15. Shall We? #2
“Not at all,” Fern whispered as she held the bite to Sparrow’s parted lips.
She watched with bated breath as her crush tentatively opened her mouth, her blue eyes fluttering shut as she closed her lips around the fork.
A brief flash of her white teeth as she dragged the bite off the utensil.
The pumpkin-colored matte lipstick she wore stole all of Fern’s attention as she carefully chewed the messy bite.
As Sparrow opened her eyes, she noticed that a bit of powdered sugar clung to that pretty lipstick.
Without thinking, Fern reached out her hand, her thumb gently brushing across the other witch’s lower lip for only a moment.
The tension seemed to sizzle between them as she glanced up into Sparrow’s dark eyes, anxiously waiting for her reaction.
“You had a bit of powdered sugar,” Fern whispered, licking her lips.
“I see,” Sparrow replied slowly, her eyes glancing down to Fern’s lips. “Shall I return the favor, then?”
Her hazel eyes went wide. “Oh, goddess! Do I have some, too?”
Beside her, Sparrow simply nodded. A moment later, those pretty pumpkin-colored lips were pressed to hers, and Fern swore time stood still.
She might have melted; she couldn’t be sure.
Or perhaps she had only swooned, she realized as her shoulders swayed and the dark-haired witch reached out to steady her.
Those intense deep blue eyes watched her attentively as Fern felt the blush creeping up her cheeks and tried to manage a single coherent thought.
“Was that…too forward of me?” Sparrow asked in the quietest voice she’d ever heard the witch use.
“N-no! Goddess, no, not at all,” Fern replied instantly. “It was just—well, it was a perfect first kiss.”
Her dark-haired witch raised one sculpted eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“Well, that is, I didn’t expect it. But it was so smooth! You’re every bit as cool as I’ve always imagined,” rambled Fern nervously.
“You’ve imagined this, little witch?” Sparrow offered her a devastating smirk.
Embarrassment coursed through her as Fern turned away, entirely too warm suddenly.
Her ears were surely red at this point and she wondered if her shy nature would be a turn-off to the confident, charming Sparrow Blackburne.
After a few silent heartbeats, she felt a hand gently grip her chin, and the witch moved her until their eyes met again.
“I’ve dreamed of this night, here, with you,” Sparrow said quietly. “Just after you nearly fell off that ladder. I couldn’t get you out of my mind.”
“You did?” Fern gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.
The thumb that held her chin shifted until Sparrow cupped her cheek instead. “The smell of your cinnamon apple tea lingered for hours and haunted my dreams. I thought perhaps I had imagined the spark between us, though.”
“No!” Fern practically shouted. “I-I mean, no, you didn’t. I’ve always thought you were gorgeous and fascinating. I just never thought you’d notice me.”
“It’s a wonder that all the years passed before I did,” Sparrow said, her thumb rubbing gently against Fern’s cheek.
For the rest of the day, she felt as if she were wandering inside a daydream. Sparrow Blackburne had noticed her—and wanted to get to know her better. They meandered through the Pumpkin Festival at a leisurely pace, stopping wherever they felt inclined to do so.
This time, as the sun sank below the horizon, they inched closer to the front of the line for the Ferris wheel. Finally, their turn arrived. Fern hurried to take her seat, Sparrow following closely behind, and they pulled down the lap bar, ensuring it clicked securely into its lock.
It took a few starts and stops before they began their proper ascent, swaying slightly on the breeze as the chilly autumn wind whipped past them on all sides.
She snuggled into Sparrow’s side, wrapping their arms together and pressing closer still.
To her eternal surprise, the dark-haired witch beside her returned the gesture.
“Brr!” Fern said with a laugh, her shiver exaggerated.
“A bit colder than I had planned for,” replied Sparrow, her breath tickling Fern’s cheek. “You just can’t beat this view, though.”
As the Ferris wheel came to a noisy halt and their seat swung precariously once again, she burrowed into Sparrow’s embrace. “Did I mention I’m afraid of heights?”
“Then what in the goddess’s name were you doing up on that ladder, little witch?” Sparrow demanded.
At the same moment, Fern opened her eyes. Sprawled out beneath them was the entire Pumpkin Festival, lit up with a million tiny, twinkling lights. She could see all of Pumpkin Hollow from there, in fact—Petals & Pages Bookstore, the diner, the library, Enchantresso, the post office. All of it.
Covered in little warm glowing lights that made it look like fireflies danced across the entire sky.
The noise of the festival had dulled to a distant hum from their new vantage point, allowing Fern to truly take in the town square and Main Street in their full fall glory.
She gasped, completely awed by the view.
“I told you it would be worth the risk,” Sparrow whispered into her ear. “Was I right?”
“Yes,” she answered.
They hung suspended there, at the top of the Ferris wheel, for another minute or so before the ride jerked back into motion. Slowly, they descended, the ground rising up to meet them. But this time, Fern kept her eyes open, taking in all the details as everything came back into focus.
The ride halted with a shudder, pulling to a stop. Sparrow Blackburne bent at the waist, extending her arm palm up for Fern to take.
“Shall we, little witch?” she asked cordially, her smile just a little bit wicked.