Seth
My boxers are still on, but I’ve never felt more naked.
I’m standing in the Hawthornes’ giant bathroom—the biggest in the house, and the only one I’ve never been in. It’s attached to what was once their mother’s bedroom, but Juniper took it over years ago, replacing the earthy tones that once draped the room with darker ones.
Thick, heavy, black curtains, a dark purple accent wall, and a giant cauldron shoved off in the corner.
She keeps the space tidy, her bed made up in dark gingham, the wooden floor squeaky clean, and the large floral rug in the center, free of a single dog hair.
Quite a feat, considering the family’s golden retriever.
And the bathroom is pretty nice too, even though the surfaces are littered with potions and lotions. The tub is detached from the shower. Clawed. Big. Round.
Oh, and Rowan is here. Juniper and Maple are still chattering downstairs, their voices drifting through the open doors. All open. No privacy. Maple’s jovial laugh floats up now and then—the only reminder that we’re not alone.
It does nothing to calm my body down. Or my mind. Or any part of me.
Because I’m alone with Rowan, I’m practically naked…
And she won’t even look at me.
I don’t exactly have anything to hide. I pride myself on my body and usually jump at the chance to show off the abs I worked on all summer. She’s definitely seen me shirtless when we go on trips to the lake, to the beach, or when I’m playing basketball.
But this is different. Rowan doesn’t care about my abs.
With her back to me, she grinds herbs and ingredients together, and the air smells of salty, sweet goodness.
I chuckle nervously. “Why do I feel like you’re turning me into a soup?”
She lifts her head, looking at me through the mirror, and the corner of her lip tugs up. Getting that from Rowan, the smallest of smiles, always makes me feel like I won a prize I don’t deserve. “Perhaps that’s because I am.”
Finally, she turns around. She mutters a word under her breath—something that sounds like Mercury—and curves her fingers. A gust of air runs through the room, and the bathtub turns itself on, making me jump out of my skin.
“Jesus…”
Rowan’s magic is more visual and otherworldly than her sisters’.
Laurel’s is basically just vibes. Juniper needs potions to do her bidding, and Maple channels her abilities through food.
Aspen probably does something with makeup, but I don’t quite understand it.
Those things still make more sense to me than Rowan, who can make something out of nothing—just from contacting the stars, which are so far away.
Sometimes, I imagine her on the phone with them late into the night, whispering her wishes to the sky. Maybe it makes her feel less lonely.
“Get in,” she says, her voice steady in a way that makes me want to listen. Any rebellious bone in my body is gone when she looks up at me from beneath her lashes.
My heart pulses and—no, I’m not supposed to be feeling this way for anyone.
Not for Rowan. Not right now. Probably not ever.
And I’m lucky my boxers are loose, because when she picks up the pestle and takes a step closer, my cock twitches.
Her eyes drag up and down my body—does she know she’s doing it?
That she’s drinking me up? That I’d let her?
This isn’t the first moment like this. There have been times when our fingers have brushed, when she looked at me a little too long, when I felt something… but I can’t. Not for Rowan. Not for someone I want in my life forever.
Relationships never last. My parents were in love until they weren’t, and all of my relationships—or really just the one—seem to go that way as well.
But Rowan is good. She’s my friend. And that’s all I’ll let her be.
Finally, I remember to breathe, turning away and stepping into the bathtub. The warm water wraps around me like a blanket. I sigh and sink in deeper. “Can’t remember the last time I took a bath.”
Rowan clicks her tongue and kneels by the tub. “Don’t let Aspen hear that. She’ll lecture you about self-care.”
“I do plenty of self-care.” At the gym. When I’m at home, I’d rather spend time with my mom—as much time as I can get.
Rowan says nothing, but I know she understands how busy I am.
We both get responsibility. She’s the second youngest in her family, while I’m the oldest, but she’s always been the most responsible one; Juniper would probably smack me upside the head for saying so, and I’d never discount everything Juni does for the family, but Rowan does a lot too.
Even back in grade school, Rowan saved her allowance while Laurel and I were constantly blowing it all on candy.
The bath is big enough that I can relax as Rowan pours in oils, herbs, and bubbles. The water rises higher and higher, but it never quite covers my bent knees.
“I—” Her breath catches. “I’m going to touch you now, if that’s all right.”
Rowan is going to touch me.
Yeah. That should be fine. But it’s weird. New. She’s the least touchy in the family—not much of a hugger, always sitting farther away from me than the others. She’s only doing this for magical purposes. Obviously.
Good luck convincing my body that’s all it is.
I don’t think I can look at her, with my dick hardening at the thought of her fingers on me.
But this is how I got myself into this messy hex. Thinking with my dick.
“Yeah.” I close my eyes. “Do whatever you gotta. I trust you.”
She whispers words I don’t understand as she rubs her hands over my chest—smearing on a paste of herbs and other ingredients.
That sweet, salty smell hits my nostrils, stronger now, nearly cloying.
All I can focus on is her hands and husky voice, so full of affection that it feels like it’s just for me.
I never have to doubt that someone cares when Rowan is with me.
A smooth energy wraps around me. Comfort pulls my body down, like I’m covered in a weighted blanket. When was the last time I’ve been this at ease? Each inhale feels like a blessing, and I want to bask in this feeling forever.
Comfortable. Safe. Maybe… maybe even loved. Loved in a way the hex doesn’t want me to be.
“I think I feel it working.”
There’s nothing else that can explain how good I feel. It’s magic. I didn’t think hex-breaking magic would make me feel this good—even better than a bliss potion—but it does. There’s a tingle in my abdomen, and a vision flashes in my mind...
Of Rowan in the bathtub with me. Of bubbles covering her—
“Oh, really?” She chuckles and pulls her hands away.
Whatever it is—her magic, her touch—fades. She cups water in her hands and pours it over my chest, continuing her enchantment. She pours it over my head next, the water dripping down my hair.
“Um… yeah, I think so.”
“I’m not so sure. Open your eyes, please.”
My eyes flicker open. The room is glowing around me, candles flickering from their resting spots.
And Rowan… she’s close. Her pupils are dilated in the dim light, and she looks at me like I matter, concern etched over her features. The glow of candlelight washes over her fair pink skin, revealing the golden undertones in her hair.
I swallow thickly. “What’s wrong?”
“The water should change colors if it’s working. But it’s not.”
Sure enough, it’s the same clear color it was when I stepped in, just slightly yellow from the herbs.
Again, Rowan won’t look at me, staring at her oil-covered hands instead. “I thought this would work. Juniper made it sound like… well, I suppose I shouldn’t shift the blame. I’m sorry.”
“Hey.” I take her hands in mine, squeezing tightly. “This was step one. So what if it doesn’t work? That just means I get to spend more time with you.”
She rolls her eyes, fighting off a smile. “Stop it.”
“I mean it.” I rub my thumb against the back of her hand. “Thank you for trying.”
“I-it was nothing.”
I drop her hand, and when she stands up, I follow suit. The water pools around my calves, and Rowan’s gaze moves lower… lower…
Her lips part, and I look down. The flimsy fabric clings to my hard bulge. Even the cool air in the room can’t take care of the problem.
I swiftly cover up with my hand, and she turns away.
“I’ll get you a towel,” she says evenly.
“Um… yeah. Cool. Thanks.”