

On my wedding day, my fiance's first love appeared at the wedding ceremony wearing the exact same haute couture gown as mine. I watched them stand together at the entrance, greeting the guests as if they were the bride and groom. Maintaining a calm expression, I complimented them, saying they looked like the perfect couple—beauty and brains, a match made in heaven. She burst into tears and fled the scene. He, however, didn't hesitate to humiliate me in front of everyone, accusing me of being petty and narrow-minded. When the wedding banquet was over, he left for what was supposed to be our honeymoon—with her by his side. I didn't argue or cause a scene. Instead, I quietly booked an appointment for an abortion.

Matthew Tipton is one breakthrough away from immortality, held back only by unresolved mortal ties. Sent down the mountain to cut them loose, he finds Cristal Bridges, a woman who wants nothing to do with her father's arranged marriage and makes that very clear. But trouble keeps finding Cristal, and Matthew keeps stepping in to pull her out of it. Somewhere between reluctant proximity and quiet acts of protection, feelings take root that neither of them planned for. The immortal who came to leave ends up staying forever.