Free Rising Covenant (Living Covenant Trilogy Book 1) by Amanda M. Lee

him.”
    “Are you worried he can see himself with someone other than you?” Paris asked. “If that’s the case, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree – so to speak. Should I bring up barking given the wolf attack?”
    “Probably not,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “I thought Aric was going to propose a long time ago. When he didn’t, I convinced myself it would eventually happen. Now I think we’ll probably just live together forever.” I shrugged, pretending the prospect didn’t bother me for Paris’ benefit. “It is what it is. I’m fine with it.”
    “You’re still a terrible liar,” Paris said, smirking. “You want to get married. I think you should tell him.”
    “If I do that and he doesn’t want to get married, we can never go back,” I said. “I don’t need a ring on my finger to tell me that Aric is everything I’ve ever wanted. If I press him on marriage and he doesn’t feel the same way, we’ll never be able to get this back.”
    “If you press him on marriage and he does want it you might get something even better,” Paris countered.
    “I’m not sure I’m willing to take that risk.”
    Paris pursed her lips, letting her eyes drift to the ceiling for a moment before refocusing on me. “I think he’s afraid to ask you to marry him for the same reasons you’re afraid to ask him about it,” she said. “I think he’s worried you’ll say no, and then he’ll lose you.”
    “I wouldn’t say no, though. That’s stupid. He should know that.”
    “Maybe he feels the same way about you,” Paris suggested. “Maybe the fear is so great that it paralyzes him, even though he knows it shouldn’t.”
    That was an interesting thought. “I need to give it more time,” I said. “This is the exact wrong moment to bring that up. He’s on edge. Once this is all … settled … I’ll think about it.”
    “The one thing I don’t worry about where you and Aric are concerned is love and happiness,” Paris said, her face serious. “Whenever I look at him I see so much love for you it almost stops my heart. I want someone to love me that much one day.”
    “I’m sure you’ll find it,” I said, turning my attention back to the book. “You just need to stop hanging around with evil covens.”
    Paris snorted. “I do make really bad decisions sometimes. I have no idea why.”
    “It’s your lot in life because you’re curious and refuse to settle,” I replied. “You want to keep searching until you get everything you’ve ever wanted. I get that.”
    “Are you angry with me?”
    “I’m not thrilled with you,” I replied. “I know you didn’t do what you did out of malice, though. I am sorry for not keeping in touch. I felt as if I was in a no-win situation, though. What Aric was saying made sense to me. And, before you say anything, he wasn’t trying to isolate me. I know you think that, but you’re wrong. He thought hiding was the best way to keep me safe.”
    “I know,” Paris said, resting her back against the couch. “I’ve always liked Aric. I was the one who told you he was a good match when we were in college. You remember that, right?”
    “I do. You were his biggest cheerleader.”
    “I wish Aric remembered it,” Paris grumbled.
    “He will. He just needs time. He doesn’t adjust well to change. You should’ve seen his face when McDonald’s stop offering the McRib every Christmas and instead left it up to the individual restaurants. He was heartbroken.”
    Paris giggled. “You’re so in love it shines through your eyes when you talk about him.”
    “I’m so in love with him my heart flops every time I think about him,” I admitted. “It’s been years and I still can’t believe he loves me.”
    “At a certain point you two are both going to have to give in and admit the love,” Paris said. “I hope I’m around to see it.”
    I hoped so, too. I couldn’t make promises on that front, though. Aric was still too angry. Instead of letting the