Chapter Nine
Last year – July
I stood outside the Hawthornes’ house, armed with freshly baked sun-kissed honey cakes, just off my shift at the Wishing Well.
Mum and Rani were out shopping, soaking up the time they had together before Rani was back at MAC again.
So, I headed to another of my favourite places in Maple Falls.
I raised my hand to ring the bell, but a voice stopped me.
‘I thought I told you to call me if you’re walking back at night.’
Startled, I looked up to find Orion on the roof, leaning back on his elbows as he gazed down at me. He was dressed in a loose, full-sleeved grey top and jeans, his dragon-leather jacket nowhere to be seen on this cool summer night.
‘The sun just set,’ I countered, rolling my eyes.
Orion narrowed his gaze at me. ‘Technicalities, Reverie.’ Then his attention shifted to the goodies in my arms. ‘Are those cakes?’
‘Sun-kissed honey cakes, intended to keep you warm on cool nights,’ I explained, pride swelling through me. These cakes had come out perfectly golden brown, with crispy tops and gooey middles. It was the kind of dessert that tasted the way a hug felt.
‘All right, I grant you permission to join me up here,’ Orion said, and beckoned me up.
‘I don’t remember asking?’ I laughed.
‘Like I said, technicalities,’ he remarked, and then made an impatient huff. ‘Wait there a second.’
With a flick of his wrist and a mutter of a spell, Orion had the orange trumpet flowers that bordered the Hawthorne’s porch re-twisting themselves at my feet, turning into an intricate web of vines and blooms, until they took the shape of a staircase leading all the way to the roof.
I tried not to look impressed, I really did. But I doubt I succeeded. Shaking my head, I climbed up, making sure not to drop the honey cakes.
When I reached the top, I found Orion sitting instead of laying on the roof now and joined him, putting the box between us. He barely waited a second before diving in.
‘So, what do you think?’ I questioned, unable to help myself.
He made a show of contemplating, before finally saying, ‘I don’t know. I think I’m going to have to try another one to form a definitive opinion.’
I scoffed, reaching for the cakes. ‘Well, I’m sure your parents will form an opinion after just one cake.’
Orion snatched another before I could stop him. ‘They’ll probably fawn over them and be delighted with you, Reverie.’
I listened for the teasing undertone, the quip about needing approval, but all I heard was discordant bitterness.
‘Why are you on the roof?’ I asked, bringing my knees up higher to my chin. ‘Shouldn’t you be spending your summer with your friends?’
Orion looked away from me, cake still in his hands, jaw tensed. ‘Yeah, well, all the parties are the same, and everyone is just so excited about heading back to MAC.’
‘You’re not?’ I asked, surprised.
He glanced back at me. ‘Do you think that makes me weird, Reverie?’
‘Well, I thought you were weird the first time, Hawthorne,’ I retorted, and a smile curled around his mouth.
The sight of him, smiling, sent a shot through my chest. And look, I’m not dumb.
I know what attraction feels like. I also knew that Raven would literally cleave my head from my body if she thought I liked her brother.
Besides, I already had one unrequited crush to deal with; I couldn’t handle another.
‘I should get going,’ I said, preparing to descend the staircase.
‘Your mum and sister waiting for you?’ Orion prompted, tossing half the cake into his mouth.
‘No, actually, just an empty house and my cat,’ I replied, and then glanced at him. ‘Doesn’t that make me sound sad, eh?’
He smiled again, and my stomach tightened. ‘We’re quite the pair.’ Then his gaze dropped from mine. ‘Why don’t you stay here? We could have dinner with my parents and watch a movie after.’
Surprise flitted through me, and I must have looked hesitant because Orion added a final line: ‘My house is going to be just as quiet as yours when you’re gone, Reverie,’ he said, and there was no tension in his voice.
‘I’ll get into an argument with my parents about my future, and then it will be an awkward silence for the rest of the night because we all said things we didn’t mean. ’
‘What things are you saying to them?’ I asked, softly.
His eyes didn’t stray from mine, not even for a second. ‘That I don’t want to follow in my father’s footsteps – I don’t want to be the next great Maple Falls detective.’
Shock ricocheted through me. There were some things everyone knew in this town: Granny Fable had an ear for every whisper, the Giggling Octopus always had a spare table for locals and Orion Hawthorne would one day inherit his father’s role. That’s why he was going to MAC.
‘You look shocked,’ he said, with a grimace. ‘Is it that bad that I don’t want the position, even if I’ve spent my whole life working for it?’
‘No,’ I replied, with a confidence that surprised even me. ‘I get it. You want to live for you, not your parents.’
A quiet sense of understanding settled between us. Orion relaxed beside me, and I found myself doing the same. We could’ve stayed on that roof forever, but everything had to come to an end eventually.
‘Movie then?’ Orion asked, standing and dusting off his jeans.
I gazed at him; I could see Orion needed the distraction, and maybe I did too. So, I hauled myself up, and I joined him – telling myself this meant nothing, but knowing in my heart, that I was lying.