Fallen Ever After by A. C. James Read Free Book Online Page B

made me feel safe, and long before I’d known about his past, and my uncanny resemblance to his unbalanced ex-lover, I’d found myself falling for him. Arie’s pain and guilt had drawn me in regardless of whether it was safe or sane. My desire to be with him caught like wildfire, consuming every rational objection that I tried to come up with to talk myself out of it.
    And I knew that I had to find a way to break through his wall. I wouldn’t let his history with his ex get in our way then, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let it ruin things now that she was gone. My self-doubt and habit getting in my own way was more of a problem than anything else. Maybe I had more in common with that girl Jess than I thought. Did she stay because she thought she could fix him? Or did she feel like she was the one who needed to be fixed? Was it thinking like that which made me accept things that shouldn’t be overlooked? I’d overlooked Arie being a vampire. I overlooked a lot more, when I should have ran as far and as fast as I could in the opposite direction—but I was so glad that I hadn’t. I couldn’t run. Not when I’d fallen for him.
    Arie followed the direction of my gaze. “Hey, I can’t help that I have a past. My past is simply longer than most people’s. You know what Katarina put me through. I never expected this. I never expected to meet you.” He gave my hand another squeeze. “But now you’re the only one I want.”
    “I’m not na ï ve, and it would be foolish for me to think that there weren’t other women before me.” I returned his squeeze. “Look, it’s probably just me being insecure, and with everything heightened, I’m a little on edge. I never thought I’d meet someone like you, and I certainly never thought I would do the things we do. I just…”
    “What?”
    “Are you really over her ?”
    “Holly…it’s been a long time since I’ve taken a chance on anyone. I wasn’t ready for you because you reminded me of so many things that I’ve tried to forget. You make me want to remember every minute that I’m with you—every curve of your body. I won’t ever forget the way you make me feel.”
    My breath hitched in my throat. Now that was nice to hear.
    And I knew he meant every word of it. It was the same for me. I wasn’t looking for a relationship the day Arie walked into the Coffee Grind. He’d been intrigued because I looked so much like Katarina. He was still learning just how different I was from her—or at least I hoped so. It touched me to see the warmth in his eyes when he said he never expected what had changed both of our lives for better or worse.
    Still, it stung that I knew he compared me on some level to Katarina. I bit my lower lip. I wanted to ask him how he felt about her being gone, if he really knew I wasn’t like her, but damn it if I could get the words out.
    “I know you feel that way now,” I said. I just hoped it stayed that way.
    “Holly, when are you going to understand that I’m not the same? You changed me. You reached a part of me that I thought was dead. I don’t want you going anywhere. You can’t run away. I won’t let you.”
    And that was the right thing to say too.
    “I know I said we should slow down, but it’s not because I’m trying to run away. I’m sorry.” I rubbed my temples.
    Arie’s brows furrowed together. “Are you okay? Do you want to go home? We don’t have to do this tonight.”
    “No, it’s fine. I want to be here.” I gave his hand another reassuring squeeze.
    Without knowing why, I felt anxious. Uneasy. I was probably just overwhelmed.
    “Just don’t ever lie to me. I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know everything about you. I can’t handle secrets. I’ve had to hide who I am, having the Sight, my whole life. And I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. Not now, not ever. It wouldn’t be fair to expect you not to have had others in your life, any more than you could expect that