Page 96 of Monster Among the Roses (Fairy Tale Quartet 1)

So I hobbled the last few feet forward and sat next to her on the couch. She didn’t acknowledge me but she knew I was there. I licked my lips and glanced around at the library, remembering all the work we’d put into it, all the hours we’d spent together, getting to know each other, falling for each other. And I was freshly amazed by how good of a job we’d done. We made an excellent team. We could make an excellent team for a long time to come if we were willing to try.

And it just so happened I was.

“It’s strange to think this room looked totally different only a few months ago. Feels like years ago.”

Isobel nodded slowly. “It does,” she agreed quietly.

Reaching out, I took her hand without looking at her. Her fingers wrapped around mine before she squeezed lightly. I squeezed back.

Finally, she said, “What’re you doing here?”

“I’m here because you’re here.”

“But…” She shook her head. “How can you ever forgive me?”

I shrugged. “How can I not? I love you. Love forgives. It works through problems. And it stays.”

“Oh God.” She began to sob, her shoulders shaking, chest heaving, and tears pouring. “I love you, too.”

I pulled her into my arms. She curled onto my lap and cried into my shoulder, gripping me as if she’d never let me go again. I hoped she didn’t.

“I missed you,” I admitted into her hair.

She sniffed and nodded. “I missed you too.” Hiding her face as if ashamed to face me, she added, “I don’t deserve this. You…you shouldn’t forgive me. You have every right to hate me. I—”

“Shh.” I stroked her hair. “I could never hate you. Besides, you did nothing wrong.”

“I believed her. Then I refused to get the truth from you. If only—”

“If only,” I cut in. “Jesus, there are a million if onlys I could’ve done to prevent any of this from happening in the first place. It’s enough to drive me insane. But none of that matters because it’s over and done, in the past now. We found our way back together and that’s all that counts.”

“But you had to deal with your mom’s death alone. You had to…you had no one.”

“Do I have you now?” I asked. “Will you help me through it now?”

She pulled back to look up at my face. Tears clogged her long lashes. “Of course.”

I smiled. “Good. That’s what I want too. We’ll deal with the rest as it comes.”

“I love you,” she breathed.

And the world was back to where it should be.

EPILOGUE

The bell over the door of Rosewood dinged, alerting me to the entrance of another customer. I smiled even as I lifted my face to greet the new arrival, only for my grin to stretch wider when I recognized him.

“Hey, it’s Cinderella.”

Ezra’s eyes narrowed as he strolled inside. “That’s still the lamest comeback ever.”

I shrugged. “Hey, if the shoe fits…” Then I pointed and started laughing at my own corny pun.

His glare was dry as dust. “You are so not amusing. I’m seriously thinking about sending my sister to a psychiatrist for falling for an idiot like you.”

“What can I say? Love doesn’t care about brain capacity.” Then I sent him a wink. “Which means there’s still hope for you too, buddy.”

He sighed. “Just tell me where my sister is.”

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