Page 13 of How to Flirt with a Witch

I raise an eyebrow. There’s more here. “And how often is he coming by for cinnamon buns?”

Hazel does a little awkward giggle that totally confirms my suspicion.

I gasp, excitement surging. “Oh my God!”

“We haven’t gone out yet! But I think we’re both getting up the nerve to ask.” She covers her face, a gleam in her eyes.

“Who is he?” I shout, leaning closer to my laptop. Hazel’s adorably giddy when she has a crush.

The video gets blurry as she rushes to her bedroom, presumably so her parents don’t listen in. When she sits, her lips twist into a suppressed smile. “His name’s Sean. We met in the Computer Science Student Society and… I guess we’ve both been showing up in the study lounge a little more than necessary.”

I clap. “Ahh, this is so cute! I’m so happy for you.” And painfully aware that this is a perfect example of how meeting people starts with being social. She’s always been good at this. She met her last boyfriend on a dodgeball team. I’d die before joining a team that requires athletic and social competence.

Lucy flops on her side with her claws locked onto the blanket over my foot. I watch her little paws bat it, feeling them patter against my toes. My gaze keeps traveling to her eyes, searching, like I’m expecting them to turn purple again.

“Our flirting is so awkward and shameless,” Hazel says into her hands. “You’d cringe if you saw it.”

I laugh. “At least you know how to show someone you’re interested.”

“Uh-huh. Speaking ofcrushes.” Hazel grins, seeing right through me. “Maybe you should get to know Natalie a bit better.”

I splutter something that isn’t even words, not ready for the abrupt turn in the conversation. I finally choke out a sarcastic, “Yeah, okay.”

“Why not?”

“Even if she wasn’t weirdly cryptic, and even if Ididtrust her…” Longing fills me at the mere prospect of going out with someone that hot, that smart, and that confident. “A person of her… caliber… would never be interested in me.”

“How do you know?” Hazel asks optimistically. Bless her.

“I read the room.”

“What room? A vet’s office?”

I say nothing, my attention suddenly veering to Lucy, who’s lying on her side and purring.Wait a second.

“Not exactly a flirty place,” Hazel says, oblivious to my shift in focus. “Come on, you said after Mansplainy Matt that you were ready to date girls again. I can see your infatuation from here.”

I’m frozen, staring at the kitten on my bed. A chill creeps over me. Where is the brown smudge on her back paw?

A cold knot forms in my stomach as I lean forward, picking her up despite her meow of protest. I sift through the fur on her paw, searching. Could she have shed the brown hairs?

No, it’s been less than a week since I last saw her.

“Katie?” Hazel’s voice filters through my frantic thoughts. “You good?”

My phone is in my hand before I register moving, my fingers flipping through every picture of Lucy since the day I got her. I hold the kitten up next to my phone, comparing.

No—effing—way.

Disbelief and betrayal slice through me, leaving me breathless.

“Katie?” Hazel’s tone has an edge as she picks up on my panic.

“I—” My hands are shaking. I gaze into the kitten’s big blue eyes, which are wider set than in the photo. “Hazel, this isn’t Lucy.”

“Helping Paws Vancouver Anim—”

“Hi, this is Katie Alexander,” I interrupt, gripping my phone so hard that my hand cramps. “I picked up my cat from Doctor Zacharias today. Can you have her call me? It’s urgent.”