Chapter Fifteen
Wigging Out
Miles
Today is going to be the day; I can just feel it in my soul. She’s finally going to let me be close enough to see behind at least one of her walls. Right?
“She’s going to hex you the second you peek around the corner of that wall?” Milo grumbles.
“I can have hope, and you can stick to being the negative Nancy that you seem to always be.”
“Yeah, you say that, but wait until you see what she’s done to you this time,” he says in some ominous way.
“What?”
“Just look.”
I look up into my reflection in the mirror of my dresser.
Sure enough, I’m sporting a powder wig, some weird frilly thing around my collar, and are my cheeks covered in blush?
My hands pat my face, checking them to see if makeup will come off, but much to my dismay, the makeup is unfazed by my smearing.
I reach up, touching my hair, but I can’t feel the wig that I can clearly see. What is happening? Is this revenge for the sonnet? Because I have to say I could seriously rock this look. It’s not my favorite look, but I could definitely pull it off.
“Told you,” Milo says smugly.
I shrug my shoulders. “Eh, every time she hexes me, I know it means that I’m getting closer and closer. She never hexes me in a harmful way, just in a way to show me that she saw what I did and it worried her.”
“Is that what you are telling yourself?”
“Yep, and I know she likes me too,” I announce to my reflection.
Hops croaks from his spot on the pillow. I’m pretty sure he rolled his eyes, but I can’t quite tell from over here.
I point at him. “Don’t judge me! I don’t see a Mrs. Hops hopping around here, so you clearly don’t know what you are talking about either.”
He only croaks before turning his back to me and laying his little toadhead back down. Yeah, that’s right. He knows he doesn’t have grounds to argue with me.
Six months ago, if you had told me that this was going to be my life, I wouldn’t have believed you.
I never imagined a reality where I would have a judgmental toad living in my house, be in a magical town haunted by ghosts, and have a mate who hexes as a way of flirting.
I went from a small mountain town where the only gossip floating around is from a group of meddling grandmothers with nothing but time on their hands.
The most exciting things happening are the mating games for the mountain lions and our social media app.
Outside of that? Crickets, cool breezes, and the soft rustle of leaves falling.
I can already tell after being here for a few days that nothing about Pumpkinridge will be like my life in Jasper. Pretty sure that every day is going to feel like a new day and nothing will ever feel exactly the same as before. Especially when it comes to Bellamy.
Walking into the bathroom, I set about getting ready for the day. I’ve got a witch with a stubborn streak the size of Texas to win over. I can’t help but laugh every time I look in the mirror and see the powder wig and the bright pink cheeks.
“Alright, Trouble…game on.”
Hex & Harken is full of witches mingling in groups. There are far more people here today than I’ve seen any of the other times. I can hear the whispers coming from the tables as I walk past.
“…isn’t that the wolf?”
“Yeah…the one trying to win over Bellamy.”
“He’s brave.”
Shaking my head slightly, I walk up to the countertop, ready to place my order.
Clarissa is beaming when her eyes meet mine.
Ugh. I wish she would take a hint that I’m not interested.
Yet, each time she still tries, even while making the coffee for Bellamy.
Does she think it’s doomed and therefore she has an opening?
Either way, I don’t have it in me to say “stop” directly.
“Miles, good morning. Have you considered my offer of a real tour of our town?”
“I have and Bellamy has actually given me quite a tour of town. I learned some interesting lore and history along the way.”
“Oh,” she says as her shoulders droop. “Well, that’s good, I guess.”
“Yeah, I had a great time. I’m sure there are some things I could learn from a faerie about this town too? Just as friends?”
Her face lights once again. “Yeah.” She nods vigorously. “I would love to teach you some of our lore too. As…as friends.”
“Great.” I clap my hands together. “As my newest friend I have to ask…when you look at me do you see a powdered wig and blush on my face? Maybe a frilly shirt with a blue jacket?”
She turns her head from side to side slowly as if she’s checking all possible angles.
“Nope. But I can see the glamour shimmering around you. I’m guessing Bellamy hexed you to see yourself in that?”
Biting my lip, I feel my cheeks warm. “Yeah, I might have asked Matilda to have a ghost recite poetry to Bellamy. How was I supposed to know she was in a meeting with the leader of her coven?”
Clarissa laughs as she covers her mouth with her hand. “Tell me you didn’t.”
