Betrayals of Spring (Forever Fae #2)(35)
The hot water relaxes my body, and I sag against the wall of the shower. I can’t wait to see Kalen tomorrow so we can figure out everything with Elissa and also talk about our future plans. I am going to mention to him about my earlier ideas of completing the bond as soon as we can.
The bathroom is steamy with the smell of lavender and fresh cut flowers. I dry off quickly and I take the bathrobe hanging on the back of the door and wrap it snugly around my body. It’s soft and cool making my heated body feel sensational underneath its silky covering. The bed looks comforting and it takes every ounce of energy I have to make it there. I lie on the bed, sinking into its comforting embrace, but I can’t help but feel like something is missing. It only takes one quick second to realize this will be the first night I have spent alone in years. The silence is lonesome, but the fear of being alone doesn’t come. Soon I’ll be in Kalen’s arms every night for the rest of my life.
I can feel my eyelids getting heavier by the minute. I blink a few times, but then I quickly fall into the labyrinth of sleep. All I see as I close my eyes are the colorful array of flowers in the field from the vision, and the ice blue eyes of the man beside me holding me tight.
I wake to the sound of light knocking on the bedroom door. I wait for the person to enter, but the door never opens.
“Come in,” I call out.
The door opens and Finn walks in carrying a tray of food and a steaming cup of something that smells absolutely wonderful. My stomach is growling so loud I know he can hear it as he makes his way into the room. A smile takes over his face and it instantly makes me smile. After everything that’s happened, he is still trying to take care of me. He truly has a heart of gold. He walks over to the side of the bed and his smile slightly falters when he sees me up close. I completely forgot that he would be seeing me in a new light now. Finn never saw me again last night after the change from the vision, so seeing me now has to be hard for him.
I open my mouth to explain, but he cuts me off before I get my first word out.
“You don’t have to explain, Mel.” He sets the tray down in front of me and takes a seat on the bed beside me. I wish he would let me explain so I can tell him how sorry I am and that I don’t want him to hurt. I hold back the tears as best I can. The burn makes me want to blink, but if I blink they will fall.
He continues, “I knew what I was getting into when we became lovers, and I’m fine with that. I’m not going to lie to you, but it does hurt to see you like this.” His eyes are sad and full of longing when he meets mine. “I hate knowing that I will never be with you again.” He reaches over to grab my hand, squeezing it tight. I guess it’s safe to assume he will not be following me to the Spring Court. I know it’s for the best, but I can’t help feeling the twinge of disappointment in my chest.
“So you’ll be staying in the Summer Court, I presume?” I ask to confirm my assumption.
He nods in affirmation, “I would love to follow you, Mel, but I don’t think it would be a great idea.” He pauses for a few minutes in thought, and then his lip starts to tilt up into a mischievous smirk when he teases, “As much as I would like to torment your prince, I don’t think he would enjoy seeing your ex-lover every day.” His smirk grows into a full out grin and the laughter he bellows eases the tension in my chest.
I lean over to kiss his cheek and when I pull back, I give him a warm smile. He stands up and motions to the food he brought in for me.
“You need to eat something, Princess. Elissa will need you to be strong for her today.” Yes, she will, and I plan on doing everything possible to get her out of this mess.
I take a sip of the warm, chocolaty drink that’s in the cup and it tastes like heaven as it glides down my throat. I can taste the touch of cinnamon that’s been sprinkled on top of the cream making the mixture absolutely sinful. Finn looks from me to the covered dish in amusement so I lift the cover curiously. My eyes go wide at the sight of . My mouth is watering and I can’t wait to taste the masterpiece of the food. I thought I was going to have to forgo having my favorite breakfast on this trip. I’m starving, so I will probably eat everything on the plate and then some. I beam at Finn to show my appreciation.
What lies before me is a loaf of pumpkin bread with crumb topping that’s been sliced into thick slices and is surrounded by an assortment of fae berries. It’s my favorite breakfast and Finn knows it. He has been with me every morning for years and has seen me eat the same thing over and over. We have grown to know each other well. What’s strange is that Finn knows more about what I like than Kalen does. I guess I will need to remedy that.
“Thank you so much for this, Finn. How did you come across pumpkin bread here?” I ask curiously.
He shakes his head and laughs, “You think the Winter fae would have this stuff here? No. I packed it, along with the berries, when we loaded up to come here. I knew you would miss it if you didn’t have it. Besides, I didn’t want you to go through withdrawals. You’ve eaten your pumpkin bread every morning since I’ve been with you.”
The clenching in my stomach starts up again because it’s another reminder of losing him.
“I’m going to miss you so much,” I say. He was headed for the door but stops at the sound of my voice.
He looks at me over his shoulder and gives me a tender smile. I can hear the sadness in his voice when he replies, “And I you, Meliantha.”