Chapter 13
‘Really?’ Ophelia’s eyes widened. ‘And you’re sure?’
Whiskers and noses twitched, while spines rattled.
Our eyes might not be strong, but our other senses are.
‘Right, yes, of course. I’m not doubting you. I just hadn’t realised she would be resonant… it’s so rare.’ She scattered some more of the dried crickets across the floor. ‘Thank you for your time, and information.’ She dusted her hands off and headed back into Glimmers, grinning.
‘Morning, boss.’ Aiden greeted the door guardian with a jaunty bow a few minutes later and flicked a cheeky gesture at the pumpkins, who blew raspberries back at him.
He hung his coat up, stashed his helmet and smoothed his hair, trying to put off what he was expecting to be an awkward conversation for as long as possible.
And hoping that, by some small chance, she might not know.
‘Are you done with your avoiding tactics?’
Oh well, that had lasted all of three minutes.
‘So, you and Mia?’
‘Yes.’
‘You’ve kept that quiet.’
‘We have.’
Ophelia sighed. ‘Aiden, you mean a lot to me. But so does Mia.’
‘I know. And I’m not looking to make any waves or cause you trouble,’ he promised.
‘Thank you, but this isn’t about me. Can I ask if it’s serious?’
‘I think… hope… it might be.’ He nodded, smiling. ‘I’m not just playing with her. She’s far too important to me for that.’
Ophelia smiled, relieved. ‘I’m glad to hear it.’
‘Can I ask who told you?’
‘The hedgehogs. But I’m guessing they won’t be the last.’
‘I should have thought to bribe them, like I did the birds.’
‘You bribed the birds?’
‘Yeah.’ Aiden chuckled. ‘I didn’t want them to tell people before we were ready. I hadn’t thought to speak with the hedgehogs. I didn’t think they’d be interested.’
‘They weren’t until you “made the sky glow like early sunrise”. I think you disturbed their foraging.’
‘I’ll have to apologise to them.’
‘They’re probably still in the garden. If you’re quick, you might catch them before they head back to bed.’
‘Thanks.’ Aiden headed towards the back.
‘Did you know?’ She looked at Mist.
Like you, I had my suspicions. But this is the first time it’s been confirmed.
‘Did you know Mia’s resonant?’
Are you sure? She looked up from cleaning her paws. They are rare.
‘According to the hedgehogs it sounds like she might be.’
Surprising. We will have to keep an eye on that.
‘Agreed.’ They both looked up at the sound of footsteps, and Ophelia smiled as Katie appeared, hair still drying from her shower.
‘Hey, sweetie, you owe me a tenner.’
‘I do? What for?’
‘That bet we made. A tenner and… the certain other thing we discussed.’
Katie’s eyes narrowed in confusion as she thought, then widened. ‘No… Mia and Aiden? No! I warned her off him. There’s no way… you’re winding me up.’
‘I’ll tease you about a lot of things, but not this.’
‘You realise if he hurts her, you’re going to need a new assistant.’
‘I was assuming a lawyer for you too.’
She would only need a lawyer if she got caught. I doubt it would come to that.
Ophelia laughed. ‘You’re probably right.’
‘Sometimes, I feel really left out, not being able to hear her,’ Katie grumbled. ‘Do I want to know what she said?’
‘It was complimentary, I promise.’
The pumpkins started wolf-whistling and commenting as soon as Mia was in view of the shop.
She’d thought about staying at home – cuddling up with a book and avoiding the worst of the fallout…
and giving Katie time to calm down. But she knew Aiden was working, and it didn’t seem fair to leave him to face it alone.
‘Oi oi! Sugar lips is here!’
‘She ain’t puckering up for you; she’s into him.’
‘Only coz she hasn’t seen what I can do with my stalk!’
‘I will smash you with Phe’s broom and drop you down the well.’ Katie swore at them as she strode past.
‘Calm energy in the store please, sweetie,’ Ophelia called from behind the shop counter as the apple tree started to quiver.
‘Right.’ Katie grabbed Mia and dragged her back outside.
She glared at her friend for a few seconds, before launching into the expected tirade.
‘I tried to warn you against him. I know he’s charming and a wonderful guy, but he’s had years of dodging commitment like it’s a sport and he’s training for a gold medal… ’
‘I know.’
‘You have your plan.’
‘I know.’
‘Your great, storybook-worthy romance.’
‘I know.’
‘He’s nowhere near good enough for you…’
‘Katie, you were right.’
‘I know, so why are you wasting your time with him when he…’
‘No.’ Mia grabbed her hand. ‘When it’s right, that first kiss is mind-blowingly hot, sweet, sexy and life-changing.’
