Page 58 of A Witch in Notting Hill

“I’m telling you, the faster you drink it, the easier it is,” Minho said, handing Willow the cup of calamint tea. “Just shoot it. Down the hatch.”

Willow’s eyes darted to Lola and me, and all we could do was nod encouragingly. “Quicker you get this done, the quicker we get back to the city and on to the next task,” I said. That was what she wanted, right? Better to keep our eyes on the prize.

Especially after last night, where for a blip in time, it felt like our eyes were everywherebutthe prize. Or maybe on a different prize altogether. Best not to dwell on either.

“Count me down,” she said.

“Three, two—” She tossed her head back and swallowed the entire cup of tea in one impressive gulp. All this, the past twenty-four hours, the travel, the bed-and-breakfast, just for one singular gulp of tea. I hoped it was worth it.

“Good girl,” I said. “How’d it taste?”

“Delicious.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Grandma Dae would be proud,” Min said, trying not to laugh when Willow hiccupped.

“So, that’s it?” Lola asked.

“That’s it.” Willow shrugged. “Sorry it was kind of anticlimactic. I guess it won’t be in the long run, but right now... that’s it.” I hated the hint of apology that laced her tone.

“No bother,” I said. “We aren’t here for excitement. We’re here for the list, and now we can check that off. Well done, you.” Her smile eclipsed her apology, and I felt something in my chest loosen.

“Are we ready to head back, then?” Min asked.

Willow dropped her head back and blew out a hard breath. “Someone just knock me out for the ferry ride. I beg.”

“The drama,” I teased, and she snapped her head in my direction.

“At least now I know who to throw up on.”

“Looks like whatever moment you two were having in the middle of the night didn’t translate to the morning, did it?” Lola said.

“What moment? What’d I miss?” Min asked.

“Just these two chatting each other up in the middle of the night and keeping me awake,” Lola said.

“No one was chatting anyone up,” I said, shooting her a look. “Get your shit. We have a ferry to catch.”

“None of us have any shit, remember?”

“Any votes to throw Lola overboard?”

“If I go down, I’m taking you down with me,” she said.

“Good. Then we won’t have to listen to your bickering. Car’s leaving in five. Be in it or I’m leaving the lot of you here.” Min was out the door before we could argue, which was for the best. Lola was quick to follow, leaving Willow and I at the back of the pack, alone, once again. By design, I was starting to presume.

As far as Lola’s went, there were far worse schemes.

“Promise if anyone’s going overboard, it’s me,” she said. “I don’t know if I can handle that again.”

“Stick with me and you’ll be just fine.”

I led her out of the bed-and-breakfast with a hand on her lower back, relishing the way she relaxed into my touch. Every time I tried to remind myself she was seeing someone, I remembered Lo saying he was a dick, and I remembered Willow brushing it off every chance she got, minimizing it, sweeping it under the rug, whispering to me in the middle of the night, and I found it harder and harder to keep my distance.

The ferry ride back was much like the ferry ride there, only this time we at least knew what to expect. Willow and I made a beeline for our spot, and this time she did the breathing techniques with less panic, letting me gather her long hair and hold it off the nape of her neck. She didn’t wince at the intimacy of the moment. Didn’t shy away from my touch. Let me run my fingers from her scalp to her ends to soothe her, let me hold her hair wrapped around my fist so she could get some air, without so much as bothering to open her eyes.