissa whispers.

I tug her toward the house. “Let’s go inside. I want you to meet Erik.”

We head up the steps as Marissa takes in the mansion. It’s so different than Charles’s. Darkness doesn’t linger here.

As we step over the threshold, I pause and let Erik wrap an arm around my shoulders. He kisses the top of my head.

“Proud of you, little rose.”

At first, Erik didn’t want me to forgive my sister. He tried to keep his feelings to himself, but I could see it in the way he clenched his jaw whenever I brought her up. There were quite a few times that Marissa could’ve tried to help me more, but when it came down to it, she was just as powerless as I was.

It took Erik a while to understand, but he eventually came around. For so many years, Marissa was all I had. I don’t want to lose her.

“What smells so good?” Marissa asks, looking around the foyer. “It’s making me realize how hungry I am.”

I grin. “Soup and fresh-baked bread. Erik has been teaching me how to cook.”

“Really?” She glances between the two of us bashfully. “Would… you be willing to give me a couple pointers, too?”

Erik smiles, the sparkle in his eyes genuine. “I’d love to.”

Taking Marissa’s hand in mine, I tug her toward the kitchen. “This way!”

She follows with a laugh, Erik right behind us. My heart warms at the sound, and at finally having the two people I care about the most in the same room. Up until this point, it’s felt like Erik and I have been in a waiting period. I haven’t been able to truly move on with my life without Marissa in it.

But now, my heart is soaring. I’m free, and I’m loved, and I’m ready for my fresh start.

Chapter twenty-three

Erik

Ten months after Charles’s death

Crisp leaves crunch under our feet as Raina and I traipse through the forest behind our home. Taking a daily walk through the woods became routine as soon as the snow was gone. Raina still gets a thrill from being able to walk off our property without any consequences.

I’m just happy she’s not afraid anymore.

It took her quite a bit to reach this point. Therapy twice a week, breakdowns just as often, and countless times reassuring her that she’ll never get in trouble the way she did with her family.

In my eyes, Raina can do no wrong.

So many times, she told me she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to break free from her own mind. I knew better. In those first few days after we were reunited, I watched her claw her way out of so much anxiety and fear. I knew she was stronger than she believed she was, and she’s only proved me right.

Over the past year, Raina has grown so much. She got her GED and has plans to go to college for history, and she’s even made acouple friends at a local book club. I couldn’t be more proud of her.

And, thankfully, Raina isn’t the only one who’s doing better. It took a while, but my nightmares have almost completely stopped. Ever since bringing Raina home, I’ve had a renewed interest in investing in my family’s businesses. Not too much—I refuse to be away from Raina for more than half a day—but we’re seeing new growth every week.

“The holidays are coming up soon,” Raina says. “I… I think I’m excited.”

“I am, too.”

We see my family on occasion and plan to join them for most holidays, but we also want to prioritize making sure we get some alone time to celebrate together, too. My cousins, aunt, and uncle love us, and we love them, but there’s a certain amount of overwhelm for Raina that comes with being around them. They’re a large and loud bunch, and she’s still not used to that much stimulation.

They don’t fully understand, mainly because we had to keep Raina’s true identity a secret. For her own safety, she’s not connected to the Montgomery family in any way, except for her relationship with Marissa. I don’t want anyone connecting her to her family’s deaths. Thankfully, she agreed, because I’m not sure what I would’ve done otherwise.

It’s been difficult, fighting my urge to shield her at every turn. I’ve had to learn to walk the fine line between protecting her and honoring her agency. I’ve made the mistake of overstepping a few times, especially in the beginning, but Raina never lets me for long.

I’ve gotten better about it over the past few months. Sometimes, all I need is the reminder that I have her. That I lost her once, but I never will again.

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