Chapter Thirteen #3
I chuckled, appreciating her usual dry, snarky humor.
“ True . But in the time I’ve spent here, working in the café, I’ve realized…
maybe exploring the world isn’t my dream.
Or at least, not entirely. Because selling my goods to customers, making money, having alone time to read in that little cottage…
it’s made me realize what I’ve wanted all along. ”
I swore Rowena’s face inched closer to mine.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Independence,” I replied. “The ability to do what I want, when I want it. To be self-sufficient with my own job and money. To have a skill that I can grow and be proud of. And when the café was closed on Monday, I woke up and realized… it was the first time I’d had a day to myself for a long time. It was so freeing.”
Rowena lowered her head, her face shielded by her short, choppy black hair and her thick bangs. But I saw a sweet smile emerge on those dark lips.
“I was an only child,” Rowena explained. “It was just me and my mother, and she made me learn how to care for myself at a young age. When she first… got sick, I was sixteen. And some days, she was too ill to run the café. So, I did it myself. Just me and our old baker, Rune.”
“That’s incredible,” I replied, and Rowena chuckled at the awe in my voice.
“It was hard, though,” Rowena continued. “I had all the independence in the world… but I was lonely. Sometimes I wish I’d grown up surrounded by a big, tight-knit family.”
“It’s not all fun and games,” I scoffed. “Everyone’s always up in your business. You never have a moment to yourself.”
“I think ideally, you have both,” Rowena replied. “Family and independence. It’s a balance, like most things in life.”
I nodded and tightened my grip on Rowena’s hand. “I agree.”
For a few minutes, we both sat there, two lost souls with vastly different upbringings finding comfort in imagining a middle ground. An ideal life of both family and freedom, where we were surrounded by those who loved us, but we were also free to be ourselves.
The heavy night air was so peaceful, yet so full of activity.
The pumpkin patch was the dividing line between two worlds.
In the forest behind us was the low, earthy symphony of cricket chirps, frog bellows, and even the trilling hoots of an owl.
And in the village beyond us was the buzzing hum of chatter and laughter, of a whole town full of witches happily carving pumpkins, hoping to win the grand prize.
But here? It was just us.
Maybe we were outcasts. Maybe we didn’t belong.
But at least we had each other.
I let out a long, slow exhale, sinking into the peace and comfort of it all, when Rowena leaned toward me and pressed her head against mine.
I could’ve taken it further. I could’ve kissed her right then and there in the pumpkin patch.
I could’ve slipped away with her to some private corner of the village, like the witch couple on the bench near the town hall.
It both terrified and enthralled me, filling me with the sweet, hot buzz of adrenalin.
But I didn’t do it. On one hand, there were still all the secrets that lay before us. Taking things further with Rowena would cement my fate. She’d discover I was a werewolf, and it would all be over.
But on the other hand… this was nice. I didn’t need to let my attraction, my wild werewolf hormones, take over this beautiful moment. Rowena shifted her hand, flipping it over so it was palm-up, and laced her fingers through mine.
I sighed. There were so many unspoken words in that gesture.
“They sound like they’re having fun,” Rowena commented, finally breaking the silence.
I shrugged. “Eh. I carve pumpkins every year. It’s fun, but at least I’m not covered in stringy pumpkin guts.”
“I always liked digging out the pumpkin seeds and toasting them.”
I snorted. “My sisters and I used to throw those at each other.”
Next to me, Rowena’s body shook as giggles overtook her. I laughed too, mainly because her reaction was so adorable, and the two of us descended into silly, witchy cackles.
“Besides,” I noted once the laughter subsided. “There aren’t many pumpkins left here. And those that are–” I rolled over one of the pumpkins, noting the mildew on the side. “–aren’t great.”
“I can fix that, you know.”
I felt a shift next to me as Rowena stood up, bracing herself in front of me with her arms spread out. Her dark lips were pulled into a smug grin, and I tilted my head curiously.
“You’ve never seen the full extent of my powers.” Rowena held her hands up, her fingers spread wide like starfish. “Watch this.”
A low rumble shook the ground at my feet.
It felt like an earthquake, but softer, like the earth was humming with some ancient, untapped power.
A few seconds later, thick green vines sprang out of the dirt, churning and coiling like snakes as large triangular leaves sprung from their stems. Finally, just as the vines settled in place, little pumpkins budded off the vines, swelling and growing until they fell onto the ground, perfectly orange and round.
“Wow, Rowena!” I exclaimed, laughing as I flicked one of the pumpkin leaves near my feet. “You are incredible!”
Rowena was absolutely beaming. She looked so proud of herself, and my comment about her being incredible made her cheeks tint pink.
She knelt down, pulled a medium-sized pumpkin off its vine, and settled it into my lap.
“I have plenty of knives and other carving supplies at the café,” Rowena mentioned.
I raised a thick red eyebrow. “Are you suggesting we have our own pumpkin carving contest?”
“Not a contest,” Rowena corrected. She held out her hand, offering to pull me to my feet. “Just the two of us having some fun. Plus, we can toast the pumpkin seeds.”
“Aw,” I frowned as I stood up, my hand locked with Rowena’s. “They make great projectiles though. They stick to people’s clothing.”
Rowena scoffed as we walked through the pumpkin patch, each cradling a pumpkin in our arms. “Throw a pumpkin seed at me and I’ll cover your front door in vines.”
“You wouldn’t actually do that.”
“Try me.”
I laughed. Both of us did.
As we left the pumpkin patch, I felt a small bubble of disappointment in my stomach. When I agreed to come to the festival, I had hoped to form stronger relationships with the other witches. To make friends.
But there was no way I could do that at Rowena’s expense.
There would be other opportunities. Tonight, Rowena and I would head back to the café, set up our pumpkin carving supplies, and happily work in the kitchen with the whole place to ourselves. Just like we’d done that afternoon.
And maybe I’d throw a pumpkin seed at her.
Just one.
It would at least give me an excuse to chase her again.