Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-One
S irena found the open study and closed the door with a snap, escaping from the music. The room, with its fireplace, couches, and plush chairs, was cozy and spacious all at once. She needed a quiet second to think and collect herself after what just happened. The instant she saw Gus holding Lucy’s bouquet like he’d won an award and beaming with love for her and her family, she knew he had her heart, but wasn’t her—Click.
Her jaw dropped to her chest. So, that happened.
Auntie Niesha fussed about his single status. Click.
Lucy teased Gus and hugged him. Click.
Her soul clicked. Even more, she remembered their kindred lives. Relief flooded her brain as all the memories he shared with her returned. Even though they had a past, she wanted to know their future.
Love never had good timing. He was leaving in three days.
She had made so many mistakes over the last few years, she just wanted to be right for once. She stilled her breath and peered into the flame. Was this the right path for her?
Sirena fell to her knees and studied the fireplace.
Give me a sign. The fire burned hot, warming her chilled body. Focus. Breathe. Empty your mind. She listened to the crackle of the flame, and eventually her heart spoke clearly.
Trust.
Tears flowed from her eyes.
He’ll meet you halfway. Trust. He loves the fire in you.
She had to trust that Gus would meet her halfway. He’d try to understand that this career, this job, fed and nourished a vital part of her. In turn, she couldn’t feed everything—her time, her attention, and her love—to the fire. Magic was about balance. Love was about balance.
Her time in the Grove wasn’t a waste, but it had taught her the first steps to balancing her life.
She didn’t have to hustle day and night, but rather rest and have fun, so she could build a life she could take joy in. Trust your love for him and your magic. There it was. She dropped her head to her chest in realization. She loved Gus as much as she loved kitchen magic, and she didn’t want either to break her heart. For a brief instant, Sirena imagined her life without both, and it was bleak and cold. A shudder went through her at that idea. She’d be safe in the coldness, but her life would lack the warmth and glow that cooking and being with her family and Gus brought. Sirena gathered herself and stood up from the floor. She whispered her thanks to the fire for showing her a way forward. The study’s door opened. Gus appeared with the bouquet still clutched in his hand.
She stared at him, completely besotted.
Unease was etched on his face. “You left so quickly. Is everything okay?”
She grinned. “I needed a second.”
Gus came over to her. “You said you wanted to talk.”
She told him about the cookbook offer. Gus listened. He spoke when she was finished.
Gus held the bouquet to his chest, almost like a shield. “Ah. It was only a matter of time. You’re too talented to be ignored.”
“No one’s ignoring me now.”
He just watched her. “That’s my girl.”
There was no disappointment in his words, only pride and love. She was going to make space for him in her life. She was going to make space for him in her dreams and in her heart.
“I’m going to wait to meet with the agent. I’m going to work on the book proposal.”
Gus swallowed hard and stared at Sirena, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
He peered at her face. “Si, I don’t want you to miss this opportunity.”
“I’m going to take my time.”
“I wish I could see the future,” he said.
“I know what happens,” she said confidently. “Your show is amazing, and you have sold-out crowds for months. We walk London Bridge, and we have afternoon tea. We see the lavender fields in Provence, and you buy me soap that makes my clothes smell divine. You ask me to marry you in the kitchen after dinner one rainy night. We make love in our library, but eventually I remember to say yes. How does it sound?”
He answered her thickly. “I’d like that a lot. No, I’d love it. That life sounds like a lot of fun.”
Sirena stood before him with her heart in her hands. “I want to go with you to London. May I join you?”
“Yes,” he said. The light she loved about him lit up his face. He shined as beautifully as the morning sun. “Always. I want you with me. I love you.”
The words dropped like a spell from her mouth. “I love you too.”
Gus placed the bouquet on the table and took her hands in his. He pressed his forehead to hers, pinching his eyes shut in disbelief. “Say it again. Please.”
Sirena told him twice, and then once more for good measure.
With each time, his smile grew until he appeared as gleeful as if he had won the state lottery.
She warned him playfully, “You’re going to get sick of hearing those words all the time.”
He pressed a kiss to her temple, then peered at her. “If you say those words for a hundred years, I’ll never grow tired of hearing them. I love you, too. I want to spend all my days making memories with you. I’m sorry that I didn’t formally ask you to join me. I didn’t want to assume you wanted to go with me. I wanted to give you a choice.”
Love burned stronger and brighter than any flame inside of her chest the longer she stared at him. “Ask me now. Please.”
“Will you come with me to London?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. Gus swung her into his arms and twirled her around.
Sirena let out a joyous laugh. “I’ll find my passport. I don’t have a suitcase.”
He put her down, bouncing up and down with glee. Gus paced back and forth in the room, talking excitedly. “I’ll buy you seven. But let’s start with two. We’ll get your travel arrangements taken care of tomorrow and I’ll book your ticket. Ma rented a house and—” Gus paused. He approached Sirena standing less than a foot away. Worry stirred behind his eyes. “Wait. I’m getting ahead of myself. I don’t want to rush you into anything too soon. I know you wanted to go slow. Are you sure?”
Sirena tilted her head in a yes. “I’m sure. I’m sure about you and about us.”
He blinked. “There’s an us.”
“There’s always been an us. It clicked. I understand now. I remember . We promenaded by gaslight and watched the world transform into something new. We tracked the constellations and kept records in golden books. I kept you warm by fires under star-filled skies. We’ve lived this story before in different eras and places.”
The worry in his eyes disappeared and was replaced with love. Sirena angled her body into his, closing the small distance between them. Gus stood before her, a glowing image of fire, magic, and, most of all, true love.
He’s mine, all mine, and I’m not letting him go.
“You’re telling me we’re soulmates ,” he whispered.
“I believe the term is kindred ,” she suggested. “My soul has found yours across lifetimes and oceans. We tempted fate, and we’ve played with fire. We are destined for each other.”
Sirena kissed him, and they remained embraced for what seemed like forever.
They returned to the party sometime later and danced happily with their family and friends until it was minutes to midnight. Callie held up a tablet with a live feed of Times Square. Everyone joined in once the countdown reached ten. The ball dropped, confetti showered over the party, and cups flowed with champagne and sparkling apple cider. The entire house erupted with joyful noise, and kisses were shared between friends, lovers, and colleagues in the Grove.
As Gus pulled Sirena in for their first of many, many midnight kisses and apple cider toasts, it was official.
Sirena Rachel Caraway had found her true love.