True Love (The Society #4)

Chapter 13 – Ghazi Wazi Ding Dong

Wednesday – December 27, 2023

Ash

My heart was racing as I snuck over the bridge to Tanner’s front door. He hadn’t revoked my security credentials. The door easily opened. I tiptoed inside. It was possible that he was still in the city. Just hiding from me. But all the lights were out. And it felt...empty.

I wandered into Tanner’s closet and found his lamp. My name still wasn’t on it. I sighed. I should have known Mr. Frost wasn’t a match. I’d hated him too much when I first met him.

I looked down at the lamp. I knew Tanner hated me. And wanted nothing to do with me. But it didn’t mean I hated him. I still wanted everything to do with him. And right now I just needed to know if he was okay. I rubbed Tanner’s lamp to talk to Ghazi. “Ghazi wazi ding dong,” I said.

Ghazi appeared in front of me in a puff of smoke. “How can I help you?”

I couldn’t believe that actually worked. “Do you know where Tanner is?”

Ghazi didn’t respond. He was staring down at my hand. “What is that?”

What is what? I looked down at my hand. Oh. I’d come here straight from the train station. I was still wearing my fake engagement ring. “My engagement ring,” I said.

“Engagement you say? To whom?”

“My boss. Mr. Frost”

Ghazi frowned. “Xander Frost?”

“The one and only.”

Ghazi checked his phone. “But you two haven’t had sex yet.”

FUCK! I hadn’t? That meant I’d slept with Silas. I wanted to melt into the floor. I cleared my throat. “Nope. We’re uh…waiting until marriage.”

“Damn it! Who told you about clause 87c?”

Huh?

He sighed. “Good find. As you well know, if a couple waits until marriage to make love, and her wedding ceremony is sufficiently emotional to move an overseer to tears, then true love shall be established independent of sexual intercourse.”

“So if you cry at the wedding, Tanner will be free?”

“Yes. But making me cry is no easy task.”

Holy shit! Was this really going to work? Thank God I’d fucked Mr. Frost’s brother accidentally. I knew my awkwardness would eventually save the day!

Ghazi sighed. He seemed to think my relationship with Mr. Frost was all real. He must not have been watching me when I agreed to be Mr. Frost’s FAKE fiancée. Or when I fucked his twin brother in the shower by mistake…

Score! “Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you’ll be at the wedding.”

“Oh, I’ll be there. I’ll be watching your relationship very closely. Every moment. Good luck! ”

“Wait. Do you know where Tanner is? I...I want to tell him the news in person.”

Ghazi smiled. “I love that. He’s actually back now.” He snapped and disappeared.

Tanner was back? Really? I knew he didn’t want to see me. But I ran out of the closet and down the hall. I’d missed him so much I could cry.

I stopped short when I saw him in the living room.

He collapsed on the couch with a heavy sigh.

“Tanner?”

He looked up at me and smiled. A real smile. Like he was happy to see me.

I wanted to run to him and jump on top of him. I wanted to kiss his perfect face. And snuggle in for the longest binge-ing session ever. But I stayed rooted in place. Because I knew Ghazi was magically watching. “You’re back.”

He nodded. “Some asshole stole Santa’s magic. I’m so sorry I was gone for so long.”

I so desperately wanted to tell him everything. But if Ghazi was listening, my new plan to set Tanner free wouldn’t work. I couldn’t risk saying it out loud to anyone really. No one could know this engagement was fake.

So I only had one option... “I didn’t know if you were ever coming back. After our fight.”

He lowered his eyebrows. “We didn’t fight. I was just telling you what I’d been through. If anything...I thought it would bring us closer.”

“That’s...that’s not how I took it.”

“How did you take it? ”

“What was I supposed to think, Tanner? You disappeared for a month. I thought we were broken up.”

“Of course we didn’t break up. I love you.” He stood up. He went to close the distance between us, but I put up my hand. My hand with the engagement ring. He stared down at it in horror.

“I’m engaged. And I’m getting married. Soon.”

“What?”

“It all happened so fast...”

“Did you have sex? Is it true love?” He snapped and his lamp appeared in his hand. He shook his head. “It’s not true love, Ash.”

“Yes it is.”

“No. It’s not. So you can’t go through with this madness.”

I stood up a little straighter. “We haven’t had sex yet. We’re waiting until marriage. I really think it’s true love.”

“What the hell are you talking about? It’s not true love. We’re true love.”

I shook my head. “I thought we were. But I was wrong.”

“Baby...”

The way he said it made my heart break in two. But I couldn’t tell him the truth. I was doing this for him. To free him. There was a loophole and I was going to take advantage of it. I needed to really sell this. I’d even told Ghazi I wanted to tell Tanner in person. There was no way he wasn’t magically eavesdropping. “If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have left me for a whole month... ”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Santa and I were kidnapped. And I’ve lived for so long, sometimes I forget what a whole month feels like to a normal human. But it was an emergency. And I know how much you love Santa...” His voice trailed off.

He’d done it for me? God, that made all this hurt even more. He was so sweet. And thoughtful. I did love Santa! And he’d made sure to help him for me.

“And I thought about you the whole time. I...”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Ash, I love you. Please don’t do this just because you’re mad at me.”

“I’m not doing this because I’m mad at you. I’m doing it because I found my true love.”

“ I’m you’re true love.” He poked the middle of his chest.

I shook my head.

“Who even is this guy?”

“Xander. Frost.”

“Your asshole of a boss? Are you kidding me? You hate him.”

I shook my head. “I’ve gotten to know him. And I love every single thing about him.”

Tanner just stared at me.

“So...this is goodbye.”

“This isn’t goodbye. You’re not leaving until we talk about this...”

“I’ve already said everything I needed to say to you.”

“Baby.” He stepped forward and put his hands on both sides of my face .

God, I’d forgotten how good his hands felt on me. It felt like coming home. I forced myself to step back, because if I didn’t, I knew I’d kiss him. And that would ruin my plan.

He looked more hurt than ever at that.

Probably because he felt it too. How perfectly we fit. Could he see it in my eyes? How much I missed him? How desperate I was for his touch?

I forced myself to swallow down the sob in my throat. “I hope you have the most wonderful life, Tanner. Truly. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. For you to be happy.” I turned around so he couldn’t see my face.

“So you’re going to marry someone you don’t even love? And trap me forever in this hell?! How is that wanting me to be happy?!”

I let the tears fall down my cheeks because he couldn’t see me.

“Don’t walk away from this. If you want me to be happy, stay. I don’t care about being free. I just want you. Exactly as you are. I don’t need to be free. I’ll be standing here with you until you’re old and gray. I’ll love every second I have with you, even if it’s fleeting. I just need you to stay.”

Oh, Tanner.

“Stay with me. Don’t leave me like everyone else.” His voice cracked.

And I knew he meant the people he’d seen die. The family and friends. All Tanner knew was loss. And he was willing to feel that way again for me. He’d just said he didn’t need to be free. He just needed me .

And all I needed was him. That’s why I was doing this. My tears started falling faster. I took a deep breath and headed toward the door.

“How do you expect me to be happy without you? You’re everything to me. Everything.” I could hear the pain in his voice.

I cringed. I loved everything he was saying. I loved him.

And I hated saying all those words I’d had to say to him. I hated hurting him. Because I loved him. So freaking much.

But soon, he’d be free and thank me.

As long as I can actually get Mr. Frost to marry me...

Fuck.