Page 69 of Incurably Cupid

Mesmer’s wings tightened around me, and then he murmured, “Should I be worried about your sense of creative justice, mate? The embarrassment of being stuck to the tower, helpless while hundreds of cupids whisper and stare, beforehe’s carted off to the Deep Dark—it’s inspired.” He kissed the crown of my head, his voice deepening into an amused rumble. “Remind me never to tick you off. The creative vengeance you’d unleash might keep me up at night.”

I smiled sleepily. “Good. That’s as it should be.”

He chuckled.

I thought his stone body would be cold, but it wasn’t. It was like stones warmed by the sun. It was so comforting that I almost dozed off. I might have, in fact, because when I blinked again, confused, I found that Mordecai had transported Mesmer and me to the hospital. Seeing the doctor approach us while Mesmer held me in his arms, I groaned and let my head fall back against his chest.

“Nope, no! No more hospitals!”

Mesmer ignored me but wisely didn’t let go of me, or I would have bolted.

“Mate, your wrist needs to be set,” he said, sounding entirely logical and reasonable.

“I wanna go home,” I whined. “I’m becoming allergic to hospitals.”

Mordecai chuckled and hugged me. “I’m going to get Lady from Sebastian’s ship. I’ll meet you guys at your house.”

I pouted. “Traitor.”

Mesmer chuckled and kissed me before gently setting me down on the bed the nurse had directed us to. I tried not to scowl too much or bite anyone’s head off as they scanned my wrist magically, set it, and put a temporary cast on it. Temporary because they’d sent me home with fae potions that would heal it in a few days, but until then, I couldn’t move it.

After we’d left the hospital, Mesmer checked in with King Draven and Consort Mia to ensure they had a way of getting back to the villa, then we headed home.

We settled onto the couch together with a long sigh. Mesmer was back in his regular skin, Mordecai had ordered takeout that was due to be delivered any minute, and Lady was lying next to the couch, looking up at us with such a happy expression of love and trust that I couldn’t resist leaning over with my uninjured hand to pat her head. She was a good dog.

Mordecai had settled into one of my reclining chairs. He’d stolen a blanket from my bed and was asleep, slightly snoring.

Mesmer looked amused. “Is this how it’s going to be?” he asked, tracing my cheek with his finger as he gazed lovingly at me. “He’s just going to crash on our recliners whenever he wants?”

I shifted my leg so it wasn’t pinned against the couch. “No.”

Mesmer frowned. “What do you mean, no?”

“I mean we’ll be at the villa; we won’t be here. But that doesn’t mean Mordecai won’t crash on our couch at your house. In fact, we should probably count on it.”

Mesmer tried to sit up, but I didn’t want him to. He was warm and soft and I was tired, so I flopped more heavily onto him, no longer bothering to keep some of my weight off of him. He didn’t even notice but did lie back down again, just like I’d wanted him to.

“What do you mean? We’ll behere, so you can teach and work as a cupid.”

I rested my chin on his chest and stared at his face. He looked upset, so I softened my tone. “Mes, I can be a cupid from anywhere, and I can use the ether to pop in to teach my classes. Mordecai is only a blink away if he wants to visit. You, on the other hand, have a job that keeps you at the Leto Villa. Not just any job, but a very important one. They’re your friends, your family in a way. Why would we stay here when it’s so much more important that you stay there?”

Mesmer’s expression softened, and his eyes went glassy. “I would have left them—for you.”

I smiled tenderly at him and kissed his chin—it was the only thing I could reach without really applying myself. “And I love you too much to ever ask that of you.”

Leo cleared his throat. “As adorable as you all are, the pizza delivery person is coming up the walkway.”

I groaned and sat up, then struggled to my feet. I paid the delivery person and set the five pizza boxes on the table while Mesmer retrieved the plates and cups.

“We’ll save a box for Mordecai,” I said, glancing at my sleeping friend.

Mesmer grunted as he poured Parmesan cheese and hot pepper flakes over his entire box of pizza. He finished his first piece in three bites. I gaped. “Okay, maybe we’ll have to order some more for him.”

Later that night,as we cuddled on the couch again, and Mordecai had gone home for the night—with his box of pizza—we talked about our future: how many kids we hoped for, and what our plans were for both the immediate future and five, ten, thirty years down the road. We talked late into the night—stopping once for ice cream sundaes—and finally fell asleep around four o’clock in the morning.

Leo, being the most amazing friend he was, gave us our privacy and turned off his sensors for the living room. He could still hear us, of course, but we’d work on things like complete privacy later. I was sure he’d help us with that.

My final thought before I fell asleep was one of gratitude. I never thought I’d find someone I felt so at home with. I’dalways said that those who found love were delusional, that their relationships would never last. Anyone who believed differently was living in a fairytale. But I knew... Mesmer and I would last forever.

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