9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A s Friday bled into Saturday, her anxiety grew and grew. It was a cloudless and calm day. Not at all a reflection of the way Olivia was feeling inside, where worry roared and gnawed at her gut, leaving her feeling very unsteady.

What the hell had she been thinking, asking Draven out on a date? She was an idiot, a complete idiot.

A million different thoughts were rolling around in her head. She had almost marched over to his house on several different occasions to call it off, but given that seemed a little over the top, she found herself dragging Daniel down to the bakery, to rant to Jill. Because what else were best friends for?

It was times like this, that she was most grateful for this small town’s walkability. Because even though she couldn’t drive, her best friend was no more than a few minutes away.

“In the kitchen, Liv,” Jill called out to her when she called hello.

Olivia faced her son. “Daniel, I need to talk to Jill for a few minutes.” She turned to lock the door and flip the open sign to closed. “Front door’s locked, so we shouldn’t get any customers. Maybe you could refill the napkin holders while you wait? You know where everything is. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything, and I won’t be long.”

“Okay, Mom.”

“You’re the best, bud,” she said as she planted a kiss on the top of his head.

He truly was the best kid a mother could ask for.

Rounding the counter, she pushed through the door to the kitchen, searching the space for her bestie.

Jill was standing at the table, elbow-deep in dough. “Hey. I was just getting started on the bread dough for tomorrow. It’s been pretty slow today, so I thought I’d get a head start and then maybe close up early. What are you doing here?”

“I have to cancel my date.”

Jill's hand slipped, sending flour into her face. Coughing, she sputtered out, “I’m sorry, what?”

Olivia started pacing. “I have to cancel this date. I can’t believe I did this. Jill, what the hell do I do?” She paused, glancing up at Jill. “Uhhh, you have dough in your hair.”

“Oh, screw this,” Jill muttered as she tried in vain to wipe bits of dough and flour from her skin and hair. With a wave of her hand and a spick and span, she sent the entire mess off her and into the garbage can. This spell in particular was a favorite of pretty much every witch in town. It was hard not to use it for every little mess. Then she set the rest of the dough to kneading itself with Rollo.

Some spells were incredibly complicated, where others were comically simple. That didn’t make the latter any less useful, though.

“Desperate times,” Jill said as she focused back on Olivia. “Why do you want to cancel the date?”

“Huh?” She was mesmerized by the self-kneading dough—anything to distract herself from the current situation.

“Focus, Olivia. Why do you want to cancel the date?”

She grabbed a strand of her hair and started twirling it around her finger. “Oh, right. I uh—it just feels so awkward. I’m still not sure how I even feel about the guy. On the one hand, he’s super hot and I like the way he is with Daniel. When I talk to him, I feel like he really sees me. Yeah, he’s flirty and a bit cocky, but he also has these moments of vulnerability. Like when he talks about gardening and his mother—he’s a totally different person. I know this probably sounds weird because I barely know him, but it is what it is. On the other hand, he’s lied to me repeatedly and I have no idea if I can, or should, actually trust him. Plus, I haven’t been on a date in years. What the hell do I do?”

Jill simply stared at her for a moment. “Oh my God, first of all, Liv, you need to calm down. Just please, take a breath.”

She stopped pacing and followed Jill’s advice. She then exhaled while Jill watched. She did feel a little better.

“Alright. Now that you’re a little more relaxed, I feel like I can say this. You like him. I knew it. I knew you liked him. I knew it, I knew it.”

Her best friend was an actual child.

“What, no. I do not. I don’t like him. I asked him out so I could grill him about his intentions. Not because I want to French the guy.”

“Fine, fine. Whatever you say, I know you’re lying. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. If you really want to find out what’s going on, you can’t cancel. So, go. Go beat him at his own game. Go on the date and get that boy on his knees.”

“Geez. Do you have to make it sound so nefarious?”

“Nefarious?”

She rolled her eyes. “Daniel learned the word in school this week, so he’s been using it a lot.”

