Page 27
Story: Petty AF
And the Warlock Regent of Circle City fucking laughed.
Not darkly. Not fake. A real laugh filled with warmth, indulgence, and actual humor.
“I think I like you, River Brighton.” Then he pushed up from his chair, adjusting the hem of his shirt as if preparing to leave.
“Wait, what does that mean? Are you going to unhex me?”
His gaze fluttered to mine and Deaton’s intertwined hands again. “Congratulations on your mating.”
Then he turned and walked away, ignoring my frantic calls for answers.
“It’s okay,” Deaton soothed, releasing my hand to curl an arm around me instead. “We both knew it was a long shot, but we’ll find another way.”
I still couldn’t believe the asshole had just walked away like that. Why had he even agreed to the meeting if he’d known it wouldn’t change anything?
But I didn’t say those things out loud. They didn’t burst past my lips in a flurry of indignation. Vibrating with anger and frustration, my entire inner monologue should have been ringing throughout the cafe, but I hadn’t said a word.
My breath caught, and something flickered inside my chest, a spark that felt suspiciously like hope.
“We might have to travel, maybe even overseas, but we can—”
“Ask me something,” I interrupted, spinning in my seat to face him.
Deaton frowned. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” But I actually believed that, so it didn’t count. “Ask me something spicy.”
He stared at me for a long time, thinking, searching. Then slowly, his brow unknitted, and a cautious smile pulled at his mouth.
“The female at the counter. What do you think?”
I glanced toward the spot he indicated, easily finding the woman in question. I hadn’t seen her enter the shop, which kind of surprised me since she looked like a clown. That wasn’t me being facetious either.
She wore combat boots and a sparkly tutu over rainbow leggings with a tie-dyed crop top. Add the long, pastel pink wig and the harlequin makeup, and there was just a lot going on with that entire situation.
“She seems confident,” I said, deliberately choosing each word. “The wig is pretty.”
Deaton’s eyebrows winged toward his hairline. “River?”
“Yes!” Grinning so broadly it made my cheeks ache, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “Oh, my god. I can’t believe this.” My heart hammered against my ribs, andrelief flooded me, making me feel weak and shivery. “It’s really over.”
“I’m proud of you, baby.” He untangled my arms from his neck and sat back to look me in the eye. “However, just because youcanhide your thoughts and feelings from me now, that doesn’t mean you get to.”
“To be fair, I’ll probably hidesomeof my thoughts from you.” He didn’t need to know every errant thing that popped into my head. “How else am I supposed to plan a surprise birthday party for you?”
Chuckling, he tilted my head up to claim my lips in a chaste kiss. “Fine. I guess I can make some allowances.”
“That’s very generous of you,” I teased back before becoming serious again. “I promise I won’t hide my feelings from you, though. Not ever. But that means you can’t hide from me either.” I arched an eyebrow at him. “Deal?”
“Deal,” he agreed easily.
“Even if I get on your nerves or piss you off.”
He shrugged. “Okay.”
“And especially when you’re hot and bothered. I definitely want to know when that happens.”
His laughter was deep, rich, and utterly infectious. “I think I can manage that.” Cupping the back of my neck, he leaned in, bringing his forehead to rest against mine. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m going to love you so loudly you’ll probably get sick of it.”
Not darkly. Not fake. A real laugh filled with warmth, indulgence, and actual humor.
“I think I like you, River Brighton.” Then he pushed up from his chair, adjusting the hem of his shirt as if preparing to leave.
“Wait, what does that mean? Are you going to unhex me?”
His gaze fluttered to mine and Deaton’s intertwined hands again. “Congratulations on your mating.”
Then he turned and walked away, ignoring my frantic calls for answers.
“It’s okay,” Deaton soothed, releasing my hand to curl an arm around me instead. “We both knew it was a long shot, but we’ll find another way.”
I still couldn’t believe the asshole had just walked away like that. Why had he even agreed to the meeting if he’d known it wouldn’t change anything?
But I didn’t say those things out loud. They didn’t burst past my lips in a flurry of indignation. Vibrating with anger and frustration, my entire inner monologue should have been ringing throughout the cafe, but I hadn’t said a word.
My breath caught, and something flickered inside my chest, a spark that felt suspiciously like hope.
“We might have to travel, maybe even overseas, but we can—”
“Ask me something,” I interrupted, spinning in my seat to face him.
Deaton frowned. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” But I actually believed that, so it didn’t count. “Ask me something spicy.”
He stared at me for a long time, thinking, searching. Then slowly, his brow unknitted, and a cautious smile pulled at his mouth.
“The female at the counter. What do you think?”
I glanced toward the spot he indicated, easily finding the woman in question. I hadn’t seen her enter the shop, which kind of surprised me since she looked like a clown. That wasn’t me being facetious either.
She wore combat boots and a sparkly tutu over rainbow leggings with a tie-dyed crop top. Add the long, pastel pink wig and the harlequin makeup, and there was just a lot going on with that entire situation.
“She seems confident,” I said, deliberately choosing each word. “The wig is pretty.”
Deaton’s eyebrows winged toward his hairline. “River?”
“Yes!” Grinning so broadly it made my cheeks ache, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “Oh, my god. I can’t believe this.” My heart hammered against my ribs, andrelief flooded me, making me feel weak and shivery. “It’s really over.”
“I’m proud of you, baby.” He untangled my arms from his neck and sat back to look me in the eye. “However, just because youcanhide your thoughts and feelings from me now, that doesn’t mean you get to.”
“To be fair, I’ll probably hidesomeof my thoughts from you.” He didn’t need to know every errant thing that popped into my head. “How else am I supposed to plan a surprise birthday party for you?”
Chuckling, he tilted my head up to claim my lips in a chaste kiss. “Fine. I guess I can make some allowances.”
“That’s very generous of you,” I teased back before becoming serious again. “I promise I won’t hide my feelings from you, though. Not ever. But that means you can’t hide from me either.” I arched an eyebrow at him. “Deal?”
“Deal,” he agreed easily.
“Even if I get on your nerves or piss you off.”
He shrugged. “Okay.”
“And especially when you’re hot and bothered. I definitely want to know when that happens.”
His laughter was deep, rich, and utterly infectious. “I think I can manage that.” Cupping the back of my neck, he leaned in, bringing his forehead to rest against mine. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m going to love you so loudly you’ll probably get sick of it.”