Perfect Love (A Celestra Novella) Read Online Free PDF Page A

her head never taking her eyes off mine. Her tiny hand opens exposing something I never thought I’d see again in my life, at least not apart from Chloe Bishop—the protective hedge.
    Holy. Shit.
    “ Skyla .” I fall to my knees and carefully extract it from her palm. This is it—The Eye of Refuge. I hold it up as the light pours through its sky blue eye, and swear to God it just winked at the two of us.
    It’s home. Thank God.
    I bring it to my lips and kiss it sweetly, soft, as if it were my grandmother’s cheek. I hope she’s looking down over us. I hope to God she sees we have it, that it’s Skyla who brought it back to where it belongs.
    “Take this, put it on, and never, ever remove it.” My fingers work with the dexterity of a magician as I place the pendant on the chain around her neck, right next to the mirrored heart I gifted her for her birthday. Here they are, the two tokens of my affection on the lovely neck of the girl I love. I pray when she looks at them she’ll always remember what we had. How my heart beat for only her. How my entire being was created for the sole purpose of loving her in this small window of time.
    “You asked me a question last summer, and I never gave you an answer.” She bats those thick lashes at me, and my insides cinch. I know exactly what I asked, and my heart stops for a moment. “My answer is yes , Logan.” That killer grin of hers takes over. “ Yes , I want to marry you.”
    I blow back an inch. Sucker punch is the only way to describe it.
    This is a tragedy and nightmare all rolled into one. Looks like the universe decided to give the starving man a meal only to kill him off before he can take a solid bite.
    I pick up her hands and land my lips over them in turn. It takes everything I’ve got not to break down and cry. God knows I want to—that I’m already raining rivers on the inside.
    “That’s very sweet of you. I’m really flattered”—I give a lopsided smile—“but I can’t marry you, Skyla. You deserve better—for starters, someone who’s alive.” Words I never wanted to hear myself say. Sometimes life gives you a left hook, and you just have to roll with it, but something in my gut says hell no, fight the fuck back.
    “Logan.” She tugs at me as if this were all a game. “Please”—her eyes plead with anguish on a soulful level that words could never do—“I know everything. I met with my mother. I know , Logan.” She winces into me with grief. “I know exactly what you were afraid to tell me.” She glances down a moment. “I know why you’re hiding out in the bowling alley, avoiding the world and everyone in it. And I know why Gage chose this weekend to visit Host.” Her eyes moisten with tears. Her lips tremble because it’s too damn painful to get the words out. That’s all I’m good for now—pain of the highest order. “God, Logan, can’t you see this is killing me? Let me have you. Please, be mine. I’m begging you—Logan, be my husband.”
    Something in me loosens. The silver cord of pain is severed, and I let go of all the grief and accept the final ride for what it’s panning out to be—a good one.
    “You know I can’t deny you anything.” I run my fingers through her hair, soft as air. “You’ve got me. You’ve already got every damn part of me.” And there are no truer words.
    “Then say yes.” Her clear blue eyes press into me hard as flint. She’s shaking. Her open wanting has me aching for her in ways I didn’t think were possible—at least not with a sickle hanging over my head.
    I shake my head.
    If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right.
    “Stand up,” I give it like an order while holding back the smile tugging at my lips.
    Skyla carefully rises to her feet, never taking those sweet, clear eyes off mine.
    But I don’t bother getting up. Instead, I remain steadfast on my knees. I hold her hands as my lips expand in one never-ending grin and all of the agony, the defeat,