“I’m not saying make him fall in love with you or anything. Just use the date to see what you can find out, like you said.”

Olivia went back to pacing. “I mean, that was my plan. I’m just so damn nervous.”

Jill turned around to check on the dough. She switched back to kneading with her hands. “Liv, can I ask you a question?”

Olivia stopped pacing again. “Yeah?”

“You say you don’t like Draven. You keep reminding me of that every chance you get. But if that’s true, then why are you really so nervous about this date?”

“The truth?”

Jill nodded. Concern beginning to cloud her eyes. “Of course.”

“It’s been nice, spending a little time with him every day, as I said. I guess I just feel really embarrassed about that. When I got the idea to ask him out and he said yes, there was a part of me that was excited. How messed up is that? I started thinking maybe he was just a normal guy who liked my son and me.”

“But you don’t think that’s true?”

“I think he could be both. Maybe he does like me and he does like Daniel. But maybe that’s also a way to get me to tell him what he wants to know. But maybe, just for tonight, I want to pretend it’s not. Maybe I just want to feel normal for once in my life.”

She was on the verge of tears now. She just wanted something normal. But even this wasn’t that. Even if they did like each other, she was certain that both she and Draven were using each other. Still, was it so wrong to want to make the most of this, to spend some time with an attractive, charming man?

“What does your magic tell you?”

She closed her eyes, just feeling her magic pulsing inside of her, like a second heartbeat.

“It’s been all over the place since Draven arrived in town. Earlier today, I started sprouting flowers again and I’m worried Draven could have seen something. Plus, the thing with the spoon yesterday. I don’t know how he’ll feel if I do decide to tell him. That’s what scares me the most, I think. The uncertainty. What if letting myself get close to him is a mistake? But the other part of me thinks getting close to him will be the best thing I ever do. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t know. I don’t know what my magic is trying to tell me because my magic is an extension of myself and I don’t know how I feel.”

“You want to know what I think?”

“Always.”

“I think whatever is happening between you and Draven is good. Or at least it’s going to be. We all think so. I understand why you’re scared. But I think if you just let everything go for a moment, you’ll see.”

She walked over to Jill, pulling her bestie in for a hug. “Thank you. You always know just what to say to make me feel better. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime. Now go,” Jill said, pushing her away. “I know that you might not think you should. But try to have a little fun. For me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’ll try, I promise. Oh, by the way, can you—"

“Yes. I’ll watch Daniel tonight.”

“You’re the best,” she called out as she pushed through the door back to the front of the shop.

“Don’t I know it,” Jill said as the door swung shut.

Fretting over what to wear had never been Olivia’s style. As both a kid and an adult, she had never had that inclination to linger over her fashion choices. Not just because she had never had much in the way of a wardrobe, as she always preferred T-shirts and jeans, but because it had never seemed practical to her. Did it really matter if she chose a black dress over a red one? Or flats over a sensible heel at the end of the day?

Yet, here she was, staring into her closet, completely at a loss and desperate for something appropriate to wear tonight.

It was her own fault, really. She’d asked Draven out completely on a whim, with no thought for what that actually entailed. It was pure luck that he’d offered to plan the evening. Now, she had absolutely nothing to wear. He couldn’t exactly help her with that.

"Come on, there's gotta be something in here," she muttered as she looked through the few dresses she owned. They were all nice but way too formal for a date. One was the bridesmaids' dress she’d worn for Jill’s wedding, for Christ’s sake. Everything else just didn’t look nice enough.

The whole thing was even more frustrating when she considered that it probably didn’t even matter what she wore. Because she still couldn’t convince herself that he really might like her and that it might be okay for her to like him.

Just as defeat was about to wash over her, a dress in the back of her closet caught her eye. It hadn’t been there a few seconds ago. It was a deep purple, one of her favorite colors. A halter dress with a sweetheart neckline and skirt that flared out at the bottom. The kind of dress that looked both cute and comfortable. Exactly her style.

But how the hell had it ended up in her closet? She couldn’t remember the last time she went shopping.

