Page 83 of Hexed & Hazy

He’s rambling, visibly nervous, and it nearly puts me at ease—even though he’s jerking me back and forth. Should I be concerned or not? I hate these games.

“I mean—we were talking about the hex. I’ve still—I’m—” He shakes his head. “It was nothing. I asked her to meet me here so we could talk, and she said she wasn’t involved. Not a witch, but I thought it would be good to check anyway.”

My stomach sinks again.

Seth doesn’t believe in this relationship, not the way I do. If he’s hexed, it doesn’t matter anymore. Even if my love for him isn’t enough to break it, we’re strong enough to withstand until it wears off.

Why is he still so worried?

“Why?” I shake my head, my expression softening. “You and I are doing well. You aren’t hexed anymore. We’re fine. Aren’t we?”

Does he know something I don’t?

“Yeah.” He nods. “Right. Everything is fine.”

But I can tell by the look in his eye that he doesn’t believe it. Perhaps there’s a part of me that doesn’t either. Not anymore. I want us to be fine—need us so badly to be fine—but small moments like that show we’re not. And maybe it doesn’t have to do with magic.

It’s my same old insecurities, and I don’t know how to shake them. It’s clear Seth isn’t entirely certain of us either. I press my lips together. This isn’t the night to put it into words.

I don’t want to scare him away. I don’t want to lose this.

“The hex can’t get between us,” I say. “It’s temporary, remember?”

It should surely be wearing off any time now, if it hasn’t already.

“I know.” He lets a sigh loose and wraps his arms around my shoulders, drawing me into his warmth. “You’re right. How are you always so right?”

Being in his arms makes everything else fade away. This is becoming my new safe place. I know better than to make homes out of people, but I could get pretty comfortable right here.

I inhale his scent deeply, trying to make a memory out of it. Leather, orange, and something sweet, like chocolate. “It’s a gift and a curse.”

“Nah. Just a gift. And I’m the lucky one who gets to be with you.”

I roll my eyes playfully. “That’s enough flattery.”

“Sure, sure. I’ll save the rest of my compliments for later.” He pulls away and gives me an unsure smile. “Let’s, uh… let’s get a drink.”

And we do. For the night, all is well. We drink, we laugh, and we forget.

But how long will these moments last?

Everything goes back to normal—or as close to normal as it can get when I’m living my dream. Between our shifts and family duties, Seth and I find plenty of time to sneak off together. Sometimes he spends the night; other times he goes over to his place.

And while he always invites me, I turn it down. It’s too soon for his mother to know we’re together, even though I’m sure she has her suspicions.

A family breakfast is probably our biggest challenge yet. Everyone is downstairs—my sisters, their partners, and his mother. We should be there too, but instead we’re ducked into a hallway just beside the stairs.

And after a long day of work, we can’t keep our hands off each other.

His lips press against my neck over and over, moving lower.

“We should go,” I say, quiet enough that no one can hear under the sound of laughter and clinking plates...

Well, perhaps the werewolf, demon, and vampire can hear, but my sisters’ partners are less nosy than they are.

“One more minute.” He squeezes my waist and nuzzles his face into my neck. “We can’t do this down there.”

I prod his chest, and he easily backs off. “We’ll have plenty of time for this later. Come on.”