Page 60 of Moonlight Hearts

I shrugged.“Well, I want to know all of you, so I might not mind.Except taking those shifts away from me was already mean enough, and you’re not a mean person, Mr.Black Shuck of the woodchipper.”

“Fucking hell.Why do I ever tell you anything?I shouldn’t.I shouldn’t have given you a choice after our first night.I should’ve just lied to you, told you I’m a spy.Maybe then you wouldn’t be like this…”

He wiggled his hand around me, encompassing whatever he was seeing there that no one else could.

“You’re exaggerating.I’m just me, and you’re just you, but we both have magic marking our skin.It didn’t start out as something good, but I think it turned into something good.Soyer, I’m really happy you found me.Really, really happy.”

And I was, the realization settling deep within me.Like the phoenix bird crying out into the night sky, my firebird had been alone, the only one of his kind, and the cruelty of that was unimaginable.Of course I’d cry for him, learning that he’d gone into the dark woods, knowing there was no one waiting for his return.Of course I cried for all his hurts now, because I hadn’t been born yet to cry for them then.My back warmed as if my own phoenix saw the truth in that and agreed.

Calmness settled over me like a cozy blanket.I was here now, and he’d waited for me without knowing it.Now, we’d never be parted again, never hurt from loneliness again.

My hand still rested over his heart, and he covered it with his own.“Amory, I… You’re okay, right?I was trying to remember whether I had a Xanax in my pocket five minutes ago, and now you look like you’ve already had one.”

“I’m fine.We both are.Do you think… The tea is really nice, right?And I cried into mine, I think.Can we maybe try another?I don’t want the seller to think they did a poor job.”

“His name’s Rose, and he probably assumes I made you cry.”

I laughed.“There you go again, big Black Shuck.I love you.”

“I love you too.What kind of tea do you want to try?”

In that moment, with so much going on in my head and in my heart, I couldn’t think of an answer to that very simple question.But that was fine.I knew I didn’t have to.

“Can you pick something for us?Something nice.I’ll finish this.”

He lifted my hand to his mouth and brushed a kiss against my knuckles.“Of course.You just stay here.”

“All right.”

He went into the showroom and spoke to Rose in a low voice.I looked at the face of my watch, smiling with every second that ticked by.I loved Soyer.This was love.It wasn’t an entirely comfortable feeling, or an easy one, but I decided that was okay.I decided it was worth it.

Chapter Nineteen

I’dneverhadButterflyPea Flower tea before, but its blue color reminded me of the Moonlight.

“Much better,” Soyer said while slurping from his own cup, his eyes on me.

‘’Huh?”

“You’re smiling again.I like that much better.”

“I’m sorry I upset you.”

He rolled his eyes.“Don’t be ridiculous.You don’t upset me.You’re too sexy for that.”

I heard his phone vibrate, and he pulled it from his pocket.

“What is it?”

“Your bestie.‘Dear Mr.Bennet, will you tell me the dress code for the Thanksgiving party?Amory must be quite tied up not to answer me.’”

“Oh.I forgot to respond.”

Soyer leaned back in his chair and started typing.“I got it.Casual, right?”

“Of course.Or…did you want to wear a tie?”

He met my eyes over his phone.“Do you want me to wear a tie?I’ll wear a tie for you, my heart.”