Chapter 13
Elsie
Ichanged tops for the fifteenth time before grumbling in frustration. Yes, I was certainly overthinking this, but it was Lukas.
I hadn’t dated anyone in months, even before the love potion attacks. It wasn’t that I was uninterested; I’d just been interested in a guy who was completely unavailable.
With this only being my second year at Forrestbriar, there were still so many students I didn’t know, so when I had arrived for my History of Herbology class in the fall semester, I couldn’t help the way I was drawn to Caden Greaves.
He was on the studious side, not on any of the school athletic teams. Though he was typically quiet, I’d realized I was very into him when we had a group project together toward the end of the semester.
Unfortunately, that project was also how I learned he’d been in a long-term relationship with a girl one year below me.
I distanced myself from him and tried to focus on anything else. Especially after the love potion attacks began.
Tearing off my shirt, I went back to my closet and picked out a simple black shirt that hugged my body perfectly. No, it wasn’t a fancy shirt, but it made me feel calmer as I looked back in the full-length mirror.
The black shirt paired with the straight-leg denims and kitten heels was going to have to do.
Because I needed to leave. I forced myself to think of the positives of this outfit.
I looked put together without looking like I was trying too hard.
It was an arcade, so pants worked better than a dress.
And the heels added the perfect amount of intrigue.
That’s what I told myself the entire way down the stairs to the front door of the house.
“Where are you going?”
I let out a squeak, nearly jumping out of my skin as I turned to see my dad in the kitchen, holding a steaming cup of tea. When I’d gone upstairs for a shower earlier, he hadn’t been home.
“Just going out with some friends,” I answered, hoping the lie hadn’t come out too fast. I knew I should have obeyed him and stayed away from Lukas, but it turned out that my resolve to listen to that command was very weak, seeing as all it took was him following me to a bookstore to break.
Dad was already looking at his phone. I wasn’t entirely sure he had heard my response until he spoke again. “Stay out of trouble. And be back before midnight.”
“Yes, sir,” I responded, keeping my eyes trained on the floor until I pushed through the front door. A sigh of relief was almost immediate as I closed the door behind me. I was a twenty-two-year-old adult. I could go out with whoever I chose.
And I chose Lukas Bristol.
I also chose—wisely—to meet Lukas at High Score Social instead of having him pick me up. Since I wasn’t sure if my father would be home, I didn’t want to risk my father seeing exactly who I was going out with.
And I didn’t need Lukas to know who my father was.
Since I didn’t care to drive through the busy streets, I walked to the bus stop as usual.
Everything was close enough that the bus was usually the easiest way for me to get around.
It was ridiculous, since I had a very nice car that my dad bought for completing my magical A-levels.
And for the past five years, it had sat in our garage, except for the few times I took it out of town.
After a short bus trip, I walked the remaining distance to High Score, my eyes quickly landing on Lukas. He stood outside the main entrance, hands in the pockets of his dark denims as he looked out across the busy road. It was crowded with the socialites of the weekend.
“We match,” I said as I approached him, boldly reaching out to touch his black shirt over his torso.
Lukas gave me his full attention, grabbing my hand and taking a step back to appraise my entire outfit. I gritted my teeth, wondering if I should have worn something different. There was a closet full of items I could have worn tonight that would have been cuter, sexier, better—
“You’re so beautiful,” Lukas whispered, his face showing what I could only categorize as amazement.
It quieted the voices in my head that had me doubting my choice of clothing.
He lifted my hand over my head, making me spin in a circle.
I couldn’t stop the giggle that left my mouth as he pulled me closer and grinned.
He stopped short of pulling me close enough that our bodies touched. It seemed something he did often, as though he wanted me to take the last step.
I did.
And the second I stepped into his body, his arm wrapped around my waist. “Shall we?” He gestured to the door, and I gave a shy nod.
I could feel every bit of my body that touched him, hyperaware of how warm he was. My heart was beating way too fast to be normal. I shouldn’t like him this much already; I barely knew him. We’d spent so little time together that I shouldn’t feel butterflies in my stomach just by thinking of him.
As we walked to our table, he continued holding my hand. It was silly, really, that I was making a big deal of that in my head, but it was another thing I couldn’t stop.
We were led to a high-top table with chairs, and, ever the gentleman, Lukas pulled my chair out, helped me sit, then rounded the table to his seat.
I observed him, noticing how polite he was to the hostess, and again when our waitress visited.
He had an air of happiness and calm that was contagious, and I relaxed into my seat.
Father could say whatever he wanted, but I knew I couldn’t let him dictate whether I was to see Lukas or not.
“How is the reading?” he asked, giving me the smirk that had my insides twisting.
“I fell asleep before I could start it,” I admitted, thanking the waitress as she placed drinks in front of us.
