When Sera woke up the next morning, it was with an overjoyed heart and a smile on her face. Matt had finally come; she felt as if she were whole again… but when she opened her eyes, he wasn’t there. She instantly panicked. It hadn’t been a dream—he was there, he had to be.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming herself so she could listen. She didn’t exactly have her father’s elven hearing, but her hearing was a little above average, and her bedroom door was cracked open.
She smiled again a moment later when she heard Matt's voice, and then her mother’s. She couldn’t tell what they were saying, but it didn’t matter—he was really here. Then she heard another sound that made her happy: the front door opened and two people started up the stairs. She knew it was Tess and Ayden by the familiar sound of Tess' booted steps. They looked surprised when they walked into her bedroom to find her beaming at them.
“Is he…?” Ayden asked as he went to sit on the bed beside her.
Sera nodded. “He’s probably in the kitchen.”
He smiled. “Never thought I’d be happy at news that Matt’s around,” he said, laughing softly. “You’ll get better now, right?”
Tess plopped down on the end of the bed. “Yeah, no more giving up on living?”
Sera shifted and Ayden helped her into a sitting position. “Definitely wanting to live,” she told them brightly.
“Good,” Ayden said in relief, and pulled her into his arms.
Tess crawled to Sera’s other side and hugged her, too.
Sera laughed. “Are you two going to smoosh me back to health?”
They chuckled, but then instantly grew serious when Matt walked into the room.
“Go over there,” Sera told them softly, though she didn’t take her adoring gaze from Matt.
They got up and sat in her corner armchair, Tess on Ayden’s lap. “It’s about time,” Tess said. “You sure the hell took long enough.”
Matt set a tray with breakfast on the side table, then sat beside Sera when she reached out for him. She snuggled into his arms with a blissful sigh. “I didn’t think it’d be possible for anyone to forgive me… to actually care after seeing…” He shook his head. “But someone reminded me that she’s an angel,” he said, and kissed the top of her head.
“Who?”
“Viv tracked me down.”
“Vivyka?” Ayden and Tess said in union, both astonished.
Then Tess smiled. “Guess she finally realized it wasn’t about her.”
“But how’d she find you?” Ayden wanted to know.
Matt shrugged. “She dated me and lived with me for almost a year. She knows me better than most.”
“I can’t believe after everything, she actually did that,” Tess said.
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked, frowning at Sera who was wiping away a few tears that had escaped.
“I’m happy and touched that she would do that for me.”
“So you’re crying?” he asked incredulously.
She laughed softly. “Yes.”
“Okay,” he said slowly, feeling bewildered. “Well, there’s food. Eat it,” he commanded, then added disapprovingly, “You’re too damn thin.” He moved out of her way, and she reluctantly let go. He sat on the other side of her, by the window, and leaned back against the headboard while she grabbed the bowl of her mother’s warm apple oatmeal.
Matt took out his silver case and was about to light a cigarette when Sera stopped him. “My parents don’t like smoking; you’ll have to go outside,” she said apologetically, then explained in one word: “Woodlanders.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I know. But your mother said I can smoke in here until you get better, and told your father to be quiet when he tried to argue.”
Sera grinned. “Go Mom.”
He smiled, but then looked pointedly at her bowl. She smiled back and started eating.
He lit his cigarette and took a drag, then looked over at the others and let out a smoky sigh. “Sorry… if that means anything,” he told them sincerely. He met Tess’s gaze. “I was just trying to provoke him so he’d want to off me.” He glanced at Ayden.
“It worked,” Tess told him.
“Yeah, I’m generally pretty good at making people want to kill me.”
She nodded. “Well, aside from you being an asshole, which from you is to be expected”—she smirked—“you didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. Unfortunately,” she added with a sigh. “But I’m really the one to blame for… that.”
“I am, really,” Ayden mumbled. “For not telling you.”
“Regardless of blame, it’s over now,” Tess told them both. “So, let’s just never bring it up again, okay?”
“Yes, please,” Ayden said.
“No problem,” Matt agreed.
“Then we’re cool,” Tess said easily.
“After everything?” Matt asked, amazed. “You’re okay with me?”
“First of all”—she glanced at Sera—“I don’t have a choice. Second, I wasn’t lying when I said I liked you before I found out who you were, and you told me that was all real except for a couple lies. That was true, right?”
“Yes. I hate lying or pretending. It’s stupid and usually pointless, so I did as little as possible.”
Tess nodded. “Well then, I think you’re an ass, and I think you’ve done some really screwed-up things, but… I’m okay.”
“I hurt your friend,” he reminded her.
“Three years ago,” she pointed out. “And that’s between you two, not me.”
He stared at her for a moment as he took another drag, then shook his head as he blew the smoke out. “I think your whole family’s crazy.”
She smiled. “Maybe. But don’t worry, Ayd still hates you.”
Matt huffed a small, humorless laugh. “There should be a club; there’s plenty of people to join.”
She laughed. “Gee, so hard to imagine anyone not liking you when you’ve got such a charming personality,” she teased.
He just smiled and took another drag of his cigarette.
“So, where’s your sword?” Ayden asked.
“Needed money,” Matt answered, exhaling smoke.
“So you sold it,” Ayden said tightly.
Matt nodded.
“To who?”
“Mages Guild.”
Ayden let out a small sigh. “Well, at least it’s back in mage hands.”
“As it should be, right?” Matt said, rolling his eyes.
“Exactly,” Ayden returned, a bit snidely.
Tess shared a look with Sera, then stood. “Well, we should probably go.” She took Ayden’s hand and pulled him up. They walked over and kissed Sera before leaving.
Sera turned to Matt and smiled at him, but he was frowning, feeling possessive. She easily guessed why. “We’re family, it’s normal.”
“Ayden’s not family, and he kissed your lips,” he grumbled.
“So did Tess, and that wasn’t a kiss.”
“Lips touching, technically a kiss.”
“Not a real kiss,” she told him. “Ayden and I have been friends since we were six, he’s dating my cousin, and I love him. Not the way I love you, but the way I love Tess and my parents—like family.”
“I still don’t like it,” he muttered.
“You don’t have to like it. But it’s a harmless show of affection and I won’t give it up,” she told him firmly. “You’ll just have to get used to it.”
He sighed forcefully.
She smiled. “Why don’t you get over here and give me a real kiss," she suggested, setting down her bowl.
He scowled at her. “After his lips were on you?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’d better not touch my hand then, because others have touched it, you know.” She adjusted herself so that she was angled more in his direction. “You’re just upset because you’re used to getting your own way.”
He continued to frown.
“Oh, stop being grumpy.”
“Then do what I say,” he demanded.
She touched his cheek, drawing him closer. “No,” she whispered.
“Are you going to be saying that word a lot?” he asked, though he couldn’t completely hide his smile.
“If I have to,” she replied honestly. “I’ll also tell you to be quiet and kiss me already.”
He crushed the end of his cigarette between his thumb and finger, putting it out, and then tossed it into the little trash bin next to her writing desk. He grew serious as he looked into her eyes. “I still can’t believe you love me,” he murmured. “I don’t deserve your love, or your forgiveness.”
She smiled. “Tough—you have both.”
He smiled back. “My angel,” he whispered, and finally kissed her.
