Page 10

10

HARPER

Harper emerged from his room around midday. He yawned, jaw cracking. Maybe he should go back to bed.

Poor sleep wasn’t unusual. Harper spent hours awake in the middle of the night more often than not. That didn’t mean Ash costing him sleep didn’t sting.

He’d tossed and turned until he’d heard Ollie come home, then listened to Ollie move around the apartment, hoping the sounds of someone else would settle him. It hadn’t worked. He’d eventually gotten up and brewed potions just for something to do.

He was paying for it now.

Ollie was curled up in his usual spot on the couch in the living room. “Hey.” He gave Harper a tired smile. “There’s coffee in the kitchen.”

“Thanks.” Harper still needed to go grocery shopping. It was lucky Ollie seemed happy to share everything with him.

With a mug of coffee in hand, Harper sat across from Ollie. He sniffed. Was that Ash’s spicy cologne? Oh, fuck no. His insides curled and he cringed into his coffee. Something worse than embarrassment tugged at his chest, almost like he longed for Ash’s embrace despite his humiliation.

It didn’t make sense to be drawn to Ash after the way he’d left, no matter how good kissing and coming with him had felt. How sad was it that even a guy who’d run off like an absolute dick was the best Harper had ever had?

“You good?” Ollie peered over his mug, attention sharp despite appearing hung over. Some of what Harper was feeling must have shown on his face.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Harper tried to act like a guy who was perfectly fine. This was how people smiled and talked, right?

Ollie sat up a little straighter, looking less than convinced, worry creasing his brow. “You sure? Was everything good with that guy?”

Harper’s face flamed and he looked away as memories from last night flooded his mind. “Yeah,” he repeated.

Parts of it were good. Really good. Nothing truly bad had happened, and Harper knew what that was like.

“Last night kind of blew my mind,” he admitted, returning Ollie’s gaze and choosing to focus on the best parts of the evening, even if it strangled his heart. “I didn’t know it could be like that.”

“Oh?” Ollie cocked a brow, looking intrigued and maybe a little relieved to hear it had gone well.

Harper ignored his hot face. Was it normal to have amazing sex with someone only to realize they were a jerk? He almost asked. He wanted to talk to Ollie, share some of his experiences so they could get to know each other like real friends.

“Yeah, I, uh, wasn’t expecting it to be so…” Nope. He’d burn alive if he continued. “I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to meet guys before.”

Ollie sipped his coffee. “You said your family was strict?”

Harper nodded. “We lived in an isolated area. Nothing like Shearwater Landing. People didn’t visit us often. Anyway…I keep thinking about last night compared to my past experiences. Even the ones that weren’t so bad were nothing like it, and now I’m thinking about all the shitty things that happened before.”

He didn’t add that he was stuck on people who’d hurt him because Ash had made him feel used or that he’d had a flashback in front of Ash. But even that was complicated. Ash had soothed Harper, not making a big deal out of it, which was exactly what he’d needed. If everything else had gone well, Harper didn’t think he’d have been so down today or been quite as hung up on the past.

He’d had more than amazing sex with Ash. That was what was so confusing.

Harper had whiplash. He didn’t want to remember how safe he’d felt in Ash’s arms. He wanted to forget the obviously misplaced feeling and move on. It meant nothing, even if Harper wished it meant something.

If only the encounter had been uncomplicatedly good, he could have one happy memory that wasn’t tainted. Shouldn’t he be able to have that now that he’d escaped everything crushing him?

It made sense when cruel people discarded him. Like the guy visiting his family’s compound from another coven a few years ago, who’d sweet-talked Harper just enough to convince Harper to give him a few blowjobs but had never returned the favor. He’d been Harper’s first, and Harper had been na?ve, willing to get on his knees and ignore how the guy treated him when they weren’t alone. Hell, he’d ignored the fact that the guy didn’t touch him other than what was necessary to get his cock in Harper’s mouth. Harper had been desperate for anything remotely like affection and had fallen for empty promises.