“You’re missing out. I’m halfway through it already.” He grinned widely, leaning over the table to grab my hand. His eyes caught mine cautiously, as if to make sure it was okay.
I gripped his hand back, giggling. “I didn’t think you were actually going to read it.”
And I really didn’t. When he purchased a second copy of the book, I thought surely he would give it to Henri. Or at least to Noah, to give to Henri. I thought it was sweet—and also sexy—that he showed interest in the books I read, but I didn’t know he was serious about buddy reading.
“Why would I buy it just to let it collect dust? Like I said, I’m doing research. Taking notes.” He gave me a smolder that could have wooed any woman.
“Is your research conclusive?” I asked, leaning forward a bit more. I was entranced, captured by the look in his eyes. His blue irises held such hunger and heat that I could feel it in my bones.
“You tell me when you finish the book exactly what it is about the romance that you enjoy, and then I’ll let you know.”
“Can I get you two any starters?” came the voice of the waitress as she broke the bubble that surrounded us.
Lukas and I both leaned back in our seats, and I pulled my hand away to allow myself to cool off.
I shouldn’t like him this much. I grabbed the menu before me with both hands, looking over it like I was actually reading what was printed. I wasn’t.
Lukas ordered the same appetizer as last time, and after the waitress left, we continued our date in a much less heated way.
Conversation topics during our meal ranged from football to Forrestbriar to friends and then circled back.
Lukas and I could talk about anything, and we both had something to say and ways to listen.
I could have easily listened to him talk about his passion for potions and playing football.
I could have listened to his stories for hours about his undergraduate magical studies.
He would have been content to listen to me talk, too, because whenever I spoke, he paid close attention and asked me questions to have me dive deeper into the topics.
I narrowly avoided the topic of family when the waitress came for the last time to bring our check, and once she was gone, I changed the subject. It wasn’t something I needed to discuss with Lukas…at least not for now.
“Okay, Elsie. It’s time for your rematch.” Lukas grinned at me with mischievous eyes, and I knew there was no way I would win, but it spurred me on even more.
“I did it!” I screamed, jumping up and down in victory. It had only taken fourteen rounds of skee ball and our entire game card for me to get lucky enough (and for Lukas to get unlucky enough) to get a higher score than him.
Lukas put his hands on his hips, accepting his defeat. Laughter rolled out of his mouth as he watched me in my excitement. “You actually won.”
“Told you I would beat you!” I taunted as I stepped closer to him, getting close enough that all he would need to do is lean down just a little…
“Yes, darling. After one hundred rounds, you finally won,” he teased back, leaning closer to me. I tried to show him with my eyes that I wanted his kiss, that I was more than okay with it. He reached up and gently touched a hand to my jaw, thumb brushing over my cheek. “Congratulations.”
I was about to close the gap between us myself when my phone started ringing.
Immediately, my stomach plummeted. Taking a huge step back, I ripped my phone out of my pocket to see the word Father, and a picture of the two of us covering the screen.
I jerked my phone even closer to my body, ignoring the call and shoving it back in my pocket.
“Everything okay?” Lukas asked, concern overtaking any other expression he had before.
“Sorry, I was supposed to be home already. I lost track of time,” I said as evenly as possible, not wanting him to see how much I was truly panicking.
“Let me take you home.”
“No!” I responded much too quickly and sharply, but I needed to leave now. My feet were already moving toward the exit of High Score.
“Elsie,” Lukas called after me, only a few steps behind me as I continued to move. Once I was outside, he caught my hand, halting me. It brought me back to a different time, on a deserted campus…
I jerked my hand away from him as though he burned me, and his facial expression quickly changed to mortification.
“I’m sorry, I was just trying to make sure everything is okay,” he whispered. I felt so guilty and ashamed that I’d made him feel this way. The worry was on his face, but he looked so sorrowful just for grabbing my hand.
“No, no, I’m sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong,” I rushed out. “I just really have to go. Thank you for this date. I had such a great time.”
Tears were going to form if I didn’t move right now. There were too many emotions and memories swirling around in my head, and they weren’t Lukas’s burden to bear.
“I can give you a ride home, it’ll be faster,” he offered gently, putting his hands in his pockets. Guilt burned in my throat.
“No, I’m okay. Thank you, though. I’ll…um, see you later.” I turned without another glance at him, because it would only make things worse, and pushed myself to the bus stop. My breathing was ragged as though I’d run a mile.
I had overreacted and yanked my hand away from him, making him believe he had done something wrong. But he’d done nothing wrong. He was a complete gentleman all night and was nothing but kind and soft with me.
I was the one who was wrong. My brain was broken in a way I couldn’t fix, and all it took was one quick grab of my hand in a secluded place for me to panic.
As I rode the bus back to the nearest stop to my house, I cried. I cried that I was like this, that this happened to me, and that I couldn’t seem to keep my brain from going back to that place.