Page 31 of How Not to Hex a Gentleman (Witches of Edinburgh)

Chapter Thirty-One

KENNEDY

I t's been two weeks since he told me he liked me and I feel like one of those school girls with her first crush.

"Someone is very giddy," Lily comments from her spot on the couch, her head bent over her laptop as usual.

"Someone can't even see me," I reply, walking to the kitchen.

"Funny how you know she was talking about you," Parker comments. She's got an art book in front of her and both she and Lily are munching on muffins.

"Did you angry-bake again?" I ask, looking over the fresh from the oven muffins.

"I also regular-bake, you know."

"No, I don't know." I grab a muffin and then double back for another one, wrapping them in a paper towel to take with me. I fill up my water bottle, feeling the stares on my back. "What?"

"Did you take an extra muffin for your boyfriend?" Parker sing-songs and I turn to see her peeking over the couch.

Lily chuckles but doesn't look up from her computer.

"He's not my boyfriend." Which is technically true. We haven't exactly put labels on it.

"You mean he didn't ask you to go steady?" Parker gasps and Lily finally looks up from her laptop, laughing.

"Parker, this isn't the 1950s. Who does that anyway?"

"Don't lie. You would be thrilled with that type of question."

She's not wrong, of course. Not that I'll admit it. I've never been asked to be anyone's girlfriend before. I think there's a certain charm to it.

"There's the giddy," Lily says and I look up to see her pointing at me.

"I really don't like it when you two gang up on me." I pout dramatically and then reach for my bag. "I'm off to do more research since I'm the only one who's doing any."

"We thank you for your service," Parker calls out, as I head for the front door.

The thing is, we've all done research, but we've gotten no closer to any answers. I know that I'm not the weakest link, because there isn't one, objectively speaking, but I still feel like I'm failing them somehow. I haven't discovered my affinity, my active magic comes and goes whenever it pleases, and I haven't been able to find any kind of information regarding the thistle or the magic it carries. It most definitely means something to the three of us and the magic community, but what? We have no idea.

I will say that at least all this research has helped me feel closer to the magical. Considering how much of my life I spent hiding away from it, this time feels like I'm finally learning who I am and where I came from. It could be that's all we will get out of this. For now, working with Bennett feels like we're covering all our bases and like I'm contributing something. Parker's contribution to it all is that she wants to practice our active magic more, but I'm struggling. Slow is the only pace I can go and I'm grateful the girls understand that about me. Tonight, Bennett and I are meeting at the library. He had a meeting that ran late with his academic advisor, so he's waiting for me in his office when I arrive. It's been a few days since I've been in here and it looks more chaotic somehow. There are even more books on the floor.

That awareness that I associate with Bennett has only grown since we've admitted our feelings. It still leaves me reeling but in the best way possible.

"Hi."

"Hi."

We stare at each other for a moment and then burst out laughing. His laugh is just as full as ever, but it feels even brighter somehow and it fills my heart to the fullest.

"You look beautiful, as always," he states like it's a matter of fact and I move before I know what I'm doing.

I step right into his arms as if I've been doing this my whole life and he folds me close to his body. There's no awkwardness in the way he holds me and I feel all the tension evaporate from my own. If it was up to me, I think I would stay like this for the next five to seven business days. I feel safe in that way that I've always dreamed of feeling—accepted and safe.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he whispers against my hair and I shake my head against his chest. He squeezes me a little tighter and I inhale the scent of him straight into my soul. His left hand takes a gentle journey up and down my back, sending pleasant tingles through my system. My hands curl around his shirt, making little fists in the fabric and he exhales shakily. Maybe he needs this as much as I do. So I squeeze a little tighter for a moment, making sure he knows I'm here.

When I do finally pull back, I'm not sure how much time has passed. We lean away slowly, as if we're not ready to let go of each other. His gaze is laser focused on me and I'm lost in the depths of his eyes. His right hand pushes at the hair that's fallen in front of my face, tucking it behind my ear. The gentle touch sends goosebumps down my arms and my eyes snag on his lips. I jerk my gaze away, but it's too late. His own eyes darken as he looks at me and there's a moment of stillness before he lowers his head toward me.

A sudden knock on the door springs us apart like we're on fire. I stumble a little against the bookshelves, my hand on my heart.

"Fifteen minutes!" the voice on the other side of the door calls.

"Thanks, George," Bennett calls back. His voice sounds steady, as if I just hallucinated the heat between us, but when I glance at him, I find it's all still there.

"Fifteen minutes until they close the doors. We should get going," he says and I can only nod.

He grabs a few books and I put my coat back on, reaching for my bag. We leave the small room behind, wave to the security guard, and head out into the cold Edinburgh night.

