Page 12 of Novice Girlfriend

It just was harder when it directly affected me and mine.

Shocker.

“He’s right about your magic, Bevin,” she said gently, her eyes softening as she focused on my girl. “Tracey was worried about making the comparison to you going ‘nuclear’ while you were so upset. Also—and I say this not to worry you, but as her closest friend—”

“She’s exhausted. Beyond exhausted,” Bevin cut in. “Woodchuck snitched. Tracey keeps falling asleep at her desk—fell asleep in her food last week, and Woodchuck is worried. She needs help. Now. We need a win now instead of people pushing back on waiting on brushes and more. They want it all now and she revealed how powerful she is to shield me.”

“And that comes with a cost to her,” I grumbled. I moved Bevin next to me and kissed her hair. “She did it because she loves you. Let her. The rest of us will help.”

“I don’t know how to help her.”

“Bev, you’re not the one to help her on this,” I said gently. “You helped her get this powerful and give her the goods Familiar Treasure needs. The rest of us will help her now, okay?”

“Agreed,” Mrs. Reid said firmly. “You have enough on your plate. I have to disagree with your assessment even.” She nodded when Bevin frowned. “Tracey has had too many wins. She doesn’t need another. She is taking this pummeling because she has shined too brightly as a woman in our society. Taylor will help and—”

“As her guard,” Bevin blurted too loudly.

I had to turn and look away, covering my mouth even to keep from laughing. Oh shit. Like… Oh shit.

“I see,” Mrs. Reid said carefully. “That is not a development that—”

A switch flipped in Bevin and gone was the scared and worried woman. The woman a goddess had blessed stood fearless before us. She stormed over to Mrs. Reid and went toe to toe with her.

“You would be lucky to have a woman like Tracey in your family,” she said coldly. “Taylor is awesome. No one could debate that, but he had every advantage to get there. He’s not spoiled and deserves the credit he gets—his reputation flawless. Tracey? She had nothing and every disadvantage thrown at her constantly.

“And yet, here she is. The president of one of the biggest companies in our world shining too brightly as you just said. There are heads of top-tier families that would make an exception for her and their bullshit of bloodlines or that she’s Black. So Taylor better make sure he stays worthy of my sister, not that one council family will check she’s worthy of him.”

I was so turned on as she walked off with her head held high towards the house. “Damn, Bev.”

Mrs. Reid couldn’t hide her amusement. “Indeed.”

I studied her a moment and snickered. “You weren’t going to object, were you?”

“Not in the slightest,” she chuckled as she glanced after Bevin. “I didn’t want to ruin her moment. Let her find her fire. She needed it after today.” She instantly turned somber. “We changed memories of the workers there. She was more upset about that and being unfair to people and her employees than—her heart is truly pure.”

“Yeah, it is.” I decided to give her an inch. “I suppose you know a lot about that being mated to an idealistic man who wants to do things the right way always.”

She shot me a quick look. “And clearly you’re a man who understands having to get his hands dirty to protect them. I know Jasmine sees that as a strike against you, but I appreciate it. I know Bevin thinks she’s not like Owen because she’d kill her father or set him up to fall, but she is.”

“She is.” I let out a slow breath. “I’d like to see the books Henry Millen had about the seed of magical life Bevin can plant. If her magic is going nuclear to rot batches of treats, I think that’s where her magic should focus to change her power input and output to solar like I was saying.”

She was quiet which surprised me. “I see your logic, but I thought the blankets. She is a woman who needs comfort in her chaotic life more than anything. I can see so much when she works on those blankets—even physically she’s better. The tension seeps away.”

“Both are possible,” I accepted. “Yours for short-term and long-term, but she’s going to get stronger with more and more treats being sold. And she’s very focused on the new land and wanting to make progress. The seed of magic life will help not just her magic, but mentally then since it will be concentrated there.”

“And when you lock her in as accepting you as a point to her star.” She smirked at me. “Love pours off of you as her energy does her, Mr. Green.”

“I wouldn’t even deny it.”

“A smart man never does.”

I wished that I could stay with Bevin longer when she was going through something, but she wasn’t wrong that she was always going through something. It wasn’t dismissive either. It just went against my nature.

Having a magical meltdown was huge.

Seriously huge, and I’d lost my shit when it had happened to me. Teddy reminded me that Bevin was better supported than we’d been though. Not that my friends hadn’t tried, but we were clueless at the time. And the faculty was pissed most days that we excelled as lowly orphans.

Yeah, they liked access to us and using us as examples of how people could become better even with their bullshit hurdles. But really, they hated we’d gotten around their hoops and didn’t trip more.