Page 27 of Incurably Cupid

He winced at Indie’s suddenly subdued expression. Reaching across the table, he took her hand gently. “I’m sorry. You’re beautiful and wonderful. Any male with a pulse would be lucky to date you.”

She squeezed his hand once, clearly forgiving him, then let go. “So, back to the spit.”

Mordecai sighed, put on noise-canceling earbuds, and finished his meal in peace while Indie and I chatted quietly about finding my soulmate.

On the walkback to Indie’s house, we stopped at a grocery store. Now that my appetite had made a reappearance with a vengeance, Indie was grumbling that she couldn’t afford to feed me. Naturally, I offered to pay for my food—I wasn’t expecting her to cover my expenses—but she adamantly refused.

Mordecai had taken off right after lunch. He’d given Indie a quick, squeezing hug, to which she’d responded with a string of colorful curses. He’d just laughed, nodded at me, and disappeared.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Mordecai.

Most of the time, he acted like a scheming, mischievous teen, but then he’d turn around and say something shockingly profound. His usual expression was bright and friendly, but I’d seen it shift—just for an instant—into something hollow and dark. He was incredibly intelligent yet strangely naive, worldly in some ways but completely oblivious in others.

But one thing was clear: he cared about Indie.

Lunch had proven that. The moment he realized he’d genuinely hurt her with his thoughtless words, his remorse had been immediate and sincere.

As we rolled down the aisles of the grocery store—me relaxing while Lance did all the work, Indie pushing the cart—I found myself growing curious about her life.

“Do you have any family still living?” I asked. I wasn’t sure how old she was. She looked young, but cupids had the same ageless quality as vampires.

Indie was adding blush-colored oranges to a sack. “I do. Mum and Dad live in another city in Steadfast. Mum’s aschoolteacher like me, but she teaches the younger grades. Dad’s an engineer—he works with the fae.”

The smooth ride in the wheelchair was nice, but exhaustion was creeping in. I leaned back, trying to ease the discomfort in my body.

“Do you get to see them often?”

Indie, now poking avocados to check for ripeness, barely looked up. “Do steak burrito bowls sound good?”

I nodded. “They sound delicious. And thank you for all of this.”

She snorted. “As much as I complain?—”

She didn’t complain at all.

“—I really don’t mind.” She shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable. “It’s been… nice having someone around. Anyway, yeah, I see them once a month or so. They usually come here because Mum likes to shop in Devotion.” A small smile tugged at her lips. “It’s like the Paris of Earth—or any big city, really. So many amazing shops. Mum goes a little crazy.”

“I can’t really see you shopping like that with her,” I said, wincing as I adjusted my position. When had I last taken a pain reliever? I knew guys had a reputation for ignoring medicine, but I wouldn’t mind some right about now.

Indie made a face. “I definitely shop.”

I tilted my head. “Online, huh?”

She sighed as she bagged peaches. “I don’t know how anyone enjoys shopping for clothes in person. It’s an exercise in torture.”

I laughed. “Same. I just order everything in bulk.”

Her gaze flicked over my black tactical pants, worn-in boots, and simple long-sleeve tee. She nodded in approval. “I like that. It’s simpler.”

“Now, Mordecai, on the other hand…”

She laughed. “Yeah, he’s definitely flamboyant. Loves his bright colors, and his silk shirts and vests. But honestly, a lot of cupids are like that.”

After we finished shopping—andafter I tried and failed to help put away the groceries—Lance wheeled me over to the kitchen table so I could stay out of Indie’s way.

“I really appreciate you doing all of this,” I told her.

She shrugged. “I was kinda ordered to.”

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