5. Rule #5 You Cant Bullshit Your Bestie

Rule #5: You Can't Bullshit Your Bestie

Zoe

I t had been two weeks since the town-wide blackout and I had been doing my damnedest to avoid Daniel. Which wasn't easy seeing as we worked at the same place three days of the week. I was a little ashamed to say I had ducked behind the dirty towels hamper once and I was becoming a master at hiding behind pillars. I was practically a ninja at this point. I had no idea what he got up to when he wasn't at the gym, but he was always dressed in slacks and a dress shirt when he left during the middle of the day. I refused to think about how the perfectly tailored material clung to his strong shoulders and back when he sauntered out the door, always throwing me a cheeky wink as he left. I also refused to acknowledge the blush that rushed to my cheeks. I hated how my body betrayed me. Like the way it had when I'd woken up in his arms feeling warm and safe. That safety was an illusion. One he would take a hammer to and smash into a thousand tiny fragile pieces. Pieces that would embed themselves in my heart, ripping me to shreds. No, never again. After Marcus, I had fortified the walls around my heart, and it would take more than a cheeky smile to get past them.

Luckily for me, the way Lewis had arranged the schedule meant that I didn't have to spend too much time in his presence, mostly we passed by each other as our classes ended or were about to start. But the few times I did see him made me want to punch him in the face. Or kiss him. I couldn't decide. His sparkling green eyes always tracked my movements and when I caught him looking, he smirked as if he knew something I didn't. It warmed my blood, and I knew that was dangerous. I didn't trust him. Not one iota. No one that gorgeous was ever a good idea.

But I had bigger problems right now. The search for a new apartment was proving to be more of a pain in the ass than our new jiu-jitsu trainer. I had the morning off, which had been pleasantly Daniel free. Still in my pajamas, I sat at my wobbly kitchen table with my laptop going through apartments for rent, and still there was nothing. Well, not nothing. For my budget, my options were either a rat-infested basement or a cupboard under the stairs. I wasn't kidding when I told Lewis this was the best I was going to get.

My phone lit up with a notification. There was a new moon in three days, which meant I needed to take my contraception potion then. I'd need to make a trip to the apothecary. I used to be a regular when I was part of the coven, popping in whenever I needed anything. But now my trips were strategic. I never wanted to stay long enough to possibly run into one of my ex-coven members, despite them being the ones to do me wrong.

I also didn't want to dwell on it. It would lead me down a dark path and I was too tired to manage those emotions right now. Instead, I went over to open a small cupboard at the bottom of the cabinets in my kitchen, and it glowed blue before opening. It only responded to my touch. Once Lewis had tried to open it and no matter how hard he tugged, it wouldn't budge. I had suggested that maybe the previous owners had glued it shut. He gave me a flat look and asked why anyone would do that. I shrugged and while walking away called back that maybe there was a ghost in there. He wasn't pleased.

Going through the cupboard now, I noted that I was running low on a few basic potion ingredients, pain suppressants and my contraception potion was done. Swiping through my phone, I pulled up the app for Amelia's Apothecary and placed my order. One of the crypto witches had made it possible so that only people of magical nature were able to download the app. Anyone else got an error message. I wasn't even going to try to understand crypto magic. It was way above my pay grade, but thank Hecate for them.

My order would be ready later this afternoon so I'd grab it on my way to the gym. Which left me with a few hours to kill. I tidied up as best I could then found myself at my sketching desk. I picked up a colored pencil and zoned out. My hand flew across the page sketching and shading without thought, and when I finally came to, I was annoyed to find that I had drawn a pair of flirty but familiar green eyes.

Daniel.

I sighed and sat back, staring at the sketch. I wasn't going to lie to myself. I was physically attracted to the man. There was something incredibly sexy about him. Every time he ran his hand through his messy brown hair, my hands itched to do the same. He was tall and all lean muscle, but not gangly in the least. He had a swimmer's body, a broad chest that tapered down to a narrow waist and those damn abs had been the star of a few of my dreams lately. When he sat on a chair, he seemed to lounge in a way that made me want to crawl into his lap and live there. But there was also something secretive about him. Something I didn't quite trust.

You don't trust anyone .

Lewis's voice echoed in my head. He wasn't wrong, but this time something told me that Daniel was hiding something.

A knock sounded at my door and I tore my gaze away from my sketch, stuffing it in a folder where I could forget about it. Opening the front door revealed Lewis.

"Don't you have a business to run?" I asked, letting him in.

He walked in and threw himself on my couch, extending his long legs onto the coffee table that had a folded up takeout menu stuffed beneath one of its legs.

"Hired a new front desk manager and I don't have any classes scheduled this afternoon," he replied.

"She nice?" I asked, taking a seat next to him.

"Who?" he asked with a frown.

