Page 99 of Hexed & Hazy

“Don’t. Stop.”

“You’re the one who ended the dates.” He winces and shakes his head, running his fingers through his hair. “Sorry. No. That wasn’t supposed to sound⁠—”

“Accusatory?”

He nods. “I just need space. Time to figure this out.”

“You’re asking me for a break?” My voice is flat, and even through the cool on my leg and the stinging beneath it… gods, he’s so frustrating. “Perhaps you’re right. The hex is clearly still impacting you—because you’re still⁠—”

“Don’t.”

“But you are. Little things go wrong, and you’re willing to leave.”

“For you.” Hurt reflects in his eyes, and he stands, looking at me with a pleading look—wide eyes, parted lips.

I can’t. I would pick him, no matter how hard it is. I’ve been waiting for him for so long, and he’s ready to give me up without a fight. Without another try at breaking the hex.

It’s ending before I truly got to enjoy it, and I don’t want to blame him, but I do. Perhaps that blame has always been there, keeping us from truly getting too close.

“I don’t want you to keep getting hurt,” he says. “What if something worse and worse happens? What if I lose you? I can’t lose you, Ro.”

“You won’t lose me.”

“I know. Because I won’t come back until I know the hex is broken, until Ozan confirms it or another witch does. I’ll be stronger this time.”

After all we’ve been through, I should be able to trust him—trust him to break the hex, something even I couldn’t do, and trust him to come back. But I don’t, and that’s the tragedy of it all.

I rub my chest, which aches more than my ankle. “Fine. Then go.”

Seth turns. Walks to the door. I’m staring at his back, and when he turns to face me for one moment, his mouth opening and eyes boring into mine⁠—

Laurel runs in. “Oh, my goddess! Are you okay? I saw you fall out there.”

“I’m fine.”

While my sister is fussing over me, Seth leaves.

He doesn’t argue. Doesn’t fight for me. And perhaps I always knew it would end this way—him walking out the door, with only a sheepish smile to show for it. Perhaps this is how his relationships have always ended.

Perhaps they felt the same stabbing in their chest, and that’s what led to this hex in the first place.

Chapter 33

Seth

I should have told her I loved her. If Laurel hadn’t interrupted, I would have—I wanted to. Maybe that was the damn hex getting in the way of that, too.

I’m starting to think nothing can stop this magic. Nothing will make it leave me alone. Otherwise, why would I be without her? And how does it feel so wrong? I went so long being us, but now that I’ve had a taste, it’s like my life can’t keep moving forward.

But it has to, which is why I’m ringing Donnie’s doorbell on a Sunday afternoon. Rowan wouldn’t want me to mope around. She would want me to do what she does—to keep moving forward, even if it feels like I’m dragging my feet to do it.

Nothing will change until I change.

“I made up my mind,” I say as soon as Donnie answers the door.

He lifts a brow. “Would you like to come in?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” I can’t imagine sitting around Donnie’s home, drinking tea with him and his husband, Regan, but that’s exactly what I do.