Page 88 of Love Spells: And Other Non-Refundable Magic

“Me too⁠—”

“Do you want to come home with me?” I almost yell. Immediately, the urge to justify myself rises in my throat.

We can just hang out. We don’t have to do anything. Unless you’re tired. You probably have work early.

But I don’t, for a change. I asked her what I wanted to ask, and whatever she says gets to be an answer.

Flora looks at me, and I’m suddenly very aware of how close we’re still standing.

Then her mouth curves.

“Yeah,” she says. “I want to.”

I don’t know why those last three words affect me more than the yes.

Maybe because there’s nothing ambiguous in them. No accommodation. No if you want me to.

She wants to, and that is that.

“Okay,” I say, and despite my best efforts, I can feel my own smile spreading. “Good.”

Flora laughs softly. “Good?”

“I’m trying really hard to be normal about this.”

“And how is that going?”

She kisses me once more, quick enough that I barely have time to respond before she pulls away. But I feel it—the butterflies in my stomach and the flush creeping up my cheeks and into my ears, and the smile that doesn’t want to leave my face.

“Come on.”

We finally separate, and the cold immediately finds all the places she’s been warm against me.

Flora’s car is in the opposite direction, so we agree she’ll follow me. I watch her walk away for longer than is strictly necessary before forcing myself into my own car, and the entire time there’s a strange, buoyant feeling in my chest that I don’t bother trying to reason myself out of.

A few minutes later, I pull away from the curb.

At the next light, a pair of headlights settles into place behind me.

I smile at Flora in the rear view mirror, even though she can’t possibly see it.

Then the light turns green, and I lead her home.

CHAPTER 25

FLORA

“Careful with that step.”

I look down just in time to see the uneven edge of the second concrete step leading up to Merry’s porch, then back at her as she reaches the top.

“Good to know.”

“I keep meaning to fix it, but, you know…”

She makes a face and gestures with her hands, as if that somehow explains the chaos that follows her. I laugh, and Merry turns to unlock the red front door, hiding a smile I can still see from the side.

The street behind us has gone quiet again.