"The front desk manager."

"Why are you assuming it's a woman?"

I raised my eyebrows at him, challenging him to correct me.

Lewis sighed in resignation before reaching for the TV remote. "Yes, she's nice. Efficient, not bubbly. You should get on well with her."

"Don't fuck her please," I said, grabbing the remote from him before he could choose another superhero movie.

"I don't shit where I eat, Zo."

I wrinkled my nose at him. "I've always hated that saying, but touché."

Despite being an absolute flirt and playboy, the man was an excellent businessman.

"You hungry?" I asked, standing to go to the kitchen.

"Yeah, we ordering in?" he replied.

"Nah, got some supplies from obaasan. She sent me bulk dumplings," I called back to him.

"Why does my grandmother send you food and not me?" he whined .

"Because obviously I'm the favorite grandchild," I said, taking the frozen potstickers out of the freezer before grabbing a pan from a cupboard. He made a disgruntled sound but he knew I was joking. He was the apple of his grandparents' eye. The heir to the proverbial throne, even though he'd chosen his own path. I admired him for it and would support him to the end.

"Do you have any beer?" he asked, while the dumplings finished steaming and I plated up.

"Why do you ask stupid questions that you know the answer to?" I replied, with a roll of my eyes he couldn't see.

"Because the answer is yes. I snuck some in the other day."

Sure enough, when I opened my fridge, right on the bottom shelf near the back were six bottles of Heineken. I shook my head and grabbed one and a vanilla Coke for myself, tucking the drinks beneath each arm while I carried our plates. I was grateful for how the cans cooled my body. It was sweltering and I had no aircon in this place.

"Thanks," he said, clinking our drinks together.

"What are we watching?" I asked, seeing as he had gotten custody of the remote back.

"Drive to Survive," he replied.

"Oooh, he's pretty!" I replied as a young French speaking driver with a boyish face and pretty eyes dressed in red graced the screen .

"He's pretty good. Hasn't won a championship yet, but give him a few years."

I wanted to say I lost interest quickly, but the drama in the F1 world was gripping. And I mean telenovela level drama. Also, the drivers were hot.

"Is it a prerequisite to be gorgeous in order to be an F1 driver?" I asked, popping what was probably my seventh potsticker in my mouth.

Lewis side-eyed me and grumbled something I didn't catch.

"I mean, look at that one. He's basically a Disney prince? How is his hair so perfect after sweating in a helmet for that long?"

"This is a legitimate sport, Zo," he sighed in exasperation.

"Fast cars go vroom vroom." I cackled at my own joke, while Lewis shoved my head to the side and stole my last prawn potsticker.

"Hey! I was saving that one for last!"

"You've had at least twenty." The words were muffled around my stolen dumpling and I glared at him.

"I'm pouring every one of your beers down the drain," I seethed.

"Cool. I'll bring more next time."

I hit him with a pillow and he wacked me right back.

"Stop it!" I yelled.

"You stop it!" he shouted back as we continued hitting each other like children.

"Okay, okay. Truce. Let's not wreck this piece of shit apartment. I won't get my deposit back."

"Are you sure you don't wanna move in with me?" Lewis asked, reclining on the couch, trying to catch his breathe.

I sat back, looking him in the eye. "I love you for the offer. I really do, but I need to do this on my own."

I really did appreciate his offer, but living with him meant the potential for him finding out my secret increased tenfold. And I couldn't have that. Being alone was the only way to survive.

"I know," he replied. "But the offer stands. Forever."

"Love you, Lew. I'm going to be okay."

"I know you are. Love you too, Zo."

We sat in a comfortable silence for a while, my mind calming enough for me to feel sleepy. But Lewis's next words shook me out of my stupor as a million wild horses took hold of my heart.

"So, you and Daniel, huh? "

"Me and Daniel nothing," I protested.

"Didn't seem like nothing when I found you in bed together the other day."

"Wow. You've been holding on to that one for two weeks," I replied.

"I've been observing," he said.

"There's nothing to observe. He's annoying. The end."

"You sound like a teenage girl protesting. When in fact she loves the boy she pretends to hate."

"Firstly, you're cut off from romcoms. Secondly, I don't need to pretend to hate anyone. That takes too much precious energy."

"Huh. Must be why you're so tired lately. Must be exhausting to deny how attracted you are to him. I have eyes, Zo."

"First I was allegedly in love with him, now I'm attracted to him. Make up your mind."

"Oh, you definitely have a thing for him."

"I do not!"

"Not everyone's out to hurt you, Zo."

"You don't know that," I whispered. He slung an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side and dropping a kiss on the top of my head. "I'll kill anyone who tries."

The funny thing is, he would truly hurt anyone who did. The only reason he didn't raise a hand to Marcus was because I forbade him to. He stood no chance against a witch. Especially one with a full coven behind him.

