My thumbs tapped faster than my thoughts could form.
I felt pleased.
Another message popped up.
A dramatic cough came from the other side of the room."Are you going to keep doing that all night?I can hear you tapping your phone, it's really loud.It's just tap, tap, tap."
I pushed my blankets back so I could sit up."I'm texting Faye."
"You just saw her, what more could you possibly have to talk about it?There are cats trying to sleep here."
"I'll keep it short," I said, a promise not just for his sake.I did have to get up early to open the coffee house so staying up too long was a bad idea.Even if a part of me wanted to text with Faye all night long, just like when we were in school.
I dimmed the light on my phone even more and tried to tap the screen quieter when I composed my next message.
My heart started hammering.I knew this, of course, I knew this.And yet, seeing it written like that was making me giddy and breathless.After having my heart broken, I didn't think I'd get to feel the flutters of falling in love again but Faye was making me feel so light, it felt like I could float away on a cloud of bliss.
I really didn't want to go to sleep but Balthazar was coughing again, making his opinions very clear.When I glanced in his direction, I could see two shining orbs of anger aimed at me.
I typed out, disappointed that I had to cut the conversation short.
Faye sent an amused emoji, and I could just hear her laugh in my head.
The three kisses at the end meant nothing and everything at the same time.I typed a goodnight message back and darkened my phone, tempted to hold onto it while I slept to keep Faye's message close.That was a little ridiculous so I put the phone on my nightstand.
"Finally," Balthazar said with a grumpy sigh.
"Sorry.I'm just very happy."
"Youth," he grumbled."At least Antique-girl is okay."
That was high praise coming from him.I took it as a sign that he wasn't too upset with me but was just a bit set in his ways.We were still learning how to live and co-exist together so it made sense that there were some growing pains to work out.That was a conversation for later.
For now, I was going to enjoy this elated feeling of everything going right for once.
SIXTEEN
The hot afternoonsun beat down on me and I missed my magic when I had to haul my shopping bags back to the coffee house by hand.This would be the perfect time to get my wand out but I didn't want my magic to lapse in the middle of the street.That would be more inconvenient than the sweat rolling into my damn ass crack.
I tried to wipe my forehead with my arm, mostly slapping myself in the face with my heavy grocery bag.What an annoying chore.I should've had it delivered even if there was an extra charge.
A bike bell chimed somewhere and I turned around, trying to locate the sound.I stepped back just in time to avoid being hit by a hooligan with an electric scooter.The fast movement threw me off balance and the heavy grocery bag around each wrist meant I had nothing but my elbow to brace against the overgrown wall.
The prickly bramble thorns dug into my arm, scraping my skin through the fabric of my dress.It stung and I bit back a curse.Worst of all, the scooter-guy was already gone and unaware of the hazard he caused.
Dick.
I collected myself, glad I wasn't seriously hurt or injured.Just a few scrapes, I could sort that out with a potion or two.
