Page 68 of How to Flirt with a Witch

Natalie leans in so she’s in the frame with me.

Hazel’s mouth opens. Some kind of implosion is happening inside her.

Yes, Hazel, this is Doctor Natalie Zacharias. Except she isn’t really a doctor, or a vet, or a normal human being.

“Hiii! Nice to finally meet you, Natalie.” Hazel’s word choice and that teasing tone make heat rush into my cheeks.

“You too.” Natalie lifts a hand, smiling politely, then turns to me. Since she’s leaned closer to see the phone, our faces are inches apart, and there’s a second where all cohesive thoughts leak out of my head.

“When you’re ready, meet me…?” She points in the direction of the lounge, obviously not wanting to say much in front of Hazel.

“You got it,” I say, breathless.

She leaves, shutting the door softly. When I look back at the phone, Hazel’s face is so gleeful that I can’t help letting out an embarrassed laugh. She definitely thinks I’m at Natalie’s place because we hooked uplast night—and I’m going to have to roll with it if I want to avoid spilling the truth.

Hazel claps her hands to her face, pulling her cheeks down like she’s absolutely dying. “I can’t believe you’re hooking up with adoctor! This is amazing. You two are adorable together, and she’ssointo you.”

I don’t know what to say to that, but she’s clearly misreading Natalie’s body language.

Still, I can’t help the flutter at her reaction.

As I flop onto the bed, Hazel’s tone shifts to something more critical. “What’s the deal with her, then? Did she un-dump you and take you on another thrifting date?”

I grimace. She wasn’t impressed when I told her Natalie took me curse-hunting and then dropped me off at home and didn’t speak to me again. Which is fair.

But after last night, I get why Natalie did it. She didn’t want to bring me into a world that has the Madsens in it.

“I think there’s a lot we don’t understand,” I say vaguely.

“Curses? Exploding dolls?”

To avoid looking at her, I run my palm over the duvet, smoothing it out. Although Fiona told me not to share anything about this place, Hazel already knows about curses, so I can’t exactly backtrack. Maybe I can sharesomeinformation. “Don’t repeat this to anyone, but there was a… situation last night.”

“Uh-oh.”

“I ran into a guy who’s…” I glance at the door and drop my voice. “…looking for cursed objects too. He knows what I can do and tried to get my help. He and Natalie got into a fight.”

Hazel gasps. “Are you serious?”

“Natalie thinks he’s going to be persistent about trying to contact me again.”

“Um, that sounds stalker-ish. Have you reported him?”

Her suggestion is so startlingly normal that it takes me a second to process it. Do Shadows count as authorities? For the purposes of this conversation, I’m thinking yes. “Yeah. They’re on it.”

She sits back in her chair. “God, that’s so creepy. I’m sorry you have to go through that. I’m here if you need me, okay? I’ll fly out and stay with you.”

I smile. “Thanks.”

At the thought of her flying out, homesickness wells up all over again.

Hazel finishes her mochi slowly, deep in thought. “So some random guy wants your help looking for curses, but Natalie doesn’t?”

“I know!” My voice pitches higher, a little too loud, earning a disapproving glare from Ethel. I huff. “She’s concerned about my safety, but if she can work with curses, why can’t I? I can handle it.”

Talking about this, the secrets loosen around me, light and freeing, like peeling out of a tight dress.

“Maybe you need to prove to her how useful you could be,” Hazel says.