Page 71 of Icy Heart, Empty Chest
We sat on his bed for a moment, looking at that wall. “That was Mom,” he said in a raspy voice. “Always wanted to add to the wall, no matter what it was.”
He took my hand and put his head on my shoulder. I saw a tear escape down.
“I was always so proud of you too. More than I could ever express.”
He squeezed my hand.
“Look at me for a sec?” He raised his head.
“I loved you then,” I said, pointing up at the wall, “and I love you now.”
His breath hitched. I hadn’t said it before now. He broke into a watery smile. “My sweet nymph. I was wondering how long I’d have to hold back saying it to not freak you out.” He gave me a soft sweet kiss. “More than life itself, I love you, Cora.”
My own happy tears started to flow. It was possibly the oddest make-out session I’d ever had in my life.
I tugged him up from the bed. “Come on. Let’s go get some good memories of your mom. Then maybe go celebrate.”
He picked me up and whirled me around. “The fact that you dropped the love bomb on me?”
“Yes and you said it back.” I blushed. Or that we even got to say it in the first place.
“Was there ever really a doubt?” he asked lightly.
I shook my head. Not anymore.
We called a realtor the next day.
The new househad a weight room in the basement for him and a library for me. I moved in as many pieces as I had, filling the walls with art and bookshelves, a comfy chaise piled up with blankets for the times I needed solitude. We were both prone to occasional melancholy, especially where the past was concerned. Sometimes you could just tell without talking, when one would fall into the other’s arms after a long day. Words weren’t needed until you wanted to talk. I often found myself overwhelmed with the pacing of the program and dropping into his lap to have him assure me that no, I wasn’t an idiot, yes, he still loves me and yes, that I’m going to make a great healer one day. He’d give me a hug for another minute and tell me to get back to it.
Now we were goingonto another chapter, I had graduated and I’d be at the hospital for work. People around town seemed surprised at the change up from the apron to a set of scrubs but I got a lot more encouragement than I thought. I had dreaded telling Amy that I was quitting but she had broken into a rare smile and told me that it was about time.
Marie had practically tackled me, jumping up and down in excitement. She had long forgiven Dae and I for getting together. The day I sat her down to tell her the slightly abridged version of the truth, I could see her heart expanding in real time because of the “romance” of it all. She had moved on anyway, with a centaurshe had met in one of her classes. Nice guy, clearly head over hooves for her. I’d also likely see her at the hospital when she got into medical school.
As Damienand I were leaving the school grounds hand in hand, I felt a cool breeze to my right and turned. Filla.
I hadn’t had contact with her since the dekartios incident and I could only assume she had come for payment. It had been over two years.
Damien froze. The last time he had seen her was when she removed his heart in the first place.
“Hello, Cora.” She stared at me, unblinking.
“How can I help you, Filla?” My hands were getting soaked with sweat.
“Thursdays you work for me, now. Bookkeeping, shipping, some ingredient mixing.”
No pleasantries. No beating around the bush.
“Until your debt is paid. Nine am. Bring coffee. Don’t worry, little one, I don’t bite.”
I tightened my grip on his hand and nodded.
She gave us a ghost of a smile and vanished.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“How long do you think you’re going to have to work there?” asked Damien cautiously.
“Couple years maybe? That’s actually much more tame than what I thought would happen.” Struck by lightning, experimented on, put in the stocks and whipped were a little more along the line of what I expected. You never really knew with witches. They could toe that sanity line really hard.
