Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

F ia stirred, her eyes fluttering open. For a moment, she lay still, waiting for the familiar wave of exhaustion to crash over her. But it didn’t come. Instead, she felt... rested. Calm. It was such a foreign sensation that she almost didn’t recognize it.

Pushing herself up, she glanced at the clock. Had she really slept for six hours straight? The house was quiet, no cries from Vienna breaking the peace. Fia’s heart quickened for a moment before she forced herself to relax. Sayer was home. Everything was fine.

She padded to the kitchen, drawn by the aroma of something delicious. Sayer stood by the counter, phone pressed to his ear. When he saw her, his face lit up with a smile that made her heart skip.

“Gotta go,” he said into the phone, ending the call and crossing the room in a few long strides. Before Fia could say a word, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against his chest.

“How are you feeling?” he murmured into her hair.

Fia melted into his embrace, savoring the warmth and solidity of him. “Surprisingly... rested,” she admitted, her voice muffled against his shirt.

Sayer pulled back just enough to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing the line of her cheekbone. “Good,” he said softly, then leaned in to kiss her. It was tender and sweet, filled with all the words they’d been too tired to say lately.

When they parted, Sayer’s eyes were serious. “I’m glad you asked for help even if it wasn’t from me. I just... I’m happy you’re rested.”

Fia felt a pang of guilt. “Sayer, I-”

He shook his head, cutting her off gently. “No, it’s okay. I just want you to remember that I’m always here to listen and help with whatever you need.”

“Thank you,” Fia said, her throat tight with emotion. “I really only called Luna to vent about Vienna’s sleep issues. I had no idea...”

“That there was a hex?” Sayer finished for her. “Yeah, that was... quite a surprise. But I’m grateful to them for figuring it out.” He paused, a mischievous glint entering his eyes. “And speaking of gratitude, I have a surprise for you.”

Fia raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself. “Oh?”

“We’re going out tomorrow,” Sayer announced. “Tabitha and Luna are going to babysit for the day.”

“What? Sayer, I don’t know if I can leave Vienna all day after everything-”

He cut her off with another quick kiss. “Fia, your mental, emotional, and physical health are important too. You need a break.”

She wavered, torn between the ingrained urge to stay close to Vienna and the undeniable appeal of a day out. “Where are we going?”

Sayer’s grin widened. “On a date. Just be ready to relax.”

“But Vienna-”

“Has eaten dinner and is sound asleep,” Sayer assured her. “Now, let’s heat up our food. I’m starving.”

As they sat to eat, Fia felt more like herself than she had in weeks. The food was delicious, but it was Sayer who held her attention. Had his eyes always been that shade of green? And when did his smile get so... distracting?

“So,” she said, twirling pasta around her fork, “a whole day, huh? What exactly do you have planned?”

Sayer leaned back in his chair, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “That would be telling, wouldn’t it?”

Fia narrowed her eyes. “Not even a hint?”

“Nope,” he chuckled. “But I promise you’ll enjoy it.”

“I don’t know,” Fia teased, “I might need some convincing.”

Sayer’s gaze darkened, sending a shiver down her spine. “I think that can be arranged,” he said, his voice low and husky.

A mix of excitement and anticipation bubbled in her chest. It had been so long since they’d had a moment like this, just the two of them, without exhaustion clouding everything.

“You know,” she said, leaning forward slightly, “I’m feeling pretty awake right now.”

Sayer’s eyes flickered to her lips. “Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm,” Fia hummed. “In fact, I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep at all tonight.”

“Well,” Sayer said, standing and offering her his hand, “I suppose we’ll just have to find a way to tire you out.”

Fia took his hand, laughing as he pulled her to her feet and into his arms. As their lips met in a kiss that was anything but sleepy, Fia silently thanked Luna and the others. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was truly awake – and she intended to make the most of it.