Page 51 of Perfectly Charmed Pixie

A larger breath raised my body higher, and I eased down as Vander expelled the deep intake. “You awake?” he asked, voice scratchy.

“Hmm…maybe.” I placed the palm of my hand over Vander’s pectoral, loving the strength beneath. Vander’s larger palm cupped mine and gently squeezed.

I waited for him to ask what happened, why I’d shown up half-frozen on his doorstep.

Instead, Vander asked, “How are you feeling? Are you warm enough? I deactivated my heat charms a few hours ago, but I can turn them back on if needed.”

I flushed at his caring. “I’m fine. Plenty warm.” I needed to pee, and my stomach felt like a hollow shell, but I wasn’t lying about being warm.

“Good. I don’t know about you, but the bathroom’s calling my name. The kitchen too. Byx is up. She poked her head in about thirty minutes ago and asked if she should start breakfast. You were still asleep, so I told her to hold off. You ready to face the day?”

I didn’t think it mattered whether I was ready or not. Like it always did, day followed night. The rising of the sun meant I needed to face my life and figure shit out. I had no idea how I would do that, but it didn’t matter. I had to solve this problem. There was no other choice.

Pushing off Vander’s chest and leaving our little nest of blankets and comfort was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I did it anyway. Vander’s hands cupped my ass, holding me still. His intimate touch didn’t stir so much as a single word of protest.

“You take my bathroom. I’ll use the one down the hall.” Vander kissed my forehead, his lips skimming down my temple and to my cheek. Little pants of air jetted past my lips, and my eyelids fluttered. I was only partly ashamed of the whine I emitted when he pulled away.

I didn’t hurry while in the bathroom. After relieving myself, I went to the mirror and couldn’t believe how good I still looked. Vander’s charm felt heavier against my thigh. It wasn’t real. I had no idea what I really looked like, but I could guarantee it wasn’t the perfection staring back at me. For the first time, I hated that image. It wasn’t real, and that seemed suddenly wrong.

Confusion swamped me as water rushed over my hands. The lathered soap slipped down the drain, and I wished I could wash away my racing thoughts the same way.

When I opened the door, the smell of bacon and eggs assaulted my nose. I didn’t hate the scent, but like every other pixie, I was a vegetarian. I sincerely hoped there was something in the kitchen I could eat.

I shouldn’t have worried. A fresh bowl of fruit was placed in front of one of the kitchen chairs, a glass of orange juice accompanying it.

“I wasn’t sure if you drink coffee,” Byx said, a skillet of eggs in one hand, one plate already full and the other ready to be served. “I also don’t have any tofu, so I couldn’t do much better than the fruit. I’ve got bread and can make some toast if you’d like.”

I smiled, flying over to the chair and taking a seat. It wasn’t a backless chair, so I had to arrange my wings, but I didn’t mind. “This is plenty. Thank you, Byx.”

“You’re welcome. Van should be in soon.”

The words no more than left Byx’s mouth than Vander walked in. Clapping his hands together, he rubbed vigorously, a huge grin plastered on his face. “This looks and smells fantastic. Thanks for cooking this morning, Byx.”

The brownie lifted a shoulder, placing the warm skillet into the sink. “No biggie. I’ve been up for a while.”

We sat in companionable silence, each of us hungry enough that conversation was kept to a minimum. It didn’t seem strained or awkward. Occasionally Byx and Vander engaged in shoptalk. They decided the storefront should be opened today. I got the feeling they’d closed yesterday and felt a pang of guilt. Most likely, Vander hadn’t felt up to it. He looked a lot better this morning than he had the night he’d left my home.

I was surprised when I looked into my bowl, only to find it empty. I’d been hungrier than I’d thought.

“Do you want more?” Byx politely asked. “We’ve got some more bananas. I’ve got some pistachios too. Not sure if that’s really breakfast food or not.” Byx’s little nose crinkled with thought. It was terribly cute and went along with the soft purring emanating from her…head…

My eyes flew wide. “Goddess, are your hair clips moving?” I’d never seen anything like it.

“Oh. Yeah. You like it?” Byx reached up, petting one of the clips. “I magicked them. I’ve got others but thought the cats would be best for today.”

“She’s also got hissing squirrels and dragons that, thankfully, only emit smoke,” Vander added with pride.

“I’m still working out the fire bit,” Byx leaned over and conspiratorially whispered, although clearly, Vander could hear her. “Van thinks it’s dangerous, but I think it would be super cool. What do you think?”

I blinked and answered, “I think it’s a little of both.”

Byx grinned, showing off her pointed teeth. “Excellent answer.”

“Yes, very diplomatic,” Vander agreed. “Now, why don’t you get ready so you can open up the store? You cooked. It’s only fair that Parsnip and I clean up.”

“You sure? I can do that if you two need to talk or something.”

“Nah, we’re good, and if Parsnip wants to talk, then there’s no reason he can’t do it while drying.” Vander got up, grabbed the plates from the table, and headed for the sink.

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