Seth
I should have told her I loved her. If Laurel hadn’t interrupted, I would have—I wanted to. Maybe that was the damn hex getting in the way of that, too.
I’m starting to think nothing can stop this magic. Nothing will make it leave me alone. Otherwise, why would I be without her? And how does it feel so wrong? I went so long being us, but now that I’ve had a taste, it’s like my life can’t keep moving forward.
But it has to, which is why I’m ringing Donnie’s doorbell on a Sunday afternoon. Rowan wouldn’t want me to mope around. She would want me to do what she does—to keep moving forward, even if it feels like I’m dragging my feet to do it.
Nothing will change until I change.
“I made up my mind,” I say as soon as Donnie answers the door.
He lifts a brow. “Would you like to come in?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure.” I can’t imagine sitting around Donnie’s home, drinking tea with him and his husband, Regan, but that’s exactly what I do.
Regan, a bleach-blond man with brown skin and a big smile, is probably the friendliest person I know. He doesn’t look surprised to see me—even though he should be—flashing a brilliant white smile and shuffling around their perfectly decorated kitchen. “Tea or hot chocolate?”
“Hm…” Donnie looks me over, his purple eyes piercing. “This seems like a hot chocolate day. Perhaps with a shot of something stronger?”
I chuckle. “That sounds nice.”
“Good.”
Their home is older, but the inside is all freshly renovated and completely lavish—one-of-a-kind paintings hang from the walls, the chandelier probably costs more than I make in a month, and there are always fresh flowers.
Places like this, wealthy homes with so much decor, usually make me feel stifled.
Not with Donnie and Regan around, and the soft jazz music they have playing in their sitting room.
Their home is full of love and vibrancy.
Regan leaves us alone as we sit in the sitting room, across from each other in the booth where they usually eat breakfast.
“What decision have you made?” Donnie asks, steepling his fingers.
This wasn’t an easy choice. I know I should focus on the hex instead, but it feels like a dead end. And Rowan… Rowan has always supported my dreams. She’s not pausing hers for me, and I shouldn’t pause mine for hers.
Maybe what I need is to focus on something other than love and sex. Bringing life to Starbrook feels like a good way to go about it.
“I—the community garden. I want to help. Whatever you need.”
A smile curls onto his lips. “Excellent. It’s still in the early planning phase, and I can’t do this alone—as helpful as Regan tries to be, he’s really more of a pretty face. No green thumb to speak of, I’m afraid.”
“I heard that,” Regan calls from the other room.
Donnie chuckles and shakes his head. “All that to say, I’m pleased to have you on board.”
“I don’t know how much time I’ll have to spare, but I want to do my best.”
And now that I’m not dating, I definitely have a lot more time than before. When Rowan and I reunite—and we will reunite—I’ll just have to figure out how to balance it all. She’ll probably help me.
For so long, I used my mom as an excuse. It wasn’t until I started hanging out with Rowan that I saw that. And my mom? She would never want to get in the way of love. Would never want to stop me from doing something that used to make her happy—spending time in the gardens.
She would want this. I don’t even have to ask her to know.
“We’ll need to do some fundraising,” he says. “This won’t be inexpensive. We’ll need a new greenhouse, for starters.”
I wince. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to help with the finances…”
“But you can help with the fundraising. People like you are around Starbrook. They know you from the café, and you have a certain charm about you.”
A pleasure demon is calling me charming?
I push my hair back, oddly flattered. “I-I guess.”
His eyes narrow. “Now, what else did you come to talk to me about?”
I startle, sitting back and wrapping my hands around the warm mug. “Nothing. This was all.”
“I am a pleasure demon, you know. I can tell when someone is having good sex… and when they no longer are.” His head tilts. “Something changed over this past week. What happened between you and Rowan?”
I groan. “That’s really not what I came here for, man.”
“Please. Amuse me.”
Of course, Donnie is into the gossip… but he is a loyal friend, and he’ll probably give good advice, too.
I press my lips together. “I’m still hexed, and it was… affecting her, I think. So we ended it.”
I think I was the one who ended it, really, but it doesn’t feel right to say.
This isn’t some sort of power play. All that matters is that it’s done, but it doesn’t feel final.
Maybe working on the garden with Donnie won’t bring me any closer to breaking the hex, but it might bring me closer to feeling like I’m good enough for her. Like I’m trying at something.
“Then you’re sabotaging yourself,” he says.
The same thing Rowan always said, though Donnie is way blunter about it.
My lips part, and I shake my head recklessly. “No way. I’m protecting her.”
“I think they can go together in this case.” He waves a hand. “Nevertheless, we’ll plan the first fundraising event soon. Perhaps next week?”
It’s unsurprising that he’s planning fundraising events. Donnie is known for his killer parties, and it seems like he’s using this as an excuse to plan another one. I’m not in the mood to party, but if it’s for a good cause…
“Yeah. I’ll be there.”