Kiss and Spell
Macy
My phone buzzes, and I surreptitiously pull it out of my bag. Normally I wouldn’t risk it, and definitely not in Portal Physics, but Dr. Green is gone today and the kitchen witch they have subbing for him seems fine with anything as long as we finish the assignment.
I turned it in ten minutes ago, and now I’m bored out of my mind. Counting the divots in the ceiling can only take me so far.
I swipe my phone on, expecting to see a text from Grace, who’s in art right now, or maybe Gwen, who needs help decorating for the witches’ tea after school today. But it’s not Grace or Gwen.
It’s Xavier, and he wants to know if I’m free to get together this afternoon.
Butterflies do the flamenco in my stomach at the thought. I’ve been waiting for some kind of grand romance to happen to me. What if Xavier is it? He’s certainly handsome enough. Plus, he’s really sweet and funny. Which already puts him ahead of Cam. By a lot.
I want to jump on the invite, but I really did promise Gwen I’d help her decorate.
And no matter how hot Xavier is, I’m a sisters-before-misters kind of girl.
Or at least, that’s who I want to be. I haven’t had much opportunity to test that out before today, but I’m going with it for now. Even if it hurts a little.
Macy: I’d love to!!!!
Macy: But I have to help Gwen decorate for the witches’ tea for a couple hours
Macy: Another time?
Xavier: Sure
Xavier: Or I could help with the decorations
Xavier: I’m pretty good with a helium tank
I didn’t think it was possible, but somehow my heart beats even faster. Cam wouldn’t walk across a ballroom to hang out with me. But Xavier wants to help blow up helium balloons? It seems too good to be true.
But it’s not like I’m about to let that stop me. You never know what you’re going to get until you go for it, so I might as well make the leap.
Macy: Won’t your claws be a balloon hazard?
Xavier: Not a problem
Xavier: I’m pretty good with my hands
My eyes go wide at that. Is he trying to flirt? Going straight to gross? He doesn’t seem like that type, but—
Xavier: I mean when it comes to building things
Xavier: I’m good with my hands when I build things like balloon arches and stuff like that
I’m grinning so wide now that my cheeks ache. He’s adorable. Absolutely, 100 percent adorable. And I definitely want to spend the afternoon making balloon arches with him.
Among other things…
Macy: Then feel free to meet me in study room
Macy: That’s where the witches’ tea will be tonight
Xavier: What time should I be there?
Macy: I’m heading up as soon as school’s out
Macy: So four or so?
Xavier: See you then
Macy: See you
I shove my phone back in my bag before I spend the next fifteen minutes mooning over it, waiting for Xavier to text again when he definitely, probably won’t. Then I pinch myself because I can’t believe this is happening. A really cute, really nice boy wants to make balloon arches with me. Me!
Which may not sound super romantic, but it feels romantic. Especially knowing that, no matter what he says, I’m sure there are a million other things he’d rather do after class than blow up balloons.
By the time the end of the day rolls around, I’m all but jumping out of my skin with excitement.
In fact, I’m so wired that I convince my history instructor that there’s something wrong with me and I get to duck out of class fifteen minutes early.
Which I use to run to my room and change, because if things go well between us, there’s no way I want to look back at our first date and think of myself in my school uniform.
Okay, yes, I’ve been planning my outfit all afternoon, so it only takes about two minutes to change into my favorite pair of ripped jeans.
I add a bright blue sweater and a pair of fun earrings and, after brushing my teeth, I’m out the door just as the bell starts playing the score from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
My dad really is a dork.
I do a super-quick glamour on my way to the study room, giving myself a pep talk as I make my way down the crowded front staircase. I’m going against traffic, so it takes twice as long, and I start to panic about being late.
But geez, if the boy is willing to decorate for our monthly witches’ tea, he should be willing to wait five minutes for me to get there, right? And if he isn’t, he’s not worth my time. Cam totally taught me that much.
It’ll be fine, Macy. Just chill out and remember to smile. Everything else will take care of itself.
It’s not a bad pep talk, and it has the butterflies leaving the flamenco behind for a fast waltz. Still not optimal, but better. Definitely better.
I burst into the study room six minutes after school got out, and I figure I’m ahead of the game. Which is good, because I need a minute or two to squeal with Gwen about Xavier. But one glance around the crowded room tells me I’m going to have to put a hold on that—because Xavier is already here.
And he is looking fine. The boy can really rock a purple hoodie and black uniform pants.
Then again, I’m pretty sure he can rock anything with his carefree grin, expressive eyes, and rangy wolf body that I know from Ludares practice is both super strong and super ripped.
He’s already standing next to the helium tank, blowing up a giant gold balloon. My heart does a flip—okay, many flips—as I cross to him after giving a wave to Gwen, even as I rack my brain for a cool opening line.
Turns out I don’t need one, because Xavier wiggles his brows and says, “I’m going for the gold.”
And how cute is that?
“And here I thought you already had the gold,” I tease, taking the balloon from him and tying off the end as he starts on another one.
“I was just thinking the same thing.” His eyes run over me in a more-than-friendly, much-less-than-insulting way. “You look really nice.”
I do my best to ignore the way his compliment makes my cheeks burn. “So do you.”
“It’s my uniform,” he says with a laugh. “How good could it look?”
