Page 76 of Witch You Weren't Here

‘And terrified of you, judging by the way he ran from the room.’ Sandy laughed.

‘It’s like watching a velociraptor ambush someone when you spot an attractive man,’ Erin said drily, fully ensconced in her Spanx now.

Chelsea shrugged. ‘You snooze you lose.’

Kay forced a laugh, conscious of Tina’s eyes on her, and tried to push away the desire to run after Harry and confirm that he’d come and find her at the reception. Not the blonde, leggy force of nature that was Chelsea. Kay could tell him that she wanted to do more than dance. Because it wasn’t a lie. She did want more.

But that didn’t mean she should have it. It was sensible for her to try to slow this snowball of attraction she had towards him, wasn’t it? Even if the thought of coming across him wrapped up in the other bridesmaid’s toned arms made her jaw ache from clenching her teeth. Thankfully, her lipstick was all done.

As soon as her hair was finished, Kay shimmied carefully into the golden chiffon bridesmaid’s dress and sleek heels in the bathroom, so she could go and meet the minister who would be arriving soon.

She paused at the top of the stairs and took a selfie to send to Ilina, as she’d promised she would once she was all dressed up. Out of the tall windows behind her, a vibrant sun set fire to the sky valiantly behind the heavy clouds, the rain having finally stopped.

Ilina: Stunning. Give your brother and his bride my best wishes. It’ll be weird, because they don’t know me, but still do it.

Kay laughed as she typed out a reply.

Kay: Thank you. I will. And thank you for the help over the weekend.

Ilina: Which you ignored to take the train with your hot ‘acquaintance’.

Kay: I never said he was hot.

Ilina: You never said he wasn’t either. I’m not an idiot. Did anything happen?

Kay: I’ll call you tomorrow and tell you everything. Unless you have plans?

Ilina: You had sex! I do have a date myself tomorrow after work. Tuesday?

Kay: Done. Xxx

Ilina: Enjoy the wedding. xxx

Goddess, Kay was really going to try. Picking up her skirt so she wouldn’t trip over the long hem, she hurried down the stairs.

They were using the ‘second parlour’ for the ceremony and she didn’t have a clue where it was. Every corner she turned on the ground floor, there were witches and non-magical people side by side. In the ballroom, tables were being set out. Sandy’s mother was decorating chairs, while Jaz set the flower arrangements in the centre of each table, and Sandy’s dad looked like he was trying to make sense of the seating plan and place cards. Behind them, a group Kay didn’t recognise were laying the head table. She winced as someone knocked a vase on a sideboard, but a witch was there to reach out with their magic and stop it falling the whole way to the floor and smashing.

She inhaled sharply, but no one batted an eyelid, so either they were all witches – other than Sandy’s parents – in that room, or the protective magic was working to gloss over the magical act.

Jaz waved like she was trying to flag down a rescue helicopter when she spotted Kay, but all she could do was blow her a kiss and continue her search. She dodged the stream of catering staff who were trooping through the side door towards the kitchens, her heart lifting and crashing each time she thought she saw a glimpse of Harry