Love Letters and Thirst Tonics (Moonvale Matches Book 1)

37. Fiella

Ifelt as light as air when I woke up the next morning in my own bed, the dark cloud unable to settle over me.

I had finally figured out who had destroyed my shop, and while that didn’t undo any of the damage or erase any of the lingering pain I still felt, it did make me feel more settled. At peace with the situation.

The mayor of Willowvalley had been thrilled when Kizzi and I dropped Josten off at his dungeon. Apparently, he had received many reports about various magical mishaps, but he didn’t have enough proof from the local townsfolk.

We provided enough evidence to have Josten locked up for a long time, and for his sorcery magic to be stripped. Good riddance.

The distraction had been enough to pull my thoughts away from Redd. At least temporarily.

The handsome vampire always crawled back into my mind, no matter how hard I tried to keep him out of it.

As I swept the seemingly endless dust into the corner of my shop, I considered the vast empty shelves that now lined the walls. While most of the wreckage and damage had been repaired, and my new shelving was beautiful, it looked sparse without my beloved collection of knick knacks.

I had brought home a few pieces from Willowvalley–a few sets of teacups and goblets, a painted vase, and a lovely lamp–but it wasn’t nearly enough. Not even close.

The measly supply I had would only make me a handful of silvers in sales. It wouldn’t even come close to covering the debt I had accrued for the supplies to fix my shop.

I needed to travel. I needed to restock. And I needed to do it soon.

The day crawled by at a snail’s pace. The shop felt empty. Cold even though a fire was crackling in the newly installed hearth.

I was working in the unfinished loft, having climbed the half-built stairs more like a ladder. The new daybed I had just hauled up looked lonely without any storage crates surrounding it.

I had finished off the last of Kizzi’s bluebell-infused thirst tonic before our journey, so I made a mental note to pick up another. My blue hair, twisted into a messy knot on my head, had grown on me. I was strangely sad to think about my strands fading back into a caramel color. Maybe Kizzi could help me keep it around…

I was pulled from my musings by the sound of my front door opening and the bell chiming. Paw pads pattered in my direction, deftly climbing the unfinished stairs.

“Meow!” Sookie called out, followed by a chunky orange cat.

How she managed to open the front door, I did not know. I chose not to consider the conundrum too closely.

“My baby girl! I’ve missed you!” I called out, bending down to scratch her chin. “Who’s your friend here?” I stuck my hand out for the orange cat, but he merely sniffed my hand and moved along. Rude, but understandable. I didn’t like strangers either.

Sookie soaked up my attention for long minutes, making up for lost time. “I bet you missed me, huh. Did you manage to steal any pastry crumbs while I was gone?” I cooed.

She purred in response.

The front door opened again, the breeze carrying in the familiar scent of mint and sandalwood that I didn’t think I would ever smell again. A swarm of butterflies erupted in my stomach, fluttering and trying to break free. My heart took off at a gallop.

“Why, the stranger has returned,” I called out, keeping my eyes on the cat in front of me even though they ached to take in the vampire. I tried to keep my voice from betraying the roiling emotions I felt.

“Hello to you too, sweet Fiella,” Redd said, his voice rough around the edges. He stepped in and closed the door. He took one step towards me.

Two.

Three.

He approached the stairs to the loft, and he came into view as he climbed up to the upper level with me.

I rose slowly, finally glancing in his direction.

It was like a punch to the gut. I had forgotten how handsome Redd was, and his face was pulled into a tentative smile. Nervous. Perhaps… bashful?

I had been so distracted by his face that it took me a few heartbeats to notice what was in his arms. His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows, and his muscles were taut under the weight of the basket.

My jaw went slack at what I saw. I flew to his side, mesmerized. The basket was carrying the most beautiful creations I had ever seen. Sculptures, of both critters and folk, carved with the precision only a master could manage. I reached out a finger, desperate to find out if they were real or just a mirage of perfection.

Redd’s deep chuckle distracted me. “Why Fiella, it is alarming to see you so speechless. Shall I call Velline? Do you need a medic?”

I flushed all the way to my hairline. I wasn’t sure if I was more embarrassed to be caught staring at him or at his sculptures.

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my cool. “Who, me? I could never be speechless. What do you have there?”

“Isn’t there another question you’d rather ask first?” he asked, quirking a full eyebrow. “I was expecting you to scream at me. Perhaps throw a few things. At least grant me one of those adorable glares.”

I snorted, with only a dash of humor, “Oh right. Where in the Hell’s Realm have you been? You vanished like a wraith. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, sweet Fiella.” He smiled for just a moment, and then it dropped from his face. “I had something to take care of back in Sunhaven. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first, I just… After that night…”

“You don’t owe me anything. It’s fine, Redd.”

“No. It’s not fine. I should have told you I was leaving but I was afraid that if I had to look into your eyes, I wouldn’t be able to go.”

He set the basket down on a nearby shelf and turned back to face me. He reached out slowly, giving me time to pull away if I chose to, and grasped my shoulders. My breath caught in my throat at the look on his face–pained, eager, pleading.

He slowly lowered his face toward mine, his brown eyes glowing in the fire light.

Holy shit, is he going to kiss me? Do I want him to kiss me? My body acted without my permission, my face tilting up like a flower reaching for sunlight.

I could feel his pulse thumping in his veins almost as hard as mine, our hearts echoes of each other. He hesitated for a heartbeat before his eyes closed. Mine followed.

Instead of softly pressing his lips against mine, he leaned our foreheads together.

I tried to contain my disappointment. I was supposed to be mad at him for leaving without warning, not aching for him to kiss me.

I scrunched my eyes shut even tighter. His warm breath caressed my face. His hands slid from my shoulders, over my neck, to the base of my skull, cradling my head.

We stayed there for long heartbeats, sharing breath, neither of us willing to shatter the fragile moment.

He exhaled heavily before he spoke. “I am going to speak, and I would like you to listen to everything before you respond.”

His scent was hypnotizing me. Lulling my senses. His grip on my head kept me solid.

“What do you mean? What if I hav–”

“Fiella,” he interrupted me. “Please.”

With a sigh, I agreed.

“You already know the story about why I left Sunhaven, but that isn’t what I told my family when I departed. I just fled as quickly as I could,” he stated. “I knew I had to go back. To check on them. To make sure they were okay. My Ma had sent me a few letters, but they were strange.” He shook his head. “I was already planning to go, but then you asked me out.”

“I didn’t! I–”

“Fiella,” he chastised me.

“Sorry. Continue.”

“There was never the right moment to tell you. And then we kissed, and then you slammed the door in my face, and… I just left.” He sighed, caressing the back of my head with slow strokes of his fingers. “For a moment, just a moment, I considered never coming back.”

I tried to object but he pressed his thumb over my mouth, silencing me. “I know. I know, Fiella. But I couldn’t. Did you hear that? Let me say it again so you understand me completely. I couldn’t stay away from you. The thought of never seeing your face again, never hearing your laugh, never…” He shook his head lightly, as though clearing those thoughts away. “I couldn’t take it. It made me sick.”

His thumb rubbed over my bottom lip, gently, back and forth. A shiver crawled down my spine.

“I had to come back. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I let you go without telling you how I feel. Without taking a chance. Because even if you take my heart and stomp all over it, I had to at least try.”

He released me and stepped back, finally meeting my gaze. My skin felt cold without his warmth.

I knew what the action meant. He was giving me a moment to think, to process, to breathe. But he didn’t go far.

The space between us was small, but it contained the whole realm.

“So, what do you say, my sweet Fiella? What will it be?”

I found myself speechless once again.