Page 16 of Incurably Cupid (Moonhaven Cove #5)

Chapter 16

Indie

“Love is patient.”

Cupid Inc. New Recruit Training Manual

W hen we returned to the hotel, Mesmer rested for a bit in his room. I took another shower and changed into some comfy clothes—sweats and a tee shirt. I added black fuzzy socks to keep my feet warm and did my best to blow-dry my wings—a difficult task considering most of my joints only bend the one way—but I did my best.

It must be nice for Mesmer to be able to bring out his wings only when he needed them for flying as a gargoyle. My wings were not that convenient. Cupids couldn’t really stuff them in the ether the way other supernaturals could. Fae scientists said it was because cupids had ether in our DNA.

Not that supernaturals really stuffed their wings in the ether—that was a common misconception. If that were the case, cupids on Steadfast would get smacked in the face with rogue, bodyless wings all the time. In reality, they stored them in a personal ether bubble.

Completely different.

When my wings were dry, and I lightly oiled them to keep them from drying out, I climbed onto the bed and settled in.

“Feel better?”

“Yes. How was your time resting here while Mesmer and I went to the river?”

He snickered. “It was very productive.”

I sat up, intrigued. “Does that mean you found some more information for Mesmer?”

He projected a massive stone-faced guy in front of me, arms folded across his chest. “You’ll get nothing from me!”

I laughed and shook my head. “Fine, keep your secrets. You’ve been quiet lately. You okay?”

“I think you should have a party when you get home.”

I paused with the TV remote in my hands. “Say what, now?”

His pad turned pink. “I think you should throw a party when you get home and invite the faculty.”

I set the remote down, frowning at him. “You know that’s not going to work, right? According to Mordecai, they’re intimidated by me. For what possible reason, I have no clue.”

Leo emitted a series of beeps he sometimes used in place of laughter. “You’re very intimidating and ferocious.”

I snorted. “I am the least intimidating and ferocious person on the planet. I have pink wings and pink hair, I haven’t matched an assignment in years, I have no friends because I’ve perfected sarcasm, I live in a house the size of a thimble, I’m several hundred years old, still single, and my best friend is a sentient tablet!”

Leo was quiet for a minute before responding. “Well, that was rude."

“What?”

“I’m an awesome friend, thank you very much!”

I sighed and put my hands over my eyes. “You are, Leo,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry I made it seem otherwise.”

He sniffed. “You’re forgiven.”

“Don’t make your circuits soggy,” I warned.

“I’ll do nothing of the kind.”

“Really? Because you sound like you’re crying.” I patted his outer casing in support. “Can I help? Really, I’m amazed you don’t need therapy living with me.”

He chuckled. “Who says I don’t?” Then, his tone softened. “You’re not as harsh as you think, Indie. You hide your softness behind armor, but that’s just because you learned early on how inconsistent and capricious people can be. You’re honest. You don’t play games. And... you’re not unkind. Sharp sometimes, sure, but never unkind.”

I was unbelievably touched. My instinct was to deflect with sarcasm, but I shoved it aside and patted his casing again. “Thanks, Leo. Love you.”

He sniffed again. “Love you too.” Then, his tone shifted. “Now what’s this I hear about you wanting Mesmer to be a part of the Phoenix’s singles night?”

“Oh, look at this—more humans trying to move to the Hawaiian Islands!” I said, turning the TV volume up.

“Indie!”

A soft knock at the door saved me. I checked the clock—8:00 p.m. Maybe housekeeping? Though it was late for that.

I got up to check the peephole, then opened the door for Mesmer to come in. “I wasn’t expecting you. Figured you’d be too tired.”

He was dressed like me—sweats and a tee shirt—but somehow, he made it look... unfairly good. His shirt stretched across his chest and biceps, and his sweats hung low on his hips.

I tried valiantly not to ogle him.

“I got some rest.” He sat on the other double bed and toed off his shoes. “I thought we could order in again and watch a movie?”

I blinked. “Sure!” I pulled up the food delivery app. “What sounds good to you?”

“Breakfast for dinner.”

I found a restaurant, and handed my phone to him. “You add yours, I’ll add mine last, and then I’ll pay.”

He smirked, taking my phone. “What if I order five meals?”