It hadn’t been a great situation, and Harper could now see how that guy’s behavior predicted how he’d dismissed him in the end.

What Ash did wasn’t like that. Why had he run? Why had he bothered being kind? Was it just so he could use Harper?

Harper’s heart skipped, more memories intruding. He didn’t want to think about what had happened with that other man—the one who cornered him after the visiting witch tossed him aside—but at the same time, he was sick of not acknowledging it.

“I was assaulted a couple of years ago, and this was the first time I’d been with anyone since,” he confessed to Ollie. “I guess I’m just in my head about it this morning.”

“Oh, Harper…” Ollie put his mug down and slid along the couch, pulling Harper into a hug. Harper hunched down. It was awkward, but Ollie’s touch was soft and soothing.

To Harper’s relief, Ollie didn’t say anything else. Being comforted rather than questioned gave Harper a sense of validation. He hadn’t told anyone before, not counting accidentally revealing it to Ash.

“Thanks,” Harper whispered, hoping it conveyed how much he appreciated Ollie.

“Any time.” Ollie squeezed before releasing him. “I’m sorry that happened, and I’m always here if you want to talk.”

“I don’t think I want to say any more about it.”

Ollie rested a hand on Harper’s knee. “That’s okay. Hopefully it helps not holding it in.”

“Yeah.” Harper was less tense than he’d been. He wasn’t suddenly over it, but getting through this conversation felt significant. “You can always talk to me too.”

Ollie picked up his mug, saying playfully, “Oh, I don’t know if you’re ready to hear about my exes. There’s no reason to subject you to that.” Ollie shuddered dramatically, and Harper laughed .

He welcomed the lightened mood but was serious as he said, “If you need me to, I’ll find a way to manage.”

Ollie’s mug paused on its way to his mouth. “Fuck, you’re sweet. You better never move out. I’m going to get addicted to having you here.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Harper pushed his plans for leaving Shearwater Landing to the back of his mind.

He didn’t have to go. Not when he’d stumbled across the best thing to ever happen to him. He needed friends, and his coven had no idea where he was. If he made it undiscovered for the whole six months he needed to save enough to leave, then he’d be in the clear anyway. Right?

Why not stay?

Later that afternoon, Harper left the apartment, his shoulder bag full of the potions he’d brewed in the middle of the night. As he stepped out of his building, he scanned the street and stayed alert for anyone following him, but no nausea or prickling awareness snuck up on him.

He walked without wanting to run, comfortable in his own skin.

Harper had never been relaxed at home, and even after last night’s disappointment, he felt better than he ever had around his coven. It had to be down to Ollie.

But he stayed vigilant. He couldn’t afford to be sloppy just because he had a safe space.

Harper walked past the coffee shop he kept meaning to visit, disappointed to see it was already closed for the day. Next time, he had to come out earlier and stop in.

He turned away from the dark window and almost ran into a man walking down the sidewalk .

“Whoa, there.” The man caught Harper by the shoulders, steadying him briefly before pulling back.

“Sorry.” So much for staying vigilant. Harper’s heart pounded, but a quick check showed the guy was human.

“No worries.” He flashed an almost blinding smile and carried on in the opposite direction.

Harper willed his pulse to calm and continued on.

A few blocks later, he came to The Herb Emporium. Harper looked over his shoulder one last time, and satisfied no one outside was watching him, he entered the narrow shop.

Incense filled the air. A woman browsed candles near the front window but Harper wasn’t alarmed to find a witch here. She didn’t pay him any attention.

“Hello, Mr. Harper,” the man behind the counter called.

Harper approached, careful not to knock into any of the crowded displays. He’d given a fake name—Sam—the first time he’d come here but had blanked on the last name he’d planned to use and had said Harper in a panic. There wasn’t anything he could do about the poor disguise now.