Then it hit her. Jill . She had probably magicked it to the back of Olivia’s closet, knowing she wouldn’t have had anything to wear.

She quickly stripped down and put on the dress. Not only did it fit perfectly, but it felt so good on her. She felt beautiful in it. And it was comfortable. She appreciated that. The last thing she wanted was something stiff and formal. She found sensible but cute flats on the floor beneath where the dress was and smiled. She could only wear closed-back shoes with a comfortable arch thanks to her Cerebral Palsy and Jill knew that.

Thinking back on all her past experiences when it came to dating, she honestly could not recall a moment when she had ever felt like this. Nervous and anxious, but also excited, with butterflies beginning to get the best of her, filling her with restless energy that had no outlet.

It was all so very confusing, given her very ridiculous feelings about Draven. But she also did not hate the feeling.

It was like being a teenager again, when you found out the person you liked felt the same way about you, followed by those quick moments when you would catch a glimpse of them in the hallway or in the cafeteria during lunch.

But on the few dates she had been on as an adult and even when she was seeing Shawn, there was more excitement at the idea of not being alone than excitement about the man himself. That probably should have been a sign for what was to come.

Leave it to her to feel this way about someone like Draven. Someone who could not be trusted. The phrase “We always want what we can’t have” came to mind.

Once the dress and shoes were on, she checked her appearance in the full-length mirror hanging on the back of her door.

She had done a full face of makeup, primer, foundation, blush, eyeshadow, everything—very different from her usual swipe of mascara and lipstick; looking at herself, there was a sparkle in her eye that hadn’t been there in a very long time. She didn’t want to acknowledge why that might be.

She grabbed a wrap from her dresser drawer just in case she got cold. She had fifteen minutes to spare and she was restless. Grabbing her keys and purse, she perched on the couch, her knees shaking with nerves. It had been a long time since she had been on a date, let alone a date that was really more of a reconnaissance mission. The whole thing was starting to feel very real.

Should she kiss him? Hold his hand? How far was she supposed to push this? It’s not like doing those things would be a hardship. But she did not want to give him the wrong idea.

There was so much riding on the next couple of hours and by the end of the night, everything would be so different. Whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing, she could not say.

In the last hour, she had gotten texts from both of her friends wishing her luck tonight. They wanted her to have a good time.

She jumped at the sound of a knock at the door. She rushed to open it, finding Draven on the other side. He was dressed in black slacks and a dark grey button-down, with a black leather jacket to complete the look. She laughed when she spied his shoes.

“Converse?”

There went his hand, straight to the back of his neck. She definitely made him nervous. She found that endearing.

“Ha. Yeah. I was going for a dressy casual vibe. I like Converse so…”

“Well, mission accomplished. You look great.”

“And you look stunning, Olivia.”

She could have sworn his eyes darkened as he gazed at her. Damn that sexy voice of his.

“Thank you. So uh, should we get going?”

“Absolutely. But first—”

He pulled a bouquet of roses from behind his back. She could not stop the laugh that bubbled up.

“Sorry,” she said, her mouth turning down into a frown at the hurt that flashed in his eyes. “I don’t mean to laugh. It’s just—I can’t believe you brought me roses.”

“I couldn’t help myself,” he said, now laughing along with her. “Unfortunately, these are store-bought and not fresh from my garden. But I hope you can appreciate them all the same.”

“I do. Thank you, they’re lovely. Daniel will be thrilled to know you took his advice.”

“Glad to hear it. I definitely owe him one for the good tip.”

She laughed again. Draven owing Daniel a favor might seem like no big deal to him. But she knew Daniel would probably milk it for all it was worth. “Do you want to come in while I grab a vase for these?”

“Sure,” he said as he stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind him.

She motioned for him to follow her to the kitchen. She could feel his eyes on her every step of the way. Not in a creepy way, but a different way than she was used to. She wasn't used to having strangers, or almost strangers, in her house—especially male strangers.

