Chapter 16 Elsie
Elsie
As soon as the announcement was made, I rushed out of the courtroom to avoid being seen. I slipped into the middle of the mass of spectators leaving and walked with the crowd as my cover.
Once outside, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.
Lukas
Wait by my car?
How did you know I was here?
Lucky guess?
I pocketed my phone and walked around the building to the parking lot, where I easily found Lukas’s black car. With an eye on my father’s car across the lot, I slipped next to the black sports car and waited.
Before I could crouch down, the car beeped. I looked around, seeing Lukas still at the corner of the building, talking with someone in a suit, but he was looking at me. The car beeped again, and I let myself into the passenger seat.
It wasn’t five minutes before Lukas joined me in the car, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips as he buckled himself in. “Figured it would be easier for you to hide in the car rather than on the ground outside of it.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled, not acknowledging the mention of my hiding. Across the car park, my father was talking to a colleague as they walked to their cars, and I wondered if he could see me through the windshield.
“Lunch?” Lukas asked. “Ed told me to be done with the day, so I won’t go back to the office.”
“Sure, thanks,” I said a bit numbly as I watched my father get into his car.
“You okay?” Lukas shifted the car into drive but didn’t let off the brake. Instead, he was looking at me.
Finally, I turned my head to make eye contact with him. After the last session I sat in on, I was eager, desperate for this case to progress. To see Aster put away for life, to be stripped of her magic. She’d done so much harm.
For a moment, I considered lying and saying that I was fine.
But I’d been keeping Lukas at arm’s length for too long.
I’d been going out with him and spending more time with him, and if I was going to keep doing so, I needed to be a little more open.
Especially since he’d shown my behavior did not offend him on our date by asking me to lunch today.
“I’m just so frustrated,” I admitted, placing both hands over my face to cover my eyes. “I don’t want this case to continue being delayed because of bloody illnesses.”
Silence fell after I finished my statement. The car slowly pulled out of the park.
Once we were on the road, Lukas spoke after a long breath. “I know. I can’t believe it’s happened a second time.” My eyes were still closed, but I felt a light touch on the back of my hands, which were now in my lap.
I felt so much unresolved anger. Aster was in a cushy cell during her trial and was still afforded privileges she didn’t deserve. Meanwhile, victims of her love potion had to live with flashbacks of what the potion caused and fear of the world around them.
The potion ruined everything for some people. Like the witness today, who was a student at Forrestbriar that nearly died when the love potion somehow became a poison. The day that Aster was arrested.
Like the first witness, who was bravely supposed to tell her story of how she was sexually assaulted.
I pulled my hands away from Lukas’s to cover my eyes again, my nose burning with the threat of incoming tears.
“Hey,” Lukas said softly. “Are you okay?”
I took a slow, deep breath to calm my racing mind. To push out the darkness that had clung to me since yesterday. Rubbing my eyes to make sure there was no wetness, I dropped my hands to my lap.
Lukas gripped the steering wheel with one hand, and the other arm rested on the console between us. His eyes darted between me and the road, concern written on his brow.
“I’m fine, sorry. Just…ready for justice.” I gave him a smile I could tell wasn’t convincing.
He pulled the car into a lot and shut it off, quickly coming around to the other side to open my door. I took his offered hand as I stood and smoothed out my dark purple dress. When I looked back at him, his eyes were glued to me.
“You look incredible, Elsie.”
His words held no shyness, only conviction and truth. It was…really lovely to hear someone compliment me so boldly.
Mouth dry, I swallowed and smiled in a much more genuine way. “Thank you.” And because I was the most awkward witch in existence, I just stood there. I didn’t compliment him back, and I dropped his hand to wrap my arms around myself bashfully.
Lukas cleared his throat, and I wanted to jump back into the car to hide from him. “Is Italian okay?” He gestured to the restaurant that I hadn’t noticed before. It was Spaghetti Square, a newer, trendy restaurant. I’d been here once before with my father, and it was delicious.
“It’s great,” I responded, nodding. Lukas ran a hand through his hair, as if the bravado he’d only just had was now completely gone. He motioned with one hand for me to lead the way, but I wanted this. And if I wanted him, then I needed to act like it instead of pretending I couldn’t decide.