“Hi, Nico.” Harper smiled as he reached the counter, hoping it looked natural. Nico had asked Harper to call him by his first name rather than Mr. Velázquez, even though he insisted on addressing Harper as mister. It was strange, but Harper went with it.

Nico eyed Harper’s shoulder bag as he set it on the counter. He had light-brown skin and rich brown hair and was at least ten years older than Harper. Maybe it was the age difference or knowing he was sneaking around and lying, but Harper always felt like Nico was going to catch him out and be disappointed in Harper’s deceit.

Nico pulled a battered notebook from under the counter and opened it to a half-filled page before grabbing a pen out of the pocket of his well-worn apron. “What have you got for me today?”

“The usuals.” Harper carefully extracted the vials from his bag and lined them up on the counter.

Nico inspected Harper’s potions, making notes in his book. He was as tall as Harper with far more meat on his bones, but Harper didn’t think Nico’s build was why he found the man intimidating. He’d come to realize Nico was frighteningly observant.

“I’ve been selling a lot of the alertness enhancer lately.” Nico picked up one of Harper’s vials and turned it over, watching the potion swirl. “Can you ask your boss to double what he’s been making, at least for the next few weeks?” His lips twitched in a tiny, almost-there smile.

It made Harper’s skin itch. “Sure. I don’t see that being a problem. Do you want the same quantities of everything else?”

Nico studied Harper, seeming to get lost in his thoughts. He blinked. “Yes, that will be fine.”

The hairs on the back of Harper’s neck rose and he had to resist fidgeting. Was Nico getting suspicious of him? If he was, what was he thinking? Harper wasn’t doing anything strange or different today.

“I was wondering if your employer would be interested in expanding the brews he does for me,” Nico continued. “The quality of his potions is always exceptionally high. He clearly has talent.” He paused, almost like he was waiting for a reaction. “More complex potions sell less frequently, but as I’m sure you’re aware, fetch a higher price. If he could do a couple of doses of basic wound healing and nerve pain relief, they’re worth triple the current rate he’s getting for these.” Nico gestured to the vials.

Harper adjusted his glasses. He’d initially avoided making potions that sold for higher prices because he didn’t want his coven to get wind that someone in the city was brewing rare concoctions. However, what Nico had asked for wasn’t unique. Nowhere near as complex as the stone memory brew or the magic-suppressing potion Harper was taking.

“Yeah, we can brew those for you.”

Nico raised a brow. “You don’t need to check with your boss before you commit?”

Harper cursed himself for not phrasing it that way. “He makes those potions on occasion for other people, so I’m sure it will be fine. If not, I’ll let you know.”

Nico noted something in his book. “Excellent. I set aside the ingredients for you, along with your usual order.” He pushed two wrapped packages across the counter.

Potion brewing was more than mixing ingredients. The spells to unlock the hidden properties of natural elements took a lot of power, and there was an element of reading the ingredients, a skill that only potion masters seemed to possess.

Not all witches could brew potions successfully, and Harper tried to count himself lucky for having the gift, even if it came from the strong power in his blood, the thing his father had held him captive and tortured him for.

“Perfect.” Harper grabbed the ingredients. “Next time I come in, I’ll bring a list of other potions we can do for you. In case you’re interested in more variety.” Harper hoped so. He couldn’t afford to turn down a chance to safely increase his income.

“Great idea.” Nico put his notebook away and opened the register, pulling out an envelope of cash.

Harper took the offered envelope. “Thanks. I’ll be back in a couple of days to let you know what we can do.”

Nico’s brows quirked oddly. “See you then, Mr. Harper.”

Harper ducked out of the small shop before he could worry about what Nico was thinking or what that look meant. Everything was fine. These were all good changes to his plan. Improvements. There was no logical reason to worry.

Harper worried anyway. Would he be able to shake the habit soon and be as relaxed everywhere as he was at home? He didn’t like the idea of looking over his shoulder his entire life.