Having Draven in her home, even for just a few minutes, was a huge step for her.

She went over to a cupboard next to the stove, pulling out the vase that Daniel had made for her two years ago. Well, made was a stretch. His teacher purchased the vase, one for each student, and he had painted the vase in art class, proudly presenting it to her at Christmas time. She loved it and he would get a kick out of her using it for Draven’s flowers.

“You grow herbs in here too?”

She turned, seeing Draven eyeing her small collection of tiny seed pots on the windowsill.

She raised a brow at him in question.

“I noticed you grow some out in the garden as well.”

“Oh, right.” Of course, he would notice little things like that. Wasn’t that what journalists did? Noticed things? She really shouldn’t have been surprised that he noticed what she did with her tea yesterday. Was he going to bring that up now? “Well, I like to have the ones I use most often nearby.”

That was only half true. But he didn’t need to know that.

“For cooking?”

She turned on the sink, filling the vase with a little water. She placed the roses inside and moved to set them on the table. “Among other things.”

“Such as?”

Why was he so curious about the herbs she grew?

“Oh, you know. Sage for cleansing. Lavender for luck. That kind of thing.” As well as a pinch of each herb here and there for different spells. But again, he didn’t need to know that. “Alright. Flowers are all taken care of. I’m ready when you are.”

He glanced again at the herbs, before leaving the kitchen and making his way back down the hall. This time, she got to watch him. Could he feel her gaze the way that she could his?

She made a quick pit stop in the living room for her purse, keys, and wrap, then joined him at the front door. He simply stood there for a moment, watching her with his intense eyes. The air was thick with tension. The kind that made her eyes drop to his lips. Her sharp intake of breath sounded so loud in the near silence as his tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip.

She cleared her throat, effectively breaking whatever spell they’d just been under. “Where are we going?” she asked as they made their way out the front door and onto the sidewalk.

But he only smirked and shook his head. “Nice try, but I'm afraid that remains a secret, at least for now.”

He led her to his car, opening her door as a proper gentleman would. It was incredibly foreign to her, the politeness and good manners. In the past, her previous dates had almost always arranged to meet up somewhere. If they did walk her to her door afterward, it was because they hoped to be invited in.

“Daniel seemed okay with all of this,” he said, gesturing between the two of them as they settled back into their seats.

She smiled. When she told Daniel that she and Draven were going on a date, he was ecstatic. “‘Okay’ is putting it mildly. He’s over the moon. He likes you a lot.”

“He’s a great kid.”

“Thanks. I’m kind of crazy about him.”

“It shows,” he said as they hit Main Street.

“What about you? No kids?”

This was date-like talk, right?

“Afraid not. I’ve always been more focused on my career. Never really had time for any of that.”

“Any of that?” she asked, glancing over at him.

“You know, a wife and kids. The nice house in the suburbs. That kind of thing.”

She laughed, shaking her head at him. “Your ideas seem a little antiquated. You don’t have to be married to have kids and who the hell says you have to live in a suburb? A cute little New England town works just as well, in my opinion. Call me cliché, but I see no reason why someone couldn’t have both a promising career and a family if that’s what they wanted. I mean, look at me.”

He cleared his throat. “I apologize. I didn’t mean it that way. I think you have a great thing going here with Daniel. I guess I just chose to give all my time to my career.”

“Would you say you’re good at your job?”

He laughed. “I’d like to think so, yes. Or at least I would hope so, considering all I’ve put into it over the years.”

“How long have you been a writer?”

“Gosh. Since I was a little kid, I’d write short stories and make my mom read them with me. I was on the paper in high school. I studied journalism in college and then got a job at a smaller paper. I worked my way up, and now I write for one of the bigger papers in New York.”

“Right. I remember you said that. Is that why you’re able to be here now, working on your book? Because you’re just so good at your job?”

“Among other reasons,” he said, eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead.

Just when he was actually starting to open up to her, he would shut down again. What else was he hiding? If he was so set on keeping her at arm’s length, why did he agree to go on this date? He was so frustrating. How was she supposed to get to know him this way?