I reached out, grabbing his arm, letting my hand slide down until it reached his hand. Lacing our fingers together, I watched his expression shift to surprise.
Lukas gripped my hand back, and we walked to the doors of the restaurant.
We were quickly shown to our booth, and Lukas held my hand as I slid in.
Still, he didn’t let go. When I made eye contact with him, he bent at the waist and brought my hand to his lips, leaving a warm kiss on the back of my hand.
Then, with a smirk, he lowered my hand and dropped it before rounding the table to his own seat.
Butterflies replaced any hunger in my stomach.
The booth was circular, and the lighting was dim, so I eased farther back into the booth.
Lukas didn’t shy away from scooting all the way in until we were sitting next to each other, with only a slight bit of space between our legs.
As soon as I gave him the green light by taking his hand, he became more comfortable romancing me.
And he was doing a great job, because this unplanned lunch now felt like a serious date. I couldn’t help but lean into his side as he opened the menu in front of us.
He set up the tall menu so it stood on its own, hiding us from the rest of the patrons in the dining area. Where I expected a mischievous look, there was a serious one.
“Elsie.” He pressed his lips in a thin line, like he was contemplating his following words. “Did…something happen to you during the potion attacks?”
Any comfort I’d been feeling in that moment from him leeched from my body as I went still. I averted my eyes from his to look at the menu as if it were the most amusing literature in the world, studying each item.
“Have you been here before?” I asked, hoping he’d let the serious topic change occur without question.
My mind was already racing with memories and also anxiety about what could come next.
I really didn’t want this day ruined by Lukas questioning the past. I preferred to focus on living in the present.
“Um, no. I haven’t.”
“It’s quite good,” I responded, flipping the menu to the next page. The silence that settled over us afterward was the most uncomfortable type that we’d ever endured.
Lukas gently grabbed the menu and set it flat against the table, just as a waiter came by.
“What can I get you to drink?” The young man asked, but my attention was already stolen by the group walking in just behind him. The group of men was in serious discussion as they took their seats, none of which directly faced our booth.
I cut Lukas off just as he was speaking. “My apologies. I actually must be going, I feel quite sick.”
I was scooting out of the booth before the waiter or Lukas had the chance to respond. I would have forcefully pushed Lukas if he hadn’t gotten out of the booth, but thankfully, he moved.
“Elsie,” Lukas called, and I cringed at the volume with which he spoke. If I were to get out of this restaurant without my father seeing me here, my name being shouted across the room wouldn’t do.
I turned back and grabbed Lukas’s hand aggressively, pulling him to the exit with haste. I didn’t dare look back to see if my father had turned his back on his colleagues to look my way.
Once we were outside the restaurant, I let go of Lukas and started walking towards what I believed was the closest bus stop. Hopefully, Lukas would believe what I’d said about being ill and leave it at that.
“Elsie, stop,” he called. Dammit. I could hear his footsteps behind me as he caught up with me. I whirled around before he had the chance to grab me.
“I’m sorry, I’m really not feeling well. I must go home.” Lukas frowned at my brazen lie.
“You were completely fine two minutes ago. What’s wrong?” His voice was low, gentle, which matched the way he carefully reached up to touch my forehead. Checking to see if I was running a fever. I wasn’t.
“It just…hit me. I’m going home.”
“Okay, I’ll take you.” He slowly reached for my hand, which I let him take.
“It’s fine. I can take the bus.” I looked away from him, not able to face that I was lying to him. Guilt gripped me. I hoped he didn’t think this was a reaction to anything he said or did.
“No, Elsie. You’re sick. I will not let you get on public transportation. Just let me take you home.” His tone held more authority, and I just knew he wouldn’t be letting this go. In surrender, I nodded and let him lead me back to his car.
I gave him quiet directions to my house. Father was at Spaghetti Square, so at least I didn’t risk him seeing Lukas and me there. Or the risk of Lukas seeing Father.
The entire twenty minute drive, I stared out the window, wishing this didn’t have to be so difficult. I wished I didn’t have such a sore past that forced me to revert to keeping Lukas at a comfortable distance. Wished that my father wasn’t who he was.