Katie’s mouth dropped open, her speech forgotten.
‘What’s up? Mist got your tongue?’
Katie burst out laughing. ‘As if she’d mess with me!’ She shook her head. ‘But seriously. Life-changing? Aiden?’
‘I’ve never felt that when I kissed someone before. It was magical, Katie, in every sense of the word. Please, instead of worrying, just try to be happy and excited for me and let me enjoy this.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘In all the craziness that’s happened recently and everything that’s changed with learning about magic…
Aiden is the reason I stayed calm and could accept it.
He’s not just a friend… I’m not sure he ever was “just” anything to me.
He gives me a sense of security and understanding…
of peace. When I’m down, he makes me feel happy like no one else ever has – just by being around.
And he lights me up, Katie. Literally, it seems, because we’re in Hudsbury and that means nothing is quite normal. ’
‘Ugh, you really do like him, don’t you?’
‘I really do.’
‘So I have to be nice to him now?’
‘Probably.’
‘And I should stop torturing him?’
‘Definitely.’
‘You know I had a whole speech worked out, don’t you?’
‘I had guessed.’ Mia laughed. ‘But you could always scold the pumpkins.’
‘True.’ She laughed. ‘Though I think they pay less attention to me than Mist does!’
‘This really might be one of the best movies I’ve ever been to.’ Aiden dropped a kiss onto Mia’s shoulder, making her sigh.
‘That’s funny, because I was just thinking I’d probably watch it again sometime because I haven’t a clue what’s happening.’
‘Me neither.’ Aiden shrugged.
‘But you just said…’
‘I didn’t mean the actual film.’ Aiden chuckled and took another sip of his wine. ‘I mean all of this. I feel completely spoiled. You made me dinner…’
‘Throw-together pasta…’
‘Which was delicious.’ He kissed her hand. ‘And then s’mores…’
‘Which I made you cook.’
‘For the record, anything toasted on an open fire doesn’t count as cooking.
It’s just fun. And you turned your living room into a cinema.
’ He gestured to where the projector still flickered against the wall as characters he couldn’t remember the names of took part in some fictional event he couldn’t care less about.
‘It’s not really an enchanted woodland lit by spell jars and magic.’
‘No, but there’s definitely something to be said for snuggling up with a film.’ He squeezed her.
‘Even one you didn’t watch most of?’ She tickled her fingers up his arm.
‘Neither did you.’
‘I was distracted.’ She trailed her fingers over his hip in a way that definitely couldn’t be mistaken for idle.
‘Mia.’ He caught hold of her wrist, stopping the distracting sensation. ‘It’s not Friday.’
‘I didn’t think that mattered any more. Besides, isn’t there some sort of tradition around third-date expectations?’
‘Third?’
‘Coffee and a sandwich counts.’
‘Coffee is a rubbish second date.’
‘I’m still counting it. Besides, not every date we’re going to share – and you need to know I’m planning a lot more of them – will be bathed in firelight or movie projectors and spell jars.
I know sometimes you’ll be heading back for your mum, and sometimes we’ll be stealing time between appointments and other responsibilities.
Not every date will be romance movie epic and, personally speaking, I don’t need them to be. Just so long as you’re there.’
‘You know, it makes it a lot harder for me to resist you when you say things like that.’
‘Really?’ She bit her bottom lip as she smiled at him, and he was pretty sure every spare drop of his blood headed south at the look in her eyes.
‘Yeah, and it’s even harder when you look at me like that.’
‘Why do you want to resist me?’ She twisted round to face him better, all pretence of watching the film gone.
He took a deep breath. ‘Honestly? I’m still trying to do things differently with you than I have with others in the past, because I want things to be different with you. I want to be better. And prove my “man whore” days are well and truly over.’
‘Are you trying to prove that to me, or to yourself? Because you don’t need to prove anything to me.’
‘I don’t?’
‘No. I already know who you are, Aiden. In and out of bed. And more than that, I like you. In and out of bed.’
‘Yeah?’ As new and weird as the idea was to him, he liked it.
‘Of course I do.’ She laughed like it was the most obvious thing in the world, exasperation and amusement warring across her face. ‘And I miss you.’
The way she was looking at him, her skin against his, already had him dizzy with desire, but those four words were his undoing.
His hand was still on her wrist, and her position made it easy to tug her against him so she was pressed warmly against his side, where he could lean in slightly to press light, teasing kisses against her lips.
And it was perfect. Her words echoed around his mind as he held her against him: She missed him. In and out of bed.