Maybe if she kept talking, he would too. “I was never much for reading newspapers. So, I’m not sure I would have read any of your stuff when I did live there.”

He huffed a laugh.

So much for that idea. Her eyes shifted to the window, watching the world go by in a blur. She was so used to walking everywhere, that sometimes being in a car could be a bit disorienting. But focusing on other things helped. It was a lovely night with a clear sky save for a few wispy clouds. The kind of night she loved. The moon looked full and bright. If she were home right now, she’d probably be curled up on the porch with a book, her fuzzy socks on her feet, a blanket on her lap, and a mug of Mexican hot chocolate in one hand.

She was such a homebody that it was weird to actually be out at night.

“This is a destination date?” she asked as they passed the sign saying they were leaving Addersfield.

Honestly, when he said he would plan the evening, she’d expected dinner at the local diner.

“Yes, but we’re not going far. I thought it might be best to try something away from too many nosey friends and neighbors.”

Thank God. It wasn't that she wanted to be far from home, per se. But she and Draven had been a topic of gossip for days thanks to his daily visits to the bakery. She could only imagine how much more fodder the town would have if their first date was some kind of public spectacle.

Jill would have been front and center for the whole thing.

“Has anyone ever told you you're a genius?”

He laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far. I just wanted the evening to go well. I figured we’d have a better chance if we didn’t spend the whole night on display.”

They sat in silence the rest of the way. She didn’t know what to say to that. It was surprisingly thoughtful and it showed that he paid attention to her wants and needs.

But it was also confusing. It’s not like she expected him to suddenly be honest with her just because she’d asked him out on a date. He had to have an agenda, right? He couldn’t have actually just wanted to take her on a date.

She thought about what Parker said yesterday, that he’d probably been wanting to ask her out for a while.

He probably knew that she knew he was hiding something. So maybe this date was just a convenient excuse to get inside her head. The man was a freaking journalist, for God’s sake. It was literally his job to get information out of people. He’d said it himself.

Maybe she should just cast a truth spell on him and be done with the whole damn thing.

But no. She could not do that. She would not do that. They only used their magic for good and in cases of self-defense or defending others. Absolutely no magic for personal gain. Apart from the occasional household chores.

Could she really blame him for using a date as an excuse to get closer to her? She was doing the exact same thing to him.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived in front of Manor House. This was a relief, because having a disability meant that she was sometimes limited in her activities. Anything that required good balance or walking long distances was difficult. This she could definitely handle. But there was also a trickle of dread. This house was the embodiment of Addersfield town history. If Draven knew about it, maybe he really did know more about the town than he had let on so far. Or, at the very least, being here might lead to him asking a lot of questions.

“How do you know about this place?” she asked as he pulled open her door.

“I do now, thanks to a little research and a chat with a certain grocery store owner. I take it you've been here before?”

She nodded, her gaze returning to the structure before them.

Manor House was the home of the town founder, Melissa Adler, a witch who, along with her husband and children, had fled persecution after the Salem witch trials. After Melissa passed away, her children left the home to the town’s historical society. Though she had never been inside, she, Daniel, and her friends visited the grounds often.

He left her for a moment, going around to the trunk to pull out a few things.

“I thought maybe we’d have a picnic here on the lawn and then take a walk on the beach,” he said as he joined her again.

“Sounds great. I have trouble with my legs, so it’s nice to be somewhere familiar to me.” She paused, waiting for him to start asking questions. Instead, he just smiled and started walking.

Maybe he was trying to be polite. She wasn’t really used to that. Most people stared when they first got a glimpse of the way she walked or when she brought up her disability for the first time.

She didn’t believe for one second he hadn’t noticed. But if he was giving her some time before broaching the subject, she could certainly appreciate that.

When they reached the house's front walkway, he stopped, took her hand and raised it to his lips to kiss it gently. The action was so intimate it set her heart fluttering in her chest.

He was smooth; she had to give him that.