Chapter 20: 

I felt a soft kiss on my forehead, which gently stirred me from my sleep. As my eyes opened, Xander's smile greeted me, filled with love.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” he whispered softly, brushing a hair from my face.

It took a moment to register his words. Today was my birthday. I was becoming seventeen. Considering the events of the previous year, it was strange to experience something as ordinary as this.

Once I sat up, I noticed my room had ...