“Take the compliment,” I answer. “And don’t question it. Once you do, it’s a slippery slope.”
This time, when he lifts his brows, they stay up. “You say that with an impressive amount of authority.”
“Because I’m the queen of second-guessing compliments.” The instant the words are out, I have to fight the urge to slap a hand over my mouth. I can’t believe I just admitted that when I’ve been trying to look so confident.
“You?” Now he just seems incredulous. “What do you have to second-guess?”
I shake my head, not wanting to get into the fact that I’m nowhere near as confident on the inside as I look on the outside.
At first I think he’s going to press me, but in the end, he just smiles and says, “Well, I think you’re really cool.”
It’s a much better compliment than if he said I looked good again, and I feel myself getting a little tongue-tied. Instead of giving in to it, I nod to the balloon in his hands and ask, “Are you planning on blowing that up today, or are we just going to look at it?”
“Big words for someone whose sole contribution so far has been tying a knot in one balloon.” But he fits the balloon over the nozzle and fills it up.
I snatch it from his hands and tie that end up, too. “Two balloons, thank you very much.”
“Oh, excuse me.” His eyes gleam wickedly. “My mistake.”
“Exactly my point.” It’s my turn to arch my brows at him.
But he just laughs, and we spend the next two hours blowing up balloons and attaching them to the ridiculous balloon arches Gwen insists on having for every tea.
Usually I complain about them, but it’s pretty hard to think of something negative when I stand on a stool to reach the top part of the arch and Xavier crowds in below me.
He steadies me with a muscular arm around the front of my knees and a firm chest against the back of them, and my hands are trembling so badly now that it’s all I can do to fasten the balloon to the arch. I manage it, though, over and over again, until the thing is finally complete.
Xavier helps me down then, his hands gentle as he lifts me off the stool and lowers me to the ground.
For a second, I’m right there, my body pressed against his, our lips a few scant inches apart from each other.
Our gazes meet, and for the first time since I’ve met him, there’s no laughter in his eyes.
Instead they’re dead serious as he looks straight at me, and the butterflies become giant eagles.
I lean in—I can’t help myself—and he leans in, too, like he really is going to go for the gold and kiss me right here, right now, in front of everyone. Not that I care. I was never big on PDA with Cam, but with Xavier I want to shout, Bring it on!
But he steps back at the last second with a wicked little grin that should annoy me but instead makes me burn just a smidge. Okay, a lot, but who’s counting?
“What’s next?” he asks, and for the first time I realize he’s got a little dimple in his left cheek. Somehow, it makes him even more attractive.
I have some suggestions, of course, but none of them has anything to do with decorating for the tea. And since a quick look around tells me Gwen has things firmly in hand, I decide to go for it.
“How about a walk?”
“A walk?” I’ve caught him by surprise, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like knowing I can do that. The surprise must not last long, though, because only a few seconds go by before he nods. “I’m in.”
“Good.” I take his hand, my brain screaming what are you doing? at me the whole time, and tug him across the room to the door. “I’ve got just the place.”
He comes without any resistance, and as we slip out the study room door, his fingers slide between mine. And suddenly, we go from me tugging him along to holding hands.
His skin is smoother than I thought—something else I like about him. And as we wander down the stairs and out the front door, I find myself wondering where we’re going. Which isn’t a great question, considering I’m the one doing the leading right now.
But I know this campus better than pretty much any place on earth, so it doesn’t take me long to figure out where to go. Normally I’d take us outside, but neither of us is dressed for the weather, and I don’t want to ruin the moment by suggesting we break to go get our coats.
So instead I take him to a place I like to go when I want to think. And I decide it’s the right move when his eyes go wide the second the doors close behind us.
“Katmere has its own planetarium?” he asks as I flip a switch that has stars appearing above our heads.
“We do.” I hit another switch, and planets join the stars, lighting up the room just enough to illuminate the seats in the center of the room.
One more switch and the moon shines brightly as a comet shoots by directly overhead.
“That’s pretty cool,” he tells me as I start toward the chairs, acutely aware that his fingers are still laced with mine.
“Just wait,” I say, hitting a button on Mr. Bader’s podium before ducking into the second row.
Music starts to play as, above us, the stars and planets begin to circle. “It’s not as beautiful as the Alaskan sky,” I tell him as we sink into our seats. “But it’s a lot warmer.”
“A lot warmer,” he agrees, and then we’re leaning back in the planetarium’s way-too-comfortable chairs and staring up at the show currently going on above our heads.
Xavier is still holding my hand, and the outside of his thigh is pressed to the outside of mine. He’s warm and solid and he smells really good—like wide open wilderness and sandalwood. The combo has me fighting the urge to bury my face in his collar and just breathe him in.
“This is really nice,” he whispers a few minutes later, his thumb stroking the back of my hand as the planetarium continues to put on one heck of a show.
“It is,” I agree, rubbing my fingertips softly across his knuckles.
I have a million things I want to ask him, a million things I want to tell him, but for now it just feels super good to sit here and watch the heavens go by.
Which is why when Xavier turns to me a few minutes later, his face illuminated by the starlight, and leans in to me, I meet him more than halfway. And when our lips brush against each other’s, I feel my heart go spinning just like the stars above us.
And it’s better than I ever could have planned.