I drop my head back, staring at the ceiling, hoping maybe an alien will beam me up. “Yes, I did. I thought it was romantic.”
“You are a hopeless puppy. Where are you getting all this advice, and you better not say all of it is from Matilda? You have heard about her track record, right?”
“…she said that they were learning moments and that I shouldn’t hold it against her.”
“And you listened?”
“Maybe…”
“No wonder you are ending up hexed every day. Alright, I get off at 6 tonight. Come back by the shop and I’ll help you come up with some ideas that might actually work.”
“Alright, great.” I hold up the two coffees in a cheers. “See you then.”
I’m about to turn down the cobblestone path towards Curios & Curses when I hear a soft sigh from the windows lining Hex & Harken.
I look over to see the same three faeries from the other day.
All three of them have hearts in their eyes as they look at me.
Each one is blushing and fanning themselves.
I smile and turn to walk down the path when the one in soft pink clears her throat.
“I think it’s sweet that you grab coffee for her every morning. Don’t give up, wolf, she’ll eventually see you.”
The one in pastel blue, silver hair glinting in the morning light, nudges the one in pink in the side. “If not…I’m not too old to take a young pup for a ride.”
Shaking my head, I smile at them before turning to head to the shop. I don’t want to be late, even if she isn’t aware that I’m coming again.
The door pushes open with ease, and I don’t feel the zing of the ward like I usually do. Does that mean it’s recognizing me or has she added me as an allowed person? Is that a thing? I have no clue when it comes to magic, wards, spells, or even hexes.
I find Bellamy with the sleeves of her knit sweater rolled up past her elbows, her forehead has a light sheen of sweat, and she looks as though she’s been running a marathon. It’s only nine in the morning, what has she been up to already?
She doesn’t even lift her head when I walk in, but I can see the smile she’s trying to hide from me.
“Good morning, Trouble. I hope you are in desperate need of this coffee. I practically had to fight three old ladies to get in line. There were so many witches at the cafe this morning. Is there a meeting or something? If so, shouldn’t you, like, be there?”
I walk over and place the coffee on the table between her grimoire and the bottles of dried herbs and questionable other items.
She’s aggressively stirring whatever that bubbling concoction is when she finally looks up at me. Little wisps of her hair are clinging to her forehead, framing her face.
“Good morning, Dog Boy.” She wipes her face along her shoulder, not slowing down her stirring. “I am definitely in need of caffeine, but I can’t stop stirring this spell. Otherwise, it will fail, and I’ll have to start all the way over again.”
“We can’t have that,” I say as I move around behind her.
She whips her head from side to side, trying to see what I’m doing, but she can’t stop to see fully .
I wrap my arms around hers, my hands clasping the wooden spoon handle right below hers.
Matching her rhythm, I hover right behind her.
There’s only a breath of air between us.
I can feel the heat of her body along my front, seeping into my soul.
For the first time since I found her, I feel a part of me settle being this close to her.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
I lean in close to her ear, not slowing the stirring even slightly. “Taking over so you can enjoy your coffee. Don’t worry, Trouble, I’ve got this. Let go.”
She turns her head, looking at me as if it’s for the first time.
She blinks slowly, her eyes flicking across my face as I concentrate on the task that I can’t fail at.
This feels like a big moment, one of those moments that will break me through her walls.
She’s never let anyone this close, not just literally, but emotionally as well.
I can sense it in the way her body is tense, in the flicker along her jaw, and in the confusion radiating off of her.
She doesn’t know if she can trust it, but I’m here to show her that she can always trust in me, in us.
She doesn’t say a word, simply ducks from under my arms, and walks to her coffee. She takes a few sips, still watching me as if she can’t believe it.
Trying to lighten the mood, I say, “So what exactly are we making?”
“Eclipsera,” she says with a shrug, continuing to sip on her coffee as if that answered everything.
I nod my head. “Right, and what exactly does it do? Is there a reason you are sweating more than a marathon runner at the end of their 5k?”
She glares at me. Probably shouldn’t have mentioned the sweat, but come on!
“I don’t even know if I’m allowed to tell a non-magical person any of this. But since you seem to be a dog after a bone, I’ll give you as much as I think will keep me out of trouble. Uh, so obviously you know about Samhain, but do you know it’s more than a cute festival?”