12. Chapter Twelve
Chapter Twelve
W illow snuggled against Nate. His chest rose and fell with each contented breath as he slept deeply. She relished being enveloped in his powerful arms, but sleep eluded her. The previous evening played on repeat. As much as she wanted to blame Clive for being the prick which burst the shimmering bubble protecting the couple from reality, she’d known before he appeared, the honeymoon period was ending. It was the way Nate’s hands strayed to his phone in moments of silence and his faraway look when he thought she was distracted. It was over. He needed to go back to the life she knew nothing about. What did she know about him? From the snippets he revealed, she knew he was the eldest of three. One brother was serious, a stickler for the rules, while the youngest was a social media-loving free spirit. By the tone of Nate’s voice when he spoke, he was Nate’s favourite brother, who he missed greatly when he was travelling. His love of coffee rivalled her love of tea and he had a cinnamon rolls addiction, he loved dogs but tolerated Vincent, and he cried at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life . Something he denied, but she refused to accept a sudden pine allergy. He had never struggled to pay his rent and never sofa surfed, unable to go home. Willow also knew how fiercely she wanted to keep hold of him when they’d made love for the last time and never let him go, but the weight of the unknown aspects of his life stopped her saying, ‘Stay.’
It shocked them both when he asked if he could return for New Year. Her heart leapt with joy, but in the night’s silence, she questioned how it would ever work. She would never fit in with his corporate life, and there was something else. A sense of unease, a niggle that hung in the corner of her mind. For once, she wished she could access the clarity of direction she experienced for others for herself. Instead, she faced a cloud of emotion and facts.
Swearing at the cold, she carefully untangled herself from Nate and grabbed his jumper to slip over her pjs. Vincent opened his eyes, stretched in preparation to follow her, but readily rolled closer to Nate when she said he could stay. The sight of both together was bittersweet and added to her melancholy. She needed tea to clear her mind.
Fronds of frost patterned the kitchen windows, obscuring the clear night sky. The town was quiet; too early for the seagulls to circle the harbour, and many locals would be dreaming like her men upstairs. The tea warmed Willow’s hands and she debated going down to her workshop to catch up on some much-needed work. It was her favourite time of the day to blend remedies, make products for her Wishing Spell range, or brainstorm business ideas, but the lights from the tree and potential warming fire encouraged her to curl up on the sofa to rest. There was no rush to work. She kept the Enchanted Emporium closed until New Year to allow her to recover from the hectic month and restock the depleted shelves. It also gave Rosa much-needed time with Alejo and gave her mother a break. With her in mind, Willow found her phone and switched it on for updates on their Christmas. Her inbox filled with photos showing the highlights of her friend’s festivities. Alejo grinning with his stash from his stocking, his delight at opening his present from her, and a dinner table overflowing with food. Rosa hadn’t joked when she said her mum went overboard. Willow replied to the texts but ignored the one about who the hunk was who made tongues wag in the pub.
She slurped her hot tea and fumbled her way onto Twitter as instructed by Rosa and Amber to read the updates from @LibbyJ56. Unlike her employees, social media wasn’t her favoured place; she left it to them to promote and deal with the store’s account but was obliged to be kept updated. She wished she hadn’t.
In a series of posts, Libby recorded her review for the tea, her luck at getting a cancellation for a flight back to the States, surprise at her upgrade to first class and her parents’ delight at her coming home for Christmas. Willow was glad she had made the journey, and it didn’t surprise her to read her announce her resignation as Clara’s PA. Willow received a personal thank you and mention of the shop. Willow had started a reply when she saw the comments.
The trending #TheEnchantedEmporium froze her blood. Clara and her legion of fans raged at Libby’s departure and blamed Willow. They slagged Libby off and the photo of the love spell continued to cause uproar and memes. Her unease shifted to horror and disgust at the trolls’ vile suggestions. Why did anyone think going viral was an excellent idea? She clicked on the direct messages. Icy fingers clenched her heart, forcing the blood to rush in her ears. She struggled to breathe; her lungs tightened as she gasped for air. Her vision went black, and the phone clunked to the floor.