Page 110 of Moonlight Hearts

Soyer, my firebird, deserved all of that and more.

Chapter Thirty-One

AftertheFerriswheel,we didn’t linger for much longer.It was a cold day, and a slow tumble of snowflakes had started as our gondola made its way down.

Back in the car, Soyer allowed me to fiddle around with his sound system until I found a radio station that was broadcasting all those Christmas songs that conjure the spirit of the season like nothing else.

“What should we do when we get home?”I asked into the bubble of holiday cheer.

“We can take a bath, get warm.”

I bit the inside of my cheek.“Can that be part of my belated birthday present?”

“Fuck’s sake.My heart, you don’t have to give me anything.Understand that I’m saying that because I want nothing more than you naked in my bathtub while I’m in there too.”

I nodded.“I’ll take that as a yes.”

He clicked his tongue.“You’re quite the gift horse.”

“I really should’ve asked.”

“Shush.Tell me how you’re going to spend the time next week when I have to go out of town.”

I thought about that.The thing was, it was almost impossible now to imagine it.We hadn’t been together that long, but with Soyer in my life, it wasn’t about the length of time we’d spent in each other’s presence.It was about who he was to me.It was about how much he meant to me.Not having him close to me was like having a part of myself go on vacation.

I wasn’t going to tell him that though.I wouldn’t make him worry.If he was going into a dangerous situation, he’d have enough to worry about already without me piling on.

“I think I’ll…I’ll go to Elias’s place.Let him take those photos finally.And we really should have another juice date.I have a few books I’ve been wanting to read, so maybe I’ll get started on that.”

“Text me.Text me daily.Tell me how the book is.Tell me about the juice and share the photos with me.”

“Yes to the book and the juice, but I don’t know about the photos.”

“Nonsense.Elias is talented, you’re beautiful, and I want those photos.Don’t make me get them through back channels.”

I snorted.“Back channels?You sound like a spy.”

“Like I keep telling you, I need to remain mysterious for my lover.Do you want to get some ice cream before we head home?”

“At the bodega?”

“Yes.Best selection there.”

I nodded.“Let’s do that.Although, I already know I want the cherry.”

Soyer chuckled, but he got us right to Lorenzo’s Bodega.By then, the snowflakes had grown in size, a veil that was descending over the world.Our breath frosted, and the cold snuck through our clothes and to our skin as we got out of the car.

Once we were standing in front of the freezers, I picked out the cherry I was getting for Soyer right away, but he took his time, eventually settling on some fancy Black Forest cake flavor that apparently also had cherry in it.

“Did you have a good Thanksgiving?”Lorenzo—the new Lorenzo—asked when he was ringing us up.

“A lot of food.You know how that is,” Soyer said as he paid for our ice cream.

Lorenzo nodded eagerly.“Yes, I do.A big meal really makes you have to watch for the moisture in the soil, I find.Unless you go for ash, of course.”

Soyer nodded back in understanding.“All things in moderation, but take all the opportunities you can.”

“That’s how I like to see it.Compostable spoons?”