Marshal was right. So was Bill. I needed to get my shit together if I wanted to stay here and stay with Lina. If she’d even have me after she learned the truth.
But should I tell hereverything?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Angelina
I looked at the ocean of shredded wrapping paper over Hunter’s living room floor, surrounding the eight-foot Christmas tree and smiled. This had been the best Christmas ever—minus the panic attack last night, oh, and the attack on Patty at the ball.
Okay, maybe this shouldn’t have gone down as the best Christmas ever with all that bad happening, but the fact that this was the first one out of my house in over three years…it was the best.
“What are you thinking about over here?” Hunter asked, the couch sagging beside me as he sat down.
I let gravity pull me to him, and he opened his arm to receive me. He was so warm and cuddly with all that muscle to grab onto.
“Lina?”
“Just thinking about how happy I am.” I closed my eyes. My tummy was full of delicious eggs, bacon, and more cinnamon rolls, and I was sitting with the most patient, understanding man on the planet.
I was sure it was going to be weird coming over here after last night’s epically embarrassing panic attack, but it was like it’d never even happened. And there wasn’t the whole pink elephant in the room thing going on, either. He took me as I was, didn’t he?
He had since day one.
“Merry Christmas, Hunter,” I said into his chest as I snuggled closer to him.
“You too, Lina.” He kissed the top of my head. “I got you something else.”
I sat up. “No, Hunter, you’ve given me so much already.”
“I did overdo it a little, didn’t I?” He grinned. “But it was so much fun buying things for you. I…never had that before.”
“You spoil me.”
“I want to.” He leaned to the side and pulled something from behind him.
My heart froze at the sight of a jewelry box.Jewelrybox? No. It couldn’t be. We weren’t to the point of jewelry, were we?
“No more panic attacks, Lina.” He tapped my nose. “It’s not that…yet.”
Yet?Did he sayyet? I swallowed down the nerves.
“So, it’s corny, but…there was this cartoon ages ago. It’s a classic comic I stumbled onto as a kid—I used to collect comic books—and I found the old cartoon…and well, it’s cool.” He handed me the box. “They had these rings, and this corny saying to activate their superpowers.” He nodded for me to open the box as he finished saying, “Thought we could have that.”
I creaked the lid open and found two silver rings inside, one was huge, obviously for him, and the other a mini version for me. There was a solitary symbol engraved in the band where a gem would have normally been.
“It’s beautiful. What is that?” I brushed my finger over the smooth surface.
“It’s a Celtic symbol associated with power and strength.” He reached into the box and grabbed the small ring. “It’s for your forefinger here.” I held out my right hand, and he slid it over my knuckle.
“You’re going to wear a ring on your forefinger?
“Hell yeah.” He slid the ring on his finger. “Matches my thumb ring on this hand.”
“And the one on your ring finger.” I grabbed his hand. “What are these, do they have stories?”
He nodded.
“But first, I want to tell you thanks.” I kissed his cheek. “This is perfect!” I held my hand up to see the treasure around my finger. It was like I could already feel its strength. And knowing he wore one, too…that made it even more effective. “You said it was from a cartoon?”