Page 33 of Ink & Snow
“All righty. Back to foam and ice.” Garnet sashayed off to greet the next customer in the Moonlight’s line.
“Oh, hey.” Simeon beckoned me over so we could talk a little out of the way of prying ears.
“Yes?”
“First of all, he didn’t hit you, I saw that, but are you really okay?” The concern I saw in his blue eyes was genuine.
“I am. It’s not the worst I ever had to deal with.”
He snorted. “I guessed. Did you mean what you said, about wanting to press charges?”
I thought back to Laura, her little body hiding behind the snowman, to the snot-nosed kid standing up for their friend. To Jenny who had lived through fuck knew what hell.
“Yes.”
Simeon gave me a piercing look. “That’s all, a simple yes?”
“It was a yes or no question.”
“Ha. Not many would see it that way. If you need a lawyer, I know someone.”
At this, I couldn’t keep a very gleeful grin from creeping over my face. “No need. I have a shark. She’ll love this.”
“Okay. Tell her I recorded the encounter. And I’d happily appear as a witness.”
Huh. “Really?”
“Fuck, yes. She moved here to be safe, and he came after her, can you believe that?”
“Absolutely. That type can’t lose their hostages. How else would they feel superior?”
After nearly thirty seconds, Simeon said, “Soyer Bennet, welcome to Clair de la Lune. We take care of our own here.”
I snorted laughter. “Shit. I really did join a cult, didn’t I?”
“Kind of. Which reminds me, Elias will come by sometime next week to beg you to do some decorating atSilken Chains. He dispersed some drama when he couldn’t buy a wreath from you personally. It’s possible he coerced people to buy you out so he could use that as an excuse.”
“Fucking elaborate.”
Simeon ran a hand over his beard. “Oh, you have no idea.”
On my way back, more people wanted to introduce themselves or simply tell me how brave they thought I was. I was forced to stop on several occasions, and in doing so, I got to look around and appreciate the scene.
Truly, the park had been turned into a pretty golden holiday gem, lights and music blending to make magic. It would have been a wonderful place, a wonderful night to walk with Amory again, to offer him the pocket of my new coat to warm his hand.
But he was not here. I extracted myself from the people as quickly as I could, crossed the street, and closed the flower shop’s door behind me. I flipped the lock too, not wanting to be disturbed.
I’d left bouquets out, intending to maybe take some of the hardier ones out to sell, but the day was done for me. I moved everything back to the cold room before heading upstairs.
There, sleeping peacefully, I found Amory, Cherry curled into a tiny ball next to his head.
I knew then. I wanted him, and I’d stop at nothing to get him. No, not get him. I was done with forcing outcomes, with designing them, with squishing anything and everything that might prevent them. Amory would give himself to me because he wanted to. And if he didn’t, the failure would be mine, and I’d accept it.
I walked to the couch and kneeled there.
“I’ll court you, Amory. And if I get to be very lucky, you’ll let me and accept me in the end.”
He didn’t stir. Thank fuck, because if he’d overheard that, the awkwardness might have given me hives.
I watched him with the kitten for a couple of minutes, then I went to my bedroom and got the comforter to put over them both. It wasn’t how I’d imagined him spending the night would go, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.