Page 69 of The Heart of Moonlight Falls

Sebastian swatted James’s shoulder. “That is not the visual I wanted.”

“Sorry.” James swiped a bit of salsa from the corner of Sebastian’s mouth. “Let’s never talk about being underground or in the earth ever again.”

“Deal.” Sebastian took another bite of his chili relleno burrito, swinging his legs back and forth off the edge of the truck bed. “Unless we’re talking about gardening. Then dirt and being in the earth will play a pretty important role.”

James laughed. “I can’t wait to talk about gardening.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

They finished their food and walked along the sand. It was cold but not too windy. Sebastian’s hand was sore and he felt a bit off-balance when he looked at it all bandaged up, but it didn’t wipe the smile from his face. The afternoon was perfect, and nothing could change that.

They returned to Moonlight Falls that evening. While it had been lovely to get out and see the ocean, Sebastian was happy to be home.

That made for a first, and Sebastian could have laughed at himself, but it really did feel good to be in Moonlight Falls. There was a calming undercurrent to the area he swore he hadn’t noticed before. Perhaps it was the magic that all the die-hard Moonlighters swore by, and Sebastian had never noticed it with all the strong negative emotions the town had always triggered in him. Or maybe it felt good because he was coming home with James to a place where he had friends and was beginning to belong.

He hadn’t forgotten the angry mob, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on those particular people.

“Is Eli home?” Sebastian asked as they got out of the truck.

“I think he’s at Parker’s.” James led the way into the house. “Maybe we can go see everyone tomorrow?”

“Sounds good to me.” Sebastian wasn’t in the mood for anything with the group tonight. He needed to figure out how much James had told everyone and if they’d have questions for him. He wouldn’t mind answering them, but he didn’t want to get sucked too deep into memories of that night at Storm House.

“Hey.” James brushed back Sebastian’s bangs. “What’s going on in there?” He tapped Sebastian’s forehead.

“Just thinking about telling everyone all the gory details.” He tried to make light, but it didn’t seem like James bought it.

“I’ve told them everything they need to know. Gory details spared. They know you saved all our lives and that you were brave as fuck.”

Sebastian repressed a smile. “You would tell them that.”

“It’s the truth.” James’s gaze turned thoughtful. “If you ever want to talk about what you went through or what we went through, all you have to do is let me know.”

“Same goes for you.” Sebastian flexed his bandaged hand. “It was a lot. Dealing with the curse and everything surrounding it is going to have lingering effects on all of us. I’m prepared to deal with it, look into some trauma therapy or whatever, but I’m not prepared to be stuck in the past. I don’t want to dwell on it. I want to move on.”

“I’m right there with you.” James’s hand found its way to the small of Sebastian’s back. “On that note, how does an early night and a fresh start in the morning sound?”

“Like heaven.”

They stripped, had a much-needed shower, and crawled into James’s bed. Sebastian snuggled up to James, his head on James’s firm chest.

“Thank you for standing by me,” Sebastian whispered.

“Of course, sweetheart. I’ll always be here for you.”

“And I’ll always be here for you, James.” Sebastian smiled into James’s skin, his familiar smell soothing. They had each other, and that was all that truly mattered.

26

SEBASTIAN

They’d fallen asleep so early that Sebastian woke at midnight feeling relatively well-rested, even if it took him a moment to figure out he was in James’s bed. He couldn’t remember any of the last week, and for a second, he wasn’t sure if the darkness outside was natural or a sign the shades had reinvaded.

The throbbing in his hand cleared things up, triggering a flood of memories.

Sebastian got up and took something for the pain. What happened in the woods was harrowing, but he was able to focus on his success and the immense relief of having it all behind him. He was in a place he feared he’d never reach and wouldn’t stop being overjoyed to have his life back.

As he climbed back into bed, James stirred.

---