"I know. But you don't have to worry. I won't put myself in that kind of danger again."

He sighed. "You're missing out on so much love, Zo. I just want to see you happy."

"I'm perfectly happy as I am."

He snorted a laugh, but thankfully let it go. He didn't need to say anything more. He'd planted enough seeds.

Amelia's Apothecary was a quaint flower and vine covered, thatched roof cottage on the outskirts of town. It had been spelled so that anyone who didn't have business here, aka humans, would be compelled to look right past it. And if they did happen to look closely all they'd see was a burned down, dilapidated cottage with an overgrown garden and a condemned sign.

I pushed the little garden gate open and the hum of magic caressed me as I strode through the barrier. Bees buzzed around the neat rows of herbs and medicinal flowers leading to the entrance, creating a perfume that was unique to Amelia's. A bell tinkled when I opened the door, and it was like walking into a warm hug.

Damn, I missed this place.

"Zoe! It's been too long!"

Amelia hurried around from behind the counter, wrapping her arms tightly around me. Her shocking pink, curly hair puffed around her head like cotton candy, she wore a septum ring and as always, a streak of dirt was smudged across her cheek like she'd just got in from the garden. Her round face was friendly and she was the reason this place was so homely and welcoming.

"Yeah," I hedged. I didn't know how much she knew, but when a witch got banished from their coven, the news spread like wildfire.

"Well, your order is almost ready. I just have a few ingredients I need to grab from the back."

"No problem. I'll have a look around. It's been a while. "

Amelia's gaze flicked to my left wrist where my coven tattoo was fading. I pulled my sleeve down and she took it as her cue to leave. "Be right back."

The apothecary was filled with all sorts of things and I took my time browsing through the shelves. They were lined with potions, ingredients and body products. Another section housed spell books and novels with a couple of couches and tub chairs where patrons could read with a cup of tea or coffee and indulge in one of the many delicious baked goods available.

My eyes snagged on the sign board near the door. There were some lost and found notices. Seemed like Mrs. McArthur had lost her familiar, Archer, again. The tabby cat was always going missing for weeks before turning up on somebody's roof. Or stuck in a chimney. There were ads for broom riding lessons and spellwork classes. But the thing that caught my attention was the housing ad.

Room for Rent Large bedroom with en-suite available in a Victorian manor. One other occupant. Rent: $350 a month.

Amenities: Free Wi-Fi Pool Garden UV protected glass On a ley line In-house laundry Magical library

My eyes narrowed as I read. That was ridiculously cheap. There had to be a catch. The picture attached was of a red Victorian double storey manor, with an attic as far as I could see, and seemed to be in excellent condition.

"Madame Picoult is renting her house out," Amelia said from over my shoulder. "After her husband passed and with all her children moved out, the place was too big for her."

"That's a damn cheap rate though. What's wrong with it?" I asked.

Amelia shrugged. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. She doesn't need the money and she wants to help young witches in need."

"Hmm," was all I said, tearing off one of the numbers attached.

Amelia handed me a brown paper bag stamped with the shop's logo, a crescent moon with a black cat perched on it. "Your order. Was there anything else? I've got some of those brownies you like," she said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

I shrugged. "Fuck it. Why not? I also need some boosters."

"I assume you're not talking about the immuno kind," she replied, making her way to the cake stands and sliding a massive chocolate brownie into another brown paper bag. It was almost as big as my face.

"Don't eat it all at once," she warned.

"Pfft. I know how to behave with a brownie, Meals."

"Uh huh," she said as she unlocked a cupboard behind the till.

"Power boosters," she said, placing three small bright red vials on the counter. "You need more than this?"

"Nah, this should tide me over. "

Amelia reached out and touched my wrist gently. "Tide you over till when? You need a new coven, Zoe."

Her eyes were kind and I knew she meant well, but I couldn't help feeling defensive. "They kicked me out, Amelia. I was their leader but they chose to believe the lies Marcus spun about me. He stole my coven from me, and just like that, they turned on me. I was there for them through everything. I have quite literally saved their asses time and time again. And the one time I needed them to have my back they turned on me."

Her sweet face fell. "I'm so sorry, Zoe. I didn't know."

Feeling bad for my outburst, I reached for her hand and squeezed it. "Of course you didn't. Why would that backstabbing, manipulative snake ever paint me in a good light?" I laughed humorlessly. "But that's beside the point. I'm a lone witch for now."

"But not forever, Zoe. Your magic will die without a coven. You can't live off power boosters."

"I know," I said, patting her hand, more for her comfort than mine. "See you around Amelia."

"May luck go with you, Zoe."

I smiled my thanks because I sure as fuck was going to need that luck.