Page 22 of How Not to Hex a Gentleman (Witches of Edinburgh)

Chapter Twenty-Two

KENNEDY

I t's becoming significantly harder not to text him all the time. There's been a definite shift in our relationship, but I'm not comfortable putting any kind of labels on it because I still don't know how I feel. My aunt's voice not to trust him is on a loop in my head, and it's been going on for so long that it's difficult to drown it out. I think I'm doing better at giving him a chance, but that just scares me that much more.

I came to the Black Sheep Coffee in New Town because being at the flat put me in too close proximity to him. Last week we discovered that Parker angry-bakes, which Lily and I find adorable and hilarious at the same time. So we have a lot of baked goods at the flat and being away from the temptation—well, temptations—is good for me. This café is large and specifically equipped for students and remote workers to settle in for a long day of work, so I don't feel bad about taking up space. I could've gone to The Black Cat, but the girls are there and I need to focus on the paper and not anything magical.

When my phone buzzes with an incoming text, a thrill of anticipation shoots through me. My response is automatic as a smile blossoms on my face when I see Bennett's name, and…oh no…this…this won't do. I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and then give myself permission to look at his text.

I found something, can we meet?

I glance at the tattoo on my wrist and then back at the phone.

At the fountain?

I can be there in fifteen.

I reply okay and then pack up my things. Before I leave the café, I make a stop at the bathroom to take a look at myself in the mirror. I didn't get dressed to impress today. I'm in my go-to oversized knit sweater, black jeans, and combat boots. I run a hand over my unruly hair and then jerk it back, staring at it as if it has offended me.

What is wrong with me? I don't need to fix my hair.

When I step into Princes Street Gardens, I come in at the West entrance, which means I can see the fountain and the castle looming over it.

"Hiya," I say to the castle, still in awe of it, even after seeing it almost daily.

As I walk down the hill toward the fountain, I see him .

He's standing opposite the benches, more underneath the castle, hands in his pockets. Today, he's wearing another one of his comfy-looking hoodies with a long coat over it and jeans. His hair is mussed by the wind, and his hands I'm sure. I've seen him do it enough times to expect it.

His brow is furrowed and he watches the water from the fountain like his life depends on it. This gives me a moment to study him without being noticed. He really is so handsome, he's breathtaking. I've had crushes before, of course, but not on anyone this gorgeous. He's also smart, which I find incredibly attractive. And he's got a great sense of style. Oh, and he's a good dancer…

Why am I listing attributes that I like? I'm not here for a date. He said he had information for me. I need to get a hold of myself, and—he looks up then, as if he could hear me berating myself. Our eyes meet and his mouth breaks into a grin that makes me stumble over my own feet. He jogs up to me as I reach the fountain, a little breathless.

"Hiya," he says. "Thanks for meeting me."

"You said you found something." I give him a little shrug and try to keep my breathing even. I'm definitely struggling with his proximity.

"It's more than that. We should also try something."

"Try?"

"Yes, in research, experimentation is often the best way to glean information."

"Yes, I am aware of the way research works," I reply, narrowing my eyes a little. I'm not sure where this is going and my warning bells are once again ringing.

"I stopped over at the store on my way over and I think we should do a little experiment."

"Bennett, what is it?"

He grins at me and then he pulls out a tiny object from his pocket. I take a step toward him as he opens up his palm and then I'm flung back as if someone shoved me. My own magic flares up in response, but I pull it back at the last moment as I land hard on my butt, my body shaking from the impact.

Bennett is beside me in a moment.

"Kennedy! Oh, I'm sorry. What was that?"

He kneels by me as I glare up at him and then my eyes focus on the item behind him on the ground. It's a small object, maybe the size of a quarter, and clear. Except not totally clear. There's a tiny yellow flower in what looks like amber and I can feel my magic reacting to it.

"What kind of a store did you stop at?" I ask through gritted teeth, as he helps me to my feet.

"Black Moon Botanica near Victoria Street."

"You went to a witch shop?" I hiss, jerking my arm away. This is exactly the kind of crap my aunt has always warned me about—one of the many. Normal people messing with magic they should never be near.

When I was very young, my aunt went over defensive magic with me—barely—but it's the one thing she made sure I could control so I don't hurt anyone accidentally. It was only instinct that kept me from hurting Bennett now.

"I found this forum online that talked about plants that can enhance abilities and I thought since you had?—"

"That plant doesn't enhance," I say, glancing over my shoulder at the people who are now looking at us and lower my voice. "That's St. John's wort, a plant that wards off witches. It's meant to be protective."

Everyone in the witch community knows of St. John's wort, especially if the witch is anywhere near the UK, since it mostly grows here. Even someone like me, who did a lot of her studies in private, is still well-versed in what kinds of items to keep away from. The plant has a long history of being planted around towns to ward off magic.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. You should've checked, you could've seen—" I snap, frustration and anger rising within me. Anger at myself mostly. I let my guard down and now I'm paying the price. What if he brought something worse? Something that could've really hurt me? Or my friends? "I can't do this," I say, and then I turn on my heels and stomp away.

BENNETT

I can't believe I messed up this badly. Just when it felt like Kennedy was beginning to soften toward me, I go and make a stupid mistake like this. I grab the pendant off the ground and tuck it back inside the handkerchief it came in. I'm assuming that's what kept it from reacting to her immediately, but I suppose that is something I need to ask the girls. I follow after Kennedy, who took off toward Old Town, and as if she can feel me, she throws a glare over her shoulder but doesn't slow down.

We're halfway up The Mound when she twirls on me, her eyes blazing. "Do you even realize how dangerous that was? What if you really hurt me? Or what if I hurt you ?"

"Hurt me?"

"There's defensive types of magic, something that every witch is trained in, but not something we use often because...well, it's a lot. It could've activated without me even knowing it, as a reflex, if you brought out something stronger than that." She points to my pocket and sighs—the sound is tired and frustrated at the same time and I feel like an idiot. In wanting to fix this for her, I made things worse.

"I can feel it now. I couldn't before but it's there. If I didn't pull my magic back, I could've hexed you at the least, making you sick or…Bennett?—"

"I'm sorry, please—you have to know I would never hurt you."

"Not on purpose, maybe," she whispers and then turns back around and keeps walking. There's a shattered look in her eyes for a moment before she's moving away, and I can't believe I put it there.

I'm not sure now is the right time to tell her that I would rather throw myself in front of a bus than let it hit her. The forum and the woman at the shop were both wrong and I was too excited to double-check my sources. I just wanted to be useful to her—so she keeps me in her life—and I messed up. Again. The need to make it up to her is enormous but I keep my distance as we reach the top of The Mound and she climbs up to the Royal Mile before she pivots.

When we step into a familiar close, I should've known she was heading toward The Black Cat. I'm pretty sure I don't want to go in there if the girls are inside, but there's no way I can walk away without making it right between us. Whatever reprimand I'm about to get, I deserve it.