Page 42 of Magic & Mochas
When the last of the lights became pinpricks on the horizon, Thorne carried me the rest of the way to the shop’s front door.But when I made as if to stand, so I could unlock the door, Thorne’s arms only tightened around me.
“Thank you Thorne, but you can let me down now.”Laughter lightened my tone.
“I've got this.”A tendril of shadow slipped into the keyhole and I heard the lock click open.
With a mischievous grin, he swept inside and had his shadows lock the door behind us.He didn’t even hesitate once as he navigated through the dark shop without bumping into a single chair or table, and continued up the stairs to the apartment.He unlocked that door just as quickly and easily as the first.
With a flick of my wrist, I sent glowing golden balls of light into the corners of the room, giving the apartment a cozy atmosphere.But the warmth they gave off was nothing compared to what was currently melting me from the inside out.
I reached up and brought his face closer to mine.I breathed in his scent of cinnamon like a drowning sailor seeking air.With a tenderness I had feared I would never feel again, I pressed my lips against his.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to share with you,” Thorne murmured.
Shadows erupted around us and formed into a massive cocoon.It was so dark I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, but I wasn’t worried for a moment—not when I could feel Thorne’s arms around me.
When the darkness faded, we were standing on what must have been the roof of the building.But next to the chimney, I spotted a thick blanket draped across the shingles.Thorne carried me over to it, and knelt to gently place me on top of the blanket before sitting down next to me.
“I like to come up here whenever I need to clear my head,” he explained.“Since Willowmere is surrounded by the forest, this is one of the best places to see the stars.”
I looked up, and was awed by what I saw.The stars looked like they had been scattered across a bed of crushed velvet.They sparkled as brightly as diamonds and glimmered with their own inner magic.Splashes of deep indigo and violet made the entire view look like one big painting.In the distance, I could even make out some of the glowing paper lanterns from the ball as they drifted along in the breeze.
“You can still see the lanterns from up here,” I murmured with a smile.“It makes everything else seem so small.”
“It does help put things into perspective,” he agreed.“Which is why coming up here always reminds me how small my doubts and fears really are, in the grand scheme of things.”
There was a vulnerability in the way he said that, that made my breath hitch.Based on how he kept a blanket up here, I had a feeling that he frequented this refuge more often than he cared to admit.
“On the nights when Rasmus was snoring soundly next to me, completely oblivious to the way I was wondering if I was truly following the right path, I would cast a spell on the ceiling to show me the sky, instead.”Only Silas knew about this particular secret of mine.I had kept my doubts hidden, even from my closest friends.
“Did you ever make a wish on a shooting star?”
It felt like he could see right through me.“Every time.”
“What would you wish for?”
“A life worth living.”I had never given voice to it before.
His violet eyes bored into mine.“Has your wish come true yet?”
“It has—just now, in fact,” I admitted softly.“Now I’m near my parents and friends, I have my own business that allows me creative freedom, and…I’ve found someone to share my life with.”
“What a coincidence.”His smile was so radiant I nearly had to close my eyes.When we first met, he had hardly ever smiled.But over the last few days, Thorne smiled every time he looked at me—and I could hardly get enough of the sight.“My wish has also come true.”
The way he was looking at me made me think that I was the fulfillment of his wish, just as he was the fulfillment of mine.
“Thank you for sharing it with me, Thorne.”I laced my fingers through his.“This place is beautiful.”
“It’s not nearly as beautiful as you.”
This felt surreal, like a dream—the kind I never wanted to wake up from.But I was afraid that, when I did, Thorne would be gone.But if we were both being vulnerable tonight, then…
“Sometimes, you make me worry that just like your shadows, you’ll disappear in the blink of an eye.”I removed his mask so I could see his expression properly, setting it aside.
His breath hitched.“Before I came to Willowmere, it was easy for me to slip away, to move on to the next town.No one else has ever tried to hold onto me like you have.”He removed my mask with a tenderness that warmed my heart.
Strands of dark hair fell over his eyes, and I could feel a slight tremor coming from the hand I held.Maybe it was the way he was looking at me, but I felt brave—brave enough to ask the question that had been hovering on my lips for days.
“If I asked you to stay, would you?”I held my breath as I waited for his answer.