"I'm sorry I couldn't meet earlier. The meeting ran later than I anticipated," Bennett says from beside me. He's keeping his stride shorter to stay close and I’m so pleased it’s difficult not to keep grinning twenty-four-seven. He's always done this—well, except that one time he was kind of running from me. But besides that his little considerate behaviors are constantly making me feel like I'm special.

"It's alright. I was on campus until later today too."

He nods but I know he's disappointed. Because I am too. It's the first day in the last week we could meet up and all I got was a hug. And a near kiss.

My face heats up just thinking about it, so I duck a little, letting my hair fall forward.

"Oh!" I exclaim, startling Bennet. "I have something for you."

I stop in the middle of the street, nearly getting myself run over by people, and Bennett takes my elbow to lead me to the side as I go through my bag. "Tada." I produce a muffin, holding it on the palm of my hands. He looks at me over the top of the muffin, a grin spreading across his lips.

"Hold onto that for a minute," he says before he takes my elbow again and gently guides me down the street. When we step into a close, I realize we're in the Writer's Museum courtyard, but he doesn't stop. He leads me down the stairs until we reach the little sitting area. It technically belongs to the restaurant, but Bennett leads me to the corner and motions for me to sit. "I'll be right back."

He drops his bag and then jogs away. Seeing no other choice, I take a seat and wait. Thankfully, I'm bundled up in my long coat and tall boots, turtleneck pulled up. It takes Bennett less than ten minutes and he's jogging back, two cups in hand.

"Sorry, had to run back up to the Royal Mile."

He places a cup in front of me and then takes a seat across from me. He raises an eyebrow and I pull the muffin back out, handing it to him. After he takes it, I wrap my arms around the cup, inhaling the smell of coffee and absorbing the cup's warmth.

"Where did you get it?" Bennett asks before he opens his mouth to take a bite.

Before I know what I'm doing, I reach over, placing my hand over his mouth. He looks at me in shock, while I look at him in shock. My brain restarts after the feel of Bennett's lips on my palm register and I ask, "You're not allergic to anything, are you? These have blueberries."

Bennett shakes his head, no, so I remove my hand slowly. "Sorry, I just?—"

"It's okay." He places his hand over mine on the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I appreciate your care for my health."

"Honestly, I was more worried about myself. I have no idea what to do in such an emergency and the stress is bad for the heart."

Bennet gives a hearty laugh and I feel like we're back on even ground once again. "That makes a lot more sense." And then he takes a bite.

"To answer your question, Parker has this thing about angry-baking. It's how she processes her feelings."

"Interesting." Bennett doesn't pause as he finishes the muffin and I take a sip of my coffee. Caramel latte, my favorite.

Then something registers. "Bennett, did you have dinner?" He ate that muffin much too quickly.

"No, I came straight from the meeting."

"Bennett! Why didn't you say something?" I reach for my bag and pull out the other muffin. "Do you want me to get you something at the restaurant?"

He grabs my hand as I stand, pulling me back down to my seat. "Kennedy, I'm okay, I promise. Can I show you what I found?"

I sit down, narrowing my eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

I nod, but I make a mental note to check next time we meet. For a second, I'm surprised at my thoughts. I'm planning a future with him, a short one, but still. This is new and this is different.

"Okay, show me."

Bennett grins, taking a bite of the second muffin before he reaches into his bag and pulls out a book I saw him pack.

"Here." He opens it to a marked page and points at the small picture in the corner. At first, I'm not sure what I'm looking at, just a tombstone, but then I notice it.

"A thistle?" I grab my phone and shine the light on the picture, trying to see it better. There, right under the tip of the headstone is the thistle.

"It looks similar to yours, right?"

I nod because he's right. I've seen so many versions of the thistle on so many buildings and signs around Edinburgh, but never something that looks like our tattoo. This one though...there's something about it that's very similar.

"I looked it up. This tombstone is at a small cemetery in Prestonfield. I wanted you and Lilly and Parker to decide what to do. The book doesn't have much information, just that certain families carried sigils. This one has a sigil, but it also has this thistle. It might be nothing but it might be..."

"Something." I look up at him, at his careful words and soft gaze and I realize he's being extra careful with me. He doesn't want his research to cause me harm again.

"I'm doing this correctly this time," he says, and suddenly there are tears in my eyes. Bennett reacts before I realize what's happening and he's beside me on the bench seat, peering down into my face. "Kennedy? What is it?"

"Nothing. I just—" How do I put into words just how special his small considerations make me feel? How pathetic do I sound that I'm eating it up like a sunflower does the sun after an overcast day?

"Just thank you. Thank you for helping us."

"I would do—" He stops as if he's about to say too much. "I am more than happy to help." He looks like he wants to say more and I wish he would, but I also don't think now is the time. So instead, I lean my head on his shoulder and he sighs in contentment. We stay like that for a little while as the city moves in front of us.