Chapter 7 Jack #4
“Do they know about the curse?”
“No, not that I know of. I’ve never asked them if Mom told them before she passed, but they’ve never mentioned it.
I’ve always grappled with when and if I should tell them, and figured I’d tell them when they have a serious relationship, but Violet dates around and says she’s too busy with the bakery for a relationship.
Poppy hasn’t mentioned anything, but like I said, my magic senses neither of them is ready or looking for love. ”
“Do you try anyway? To give them spelled books?”
She smiles. “They think I do, at the very least.” I lift an eyebrow, unsure of what that means, and she sighs, letting out a small laugh.
“Sometimes I guilt-trip them into reading one of my favorite books so I have someone to talk to about them. I tell them that my magic felt pulled to it and I think it might be for one of them, but I’m really lying.
I’ve never felt the pull to give my sisters a book.
I just want them to read my favorites.” She lets out a loud laugh at that confession that’s so wholesome and so very Rosie.
“So you guilt-trip them into reading your favorite books? And they do it because they’re afraid to hurt your feelings?”
“Pretty much.” She pauses before looking at me seriously, her steps slowing. “If you ever tell, the decapitation of your warlock will look like child’s play,” she says with a menacing glare, and I lift my hands.
“Your secret is safe with me.” I don’t tell her that I don’t ever find myself chatting with her sisters, much less about magic or spells, but I don’t have time to as we’re back at the field.
Like the previous two mornings, I’m mesmerized when her magic spills out onto the wet grass, gathering the dew into fat droplets that slowly rise and deposit themselves into the glass vial.
“That was it?” I ask as we approach her front door. I’m skeptical because it seemed far too easy, but what do I know about collecting ingredients for a magic spell?
“Yup. Easy as can be! One ingredient down, a handful more to go!” There’s too much cheer in her words to be casual, and it rubs off on me. I shake my head with admitted astonishment. I notice how she won’t tell me exactly what we need for this potion of hers or even just how many things there are.
“Yeah, I mean… I guess it was pretty easy. Much easier than I thought it would be, that’s for sure.”
“I am totally capable of gathering ingredients,” she adds.
I nod because there’s no arguing that. Despite her chaotic nature, Rosie is very capable of accomplishing things.
“So you’ll let me do it myself?” Her question catches me off guard, and I turn to her, confused.
“You see that I am fully capable of gathering the ingredients on my own. I know what I’m doing.
So you can just give me the flask and we can both go on with our lives.
” I stare at her, a mix of impressed and aghast.
“All this was to butter me up and convince me to let you do this alone?”
“I mean, not all of it, but—”
“But a good chunk of it.”
She sighs. “I really do want you to like me. But I can do this on my own, Jack. I don’t need help, and I could do it much quicker and with much less stress if I just did it myself.
I always do things by myself.” I stare at her for a long moment, and for the smallest of seconds, something flashes across her face before she hides it once more behind her happy mask. Sadness? Disappointment?
I don’t know if Rosie actually likes doing things by herself or if she’s just used to that being the case.
With her parents’ passing and having to take care of her two younger sisters, something everyone in town knows about, she likely was the one to take on the most responsibility as a kid.
I wonder how much of that carried into her adulthood.
With that realization, I shake my head and give her a smile. “No.”
“No?”
“You’re not doing this alone. I told you, I’m doing it with you.”
I make the statement with my full chest, but it’s no longer solely because I want to learn more about this world I just found out existed, and definitely not because of the flimsy excuse I gave her about not trusting her.
It’s because, despite myself, I enjoyed these past few mornings with Rosie, not just learning about her magic, but about her. I enjoyed having someone to talk to.
She glares at me. “Jack, you’re being unreasonable.
I can do this on my own.” If I were into her, I might think stubborn indignance is a cute look on her.
But I’m not, so I don’t. Instead, I smile, liking being able to get under her skin.
Taking a step backward, I keep my eyes on her before I give her my parting words.
“Looking forward to our next adventure, Rosie. Let me know when and where.” I’m smiling wide as I turn on my heel and head to my store, and I have to bite back a laugh as I hear her mutter, “Goddammit!” under her breath before the door slams behind her.
Maybe this will be fun after all.