Page 54 of A Witch in Notting Hill

Undoubtedly, all four of us were on exactly the same page. The instructions in the spell said to “prepare and consumelocally.” Meaning Willow couldn’t take them back to London. Meaning we either had to drive back and forth or—

“We’re going to have to spend the night,” she said, turning to face the three of us. I didn’t think it was possible for her eyes to get any wider, but she was full of surprises. “Unless we drive back and forth, but—”

“All in favor of spending the night?” Minho asked, raising his hand. This was not in the cards. I had shit to do at the shop, none of us had anything packed, and I feared we would be hard-pressed to find a hotel in the area. But when Lola’s hand shot up, followed by Willow’s, albeit much slower, I realized I was outnumbered.

“That’s three to one,” Lola said. “Get on board, Hadley.”

“I’ll find us a hotel.” I sighed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help Willow. It was just that I wasn’t exactly the spontaneous type, and this definitely wasn’t part of the plan. Besides, the last thing I needed was to be spending the night in the same place as Willow James.

Chapter 21

Willow

“This is it?” I asked, squinting my eyes to read the faded sign hanging haphazardly above the doorway.Sonny’s Inn. Vacancies.

With one eye closed and my head tilted to the side, I supposed it did have a sort of old English charm. Whitewashed, pebble-dash exterior, dark shingled roof, a pale blue door with chipping paint and a curtained window. In its prime, it was probably beautiful. Though its prime was likely generations before even our great-greats would have stayed here, but that wasn’t the point. The point was everyone had agreed to stay on my behalf, and Oliver had been kind enough to make the arrangements. I wasn’t about to forget that just because the bed-and-breakfast looked like it might crumble to the ground as soon as we stepped through the door.

“The Isle of Wight is apparently more popular than we thought,” Oliver said. “This was the only spot I could find in town with rooms available. If it’s not okay, I can keep lookingfor something further inland, or try calling some places that didn’t have availability online. Just, er, let me know.”

“It’s great,” I assured him. “Thank you for doing this.”

“Don’t thank me yet. We’ve not been inside.”

“He’s right. Might be a proper shithole.”

“Thanks for the confidence, Min,” Oliver said. “You can sleep in the car if you’d like.”

“And miss out on this cultural experience? I think not.”

“Inside, the lot of you,” Oliver said, nudging everyone toward the entrance. We followed his orders, packing ourselves like sardines into the minuscule lobby between the door and the check-in desk. With Oliver pressed up against my back, I could no longer ignore the reality of the situation: we were spending a night in the same bed-and-breakfast. Sleeping just down the hall from each other, painfully aware the other was a mere few feet away.

Or at least it was painful for one of us.

I didn’t want to be thinking about him in his room alone. Picturing what he might look like underneath his clothes, with his hair a mess, his shoulders relaxed, and his eyes tired. I didn’t want to wonder what he sounded like late at night, or in the morning, or in the moments in between. But I’m only human, and some (most) things were out of my control.

“Name?” the receptionist asked, just peering over the top of her ancient desktop.

“Hadley,” Oliver said over my shoulder. “Should be a reservation for four.”

“Ah, yes,” she said, clicking around, “in the Hampshire Suite.”

“It’s a suite?” Oliver asked.

“Do believe I mentioned it over the phone,” she said, seemingly uninterested in discussing it further. “One bunkie and a queen bed, there. Should be more than enough room for you lot. Let me just get the key for you.”

I snuck a glance at the three of them while she looked behind her for a key hanging on the wall. I was hoping for validation, but I found Min and Lola as unfazed as the receptionist. Oliver, on the other hand, looked equally spooked.

Is this okay?he mouthed.

Fine, I mouthed back. What else was I supposed to say?Thanks for arranging all of this on my behalf, but I actually can’t share a room with you because the whole thing might burst into flames?I’m trying hard not to be attracted to you, but spending the night in the same room is going to ruin all my progress?The way you’re mouthing words to me right now and forcing me to focus on your lips is making it impossible for me to answer?

It was going to be a long night.

“Well, should we go see our digs?” Minho asked, shaking the old brass key in the air.

Our digs were, well, what we expected after the receptionist dropped the bomb, I supposed. Bunk beds pushed up against one wall, a queen bed pushed up against the other, about a foot of space between the two. Aside from a small bathroom tucked into one corner and a writing desk in the other, there wasn’t much else. No distractions, nowhere to hide. Just the four of us crammed into the world’s tiniest room for an unexpected overnight.

“This is... cozy,” Lo said. “Oliver, you’re sure—”