“Then I’ll use your credit card to pay and thank you for covering my meal.”

He chuckled and chose his meal, then leaned back against the cushioned headboard. He looked like his strength was returning. He didn’t bring Lance with him tonight, though technically he still needed to use him for a few more days. But I understood; we were just next door to each other. He should be okay to use the ether path in a day or so.

I found what I wanted to order and ticked all the boxes, adding them to my cart. I paid, and then we settled in to wait for our food while scrolling through the channels looking for something good.

We settled on a sci-fi film. One of the passengers in cold sleep had been awakened early by the ship’s computer because someone was awake on the ship and attempting to sabotage the ship’s key systems. They started failing one by one, and the woman was racing against time to save the rest of the passengers in cryosleep and regain control enough to land on a habitable planet.

It was totally and completely gripping, which is why I jumped nearly a foot off the bed when someone suddenly knocked at my door.

Mesmer bit his lip, trying not to laugh. “You okay there?”

“I think my spirit almost left my body,” I complained, retrieving our food.

We paused the movie and sat at the table to eat, both of us carefully avoiding the topics from earlier. Instead, Mesmer gently asked me questions throughout our entire meal—about my job, about being a cupid, along with many other things, like how I'd first met Leo—and he did it so skillfully that I didn’t realize I’d basically monopolized the entire conversation until much later.

“So, Leo was brand new from the fae engineers when you got him?”

I nodded, taking a bite of my omelette. “It was fine for a few months, and then, randomly, in the middle of the night, he became sentient. Some weird male voice started talking in my room, and I about had a heart attack.”

Leo, from his spot on my bed, warbled in embarrassment. “We’re like little kids when we first become sentient. We have to learn about appropriate and socially acceptable behaviors. I’m so sorry, Indie. I really scared you that night.”

I grimaced, remembering. “Yeah, you did, but it’s okay. It’s over and forgotten. And for someone newly sentient, you learned really quickly.”

“Not quickly enough,” Leo mumbled.

Mesmer looked intrigued, but I waved Leo’s comment away. We would not be getting into some of his more embarrassing moments tonight, because some of them involved me.

After we ate, we both returned to watching the movie. We’d paused it at about the midway point.

I kept glancing out of the corner of my eye at Mesmer, and finally, I just asked, “Do you want to sit over here with me instead of being all the way over there?”

He hesitated, then nodded, bringing his pillows with him.

I scooched over as far as I could because this bed was only a double, and Mesmer was massive. I fully expected to be half off the bed by the time he got fully settled, and I wasn’t wrong. Eventually, he sighed. “I don’t have cooties. You can get closer, if you want.”

“You don’t mind?” I asked, trying to read his expression.

In answer, he lifted his arm enough for me to slide under. “If I minded, I wouldn’t have said anything,” he said quietly. “I mean, at the very least, we’re friends, right?”

My stomach dropped.

Is that all we were? Is that all I wanted to be?

“Yeah... friends.”

After the movie, he headed back to his room, but I couldn’t sleep.

“Leo?”

“Yeah, love?”

“I’m in a pickle.”

He snorted. “Boy, are you ever!”

I rolled onto my side, lowering my voice. I didn't want Mesmer's supernatural hearing to pick up our conversation through the walls. “What do I do?”

Leo sighed. “I don’t know. I could run some numbers on scenarios, but let's be real, that won't help.” He projected a girl elf around my age opposite me on the other bed. We laid down facing one another. When the girl spoke, it was with Leo's voice. “I say, go with your heart.”

I groaned. "You know this is creepy, right?"

The elf grinned, then sobered. “Indie, I trust your instincts. I trust your skills as a cupid. And most of all, I trust your heart. If all three are pointing in the same direction, you already know what to do.”

I exhaled, shifting to my back, the city lights spilling through the cracked window. “That’s the thing—they’re not in agreement.”

“Aren’t they?” the elf/Leo asked.

I frowned. “What's that supposed to mean?"

“I think if they're not in sync yet... they will be soon.”

I stared up at the ceiling, my chest tight, uncertainty pressing down like a weight.

“I hope you’re right,” I whispered.

Leo’s voice softened. “I usually am. Sleep well, love.”

“Night, Leo.”