Page 34 of Icy Heart, Empty Chest

His breath hitched. I hadn’t said it before now. He broke into a watery smile. “My sweet nymph. I was wondering how long I’d have to hold back saying it to not freak you out.” He gave me a soft sweet kiss. “More than life itself, I love you, Cora.”

My own happy tears started to flow. It was possibly the oddest make-out session I’d ever had in my life.

I tugged him up from the bed. “Come on. Let’s go get some good memories of your mom. Then maybe go celebrate.”

He picked me up and whirled me around. “The fact that you dropped the love bomb on me?”

“Yes and you said it back.” I blushed. Or that we even got to say it in the first place.

“Was there ever really a doubt?” he asked lightly.

I shook my head. Not anymore.

We called a realtor the next day.

The new house had a weight room in the basement for him and a library for me.

I moved in as many pieces as I had, filling the walls with art and bookshelves, a comfy chaise piled up with blankets for the times I needed solitude.

We were both prone to occasional melancholy, especially where the past was concerned.

Sometimes you could just tell without talking, when one would fall into the other’s arms after a long day.

Words weren’t needed until you wanted to talk.

I often found myself overwhelmed with the pacing of the program and dropping into his lap to have him assure me that no, I wasn’t an idiot, yes, he still loves me and yes, that I’m going to make a great healer one day.

He’d give me a hug for another minute and tell me to get back to it.

Now we were going onto another chapter, I had graduated and I’d be at the hospital for work.

People around town seemed surprised at the change up from the apron to a set of scrubs but I got a lot more encouragement than I thought.

I had dreaded telling Amy that I was quitting but she had broken into a rare smile and told me that it was about time.

Marie had practically tackled me, jumping up and down in excitement.

She had long forgiven Dae and I for getting together.

The day I sat her down to tell her the slightly abridged version of the truth, I could see her heart expanding in real time because of the “romance” of it all.

She had moved on anyway, with a centaur she had met in one of her classes.

Nice guy, clearly head over hooves for her.

I’d also likely see her at the hospital when she got into medical school.

As Damien and I were leaving the school grounds hand in hand, I felt a cool breeze to my right and turned. Filla.

I hadn’t had contact with her since the dekartios incident and I could only assume she had come for payment. It had been over two years.

Damien froze. The last time he had seen her was when she removed his heart in the first place.

“Hello, Cora.” She stared at me, unblinking.

“How can I help you, Filla?” My hands were getting soaked with sweat.

“Thursdays you work for me, now. Bookkeeping, shipping, some ingredient mixing.”

No pleasantries. No beating around the bush.

“Until your debt is paid. Nine am. Bring coffee. Don’t worry, little one, I don’t bite.”

I tightened my grip on his hand and nodded.

She gave us a ghost of a smile and vanished.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“How long do you think you’re going to have to work there?” asked Damien cautiously.

“Couple years maybe? That’s actually much more tame than what I thought would happen.” Struck by lightning, experimented on, put in the stocks and whipped were a little more along the line of what I expected. You never really knew with witches. They could toe that sanity line really hard.

But sometimes the anticipation of something happening is actually worse than the thing itself, it seems.

“And how did she know your work schedule?” he pondered, perplexed.

I didn’t want to know and I voiced that.

Undeterred, he tugged me south. “Come on. There’s somewhere I want to take you.”

It was a short walk from the community college school where the graduation was being held to my former place of employment.

“Why are we at The Magical Beans?”

“Because I’m a sentimental horsey and I wanted to point something out. I was sitting at that table, near the beam over there when I saw you for the first time since his funeral.”

I cringed. I never really apologized for demonizing him for all those years.

“I told you that you bowled me over. That’s not technically true.

I think it was close to four and Jenna was on with you.

You came out of the back room, holding a big bag and dropped it on the back counter.

I don’t think you saw me. But I saw your hair.

I whipped my head around so fast that I did a spit take with my coffee. ”

I snorted. “You did not.”

“I swear on my mother’s grave,” he replied solemnly then grinned cheekily. “I’d be lying if I said my next thoughts weren’t about your ass.”

I blushed into a deep purple color. “Really, Dae?”

“Shocking, I know,” he teased. “You were right there in front of me after all that time had passed, looking amazing, and you hated my guts. That was a special form of hell, love.”

“I got better…eventually,” I pouted.

He put an arm around my shoulders. “Don’t be embarrassed, love. Water under the bridge.”

Damien had the ability to be way more forgiving than I. I was more prideful, holding onto things way longer than was needed, including remorse.

He started to maneuver me away.

“Now where are we headed?”

“Curious little nymph. You’ll see,” he taunted. Man, I hated not knowing but he loved surprises.

After another ten minutes of walking, I saw where he was bringing me to.

“The diner? Are we reliving all of our greatest hits?”

He smiled. “Something like that.”

He pointed at the window.

“We were right there that day you decided to come back into my life.”

“Well, I was definitely curious why you were texting me after all that time.”

“But I was right, wasn’t I?”

My face scrunched up in confusion. “About what?”

“That you were the only one that could help me.”

I nodded. “Well, you were sort of blackmailing me.”

“Desperate times, love.” He tapped his sternum. The scar was barely visible to the naked eye. I knew it was there. That was enough.

“Well, after you blackmailed me, I think there might have been a few felonies thrown in there,” I said sarcastically.

“Lots of misdemeanors.” He nodded. “Then a small miracle happened. You told me you didn’t hate me and would fight for me.”

I blushed again. “I told you I never really hated you. Of course I fought for you. I had to try.”

He cupped my face with his hands. “I’ve never had a woman blackmail a doctor at knifepoint in order to save my life before you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I think I would be worried if you did.”

He took my hand again and started walking.

“And then you raced back to my place to find me nearly unresponsive.”

“Dae, where are you going with this? I thought we were going to get dinner?”

“We are, I promise. By that time, I knew if I could feel anything ever again, I would be head over heels in love with you.”

“You knew, even then?” My eyes widened.

“It didn’t take much, Cor. You pulled me into your car and dragged me to see a witch, and post spell, dedicated all of your time and energy to take care of me.”

I hadn’t exactly told him all of the specifics of what went down at Filla’s house. I don’t think I was going to either. I haven’t looked at bolt cutters the same way since.

“Dae…there was no other option. You were too special.” I squeezed his hand, wondering about the point of the reminiscing.

“Then, I woke up. Felt like absolute hell. You fed me and got me back to normal. And you were hurting because all of this shit was stressful. I never forgot that. That night, I would have held you forever. And then another miracle happened.”

“What, that I kissed you?” I broke out in a grin.

“Not exactly. You dared me to do the thing I was waiting to do and then I never had a chance once clothes started coming off. I was just looking for an excuse.” He had a twinkle in his eye. “I couldn’t have left even if I had tried.”

I gave him a little smile as more blocks of sidewalk passed. Traffic was starting to pick up, getting close to six on a Friday. Pink and orange streaks painted the sky and a breeze was starting to roll through.

I think I knew where he was taking me. Somewhere I’d been so many times before.

Dae stepped to the side and turned so that his arms were encircling my front.

“Then, when your shirt and pants came off, I was utterly stunned,” he whispered.

My eyebrows shot through my head. No way anyone heard him but still.

“Damien!” I squealed.

“You were, my love, the most exquisite creature I’d ever seen. Still are.”

I’m a bit embarrassed but also, a little turned on?

“Damien! I think you need to get to the point of this trip down memory lane or get us home really quickly,” I squeaked. I was getting a bit uncomfortable and wanted to prioritize finding our way back to the bedroom.

He smiled knowingly and released me, taking my hand again with a relaxed gait.

We rounded the corner and were in front of the museum.

I cocked my head slightly. I hadn’t been here with him since we were children.

He knew it was one of mine and my father’s favorite places in the world.

Where some of the best and worst times of my life were had.

“The point, love, was that you took a leap of faith and trusted me again. That was the most beautiful thing you could have given me. You told me that night that you wanted forever, right?”

“Of course, Dae.” I remember the words I spoke to him that night, placing my heart in his hands.

He got down on one knee and opened a blue box containing a brilliant square-cut ring in it. My eyes widened in shock and I dropped my diploma.

“Still want forever?”