“Cancel the meeting with the wizard council,” I tell Trawick.
He’s leaning against the wall of my study, arms crossed. My best friend gives a me a dramatic eye roll. “I already canceled it. As soon as I saw the two of you on the solstice, I knew you weren’t going to shut down the bookshop.”
My mouth quirks. How well he knows me. But he’s right.
“I’m not going to destroyit, or the Thornroses for that matter.” My desk’s a mess, papers scattered everywhere. Gods, ever since the solstice, I haven’t been able to think straight. Doing more with Addison other than kissing wouldhelpme think straight, but I’m not going to rush anything with her.
Not one thing.
“Where is that box?” I mumble, distracted.
“What box? You mean that red one over there?”
He points to a spot behind my head. One glance over myshoulder and I spot the red velvet rectangle on a shelf. A sigh of relief loosens in my chest.
“Tell me that’s not what I think it is,” Trawick says, nodding to it.
“That depends.” I clear a spot off my desk and place the box on top of it. “What do you think it is?”
He scowls. “I’m not going to say anything until you show me.”
“You’re my best friend.” I give him a half smile. “You should know me well enough to guess.”
“I’m not interested in games.”
“Touchy.”
“You’re not being touchy enough.”
My shoulders tense at his insinuation. “She’s not doing anything to hurt us.”
“Hurt you, you mean.” He flips his hand. “Go on. Open it.”
I watch him for a long beat before lifting the lid. The smell hits me first. A sweet flowery fragrance trickles up my nose, because nestled atop a pillow of black satin lies a single red rose.
“I knew it.” He throws up his hands. “You’re going to gift her a Golden Rose tonight.”
“I am.”
It feels like my heart’s going to break through my rib cage, it’s so swollen with love. I haven’t told her that I love her yet. But I will, tonight, after the ceremony.
He rubs his face. “Feylin, do I need to tell you that you’ve lost your mind?”
“No, you don’t.”
The rose is perfect, and ready to be presented. She has no idea that it’s coming, and I know it’ll turn gold. There’s no doubt in my mind. Once it turns, I’ll propose. We’ll finish the ceremonies and marry. That’s the way this will go.
“You’ve definitely lost your mind. Feylin, her family?—”
“That’s over.” I curl my hands into fists and just as quickly relax them. Trawick’s response is understandable. For three years I’ve hated the Thornroses, wanted to take everything from them. It’s a shock to my best friend that I’ve changed my mind, but he’ll get used to it. “How am I supposed to look to the future if I’m stuck in the past?”
“I guess you’re not,” he grumbles. “But they took Tess.”
Every cell in my body tightens so hard my muscles want to scream. “I know, and I’ll never get over her loss. But there’s another thing that I know with certainty. Addison had no part in her death, and she doesn’t deserve my anger.”
“So you’re going to marry her? For real?”
A grin spreads across my face, and I clap him on the shoulder. “I’m going to marry her, and I want you to be my best man.”