Lukas was the perfect gentleman always, and everything else in my life was ruining what could be something great. Perhaps I should just throw in the towel on this and accept that it could never work. Stop leading him on.
Once Lukas’s car rolled up in front of my house, I quickly jumped out, murmuring a thank you in lieu of being rude. But I wasn’t fast enough, because Lukas was already there, a hand on my elbow as I shut the car door.
“Elsie, what’s going on?” he pleaded as I turned to look at him. Concern was too clear on his face. It was a punch in the gut.
“I’m fine, just ill. I just need to rest.”
“Let me come in and make tea for you. Maybe some soup?” Something inside me twinged when he lifted a hand to brush a lock of my hair away from my face.
My fingers wrapped around his wrist, easing his hand back down to his side before I let go. “I’m okay, but thank you, Lukas.”
Heart racing from the sequence of events I was trying to hide from, I smiled and walked up the stone path to the front door. I didn’t look back until the door closed behind me. The engine of Lukas’s car roared as he pulled away until I could no longer hear its rumbling.
Curled up on the sofa in the sitting room seemed like the best place for me to be for the rest of the day.
I had little else to do, so I figured I could at least finish the romance novel Lukas and I bought together that he’d already finished.
Father had come home a few hours prior and paid me little mind as he sequestered himself in his office.
A loud knock on the front door had me freezing, wondering if Lukas had returned to offer me tea again. I jumped off the sofa, abandoning my book as I practically ran to the door. After looking out the peephole and not seeing anyone there, I slowly opened the door.
On the stoop sat a gigantic bouquet of pink roses and white daffodils, and a takeout bag from The Wishing Kettle.
I peered out the door to see if there was anyone lingering around, but caught an older sedan pulling away from the curb.
A large BroomBite sticker was on the back window of the car, signaling the food delivery service.
Gathering the flowers and the food, I walked into the kitchen. I set the vase of flowers down on the counter and opened the bag to find a to-go bowl of tomato soup, as the label described. There was also a folded parchment bag that held a very crispy-looking cheese toastie.
Smiling, I looked around to find a receipt to confirm what I already believed about this delivery. My eyes caught a note stuffed into the flowers, nearly completely hidden. I pulled the note out, reading the typed-out message.
Feel better soon. Eat up and rest well.
—Lukas
I was too busy smiling like a fool at the tiny note that I didn’t notice Father come into the room until he snatched the note from my hand. A tiny squeak fell from my mouth as I turned and watched in horror as his eyes looked over the note.
Frozen in place, I could do nothing. I’d been caught.
“Lukas,” he mused in a dark tone, his eyes slowly coming up to meet mine.
“I can only assume this is from Lukas Bristol?” The note crumpled in his hand as he squashed it with white knuckles.
I remained quiet. I attempted to think of any other Lukas at school to lie about, but knew that Father had already decided.
When I continued not to answer, Father looked at the flowers, pulling a petal from the roses and then rummaging about the takeout bag.
“Did I not tell you to stay away from him?” His voice had a dangerously calm aspect. I took a step back.
Again, I didn’t respond.
“Elsie, how ridiculous of you to get entangled with that boy!” His volume rose slightly, his eyes filled with fury. “He is on Alicia Vane’s team!”
My eyes widened, and I took yet another step back, hoping that Father would realize this was a ridiculous overreaction.
“Do you realize how stupid you will make me look if the press catches a whiff of you playing about with Lukas Bristol? He’s on the other side!”
“Why should your decisions affect who I can or cannot see?” I asked, suddenly filled with anger and wanting to fight for myself. I kept my tone as respectful as possible. “It was not my choice for you to be Professor Aster’s defense!”
Father scoffed, rolling his eyes at me. He picked up the bouquet and rounded the kitchen island. I reached out as though that would stop him.
“The bottom line is that I am her lead defense, and you are my daughter. If you are seen with him, it will make me look like a fool. You are not to see him under any circumstances. Do you understand?”
“Father, I don’t—”
“I said, do you understand?” His voice boomed over any remark I could have made.
Dropping my chin in defeat, I muttered a simple, “Yes.”
“Good.”
The vase filled with flowers landed with a punctuating thunk at the bottom of the trash bin. The end of the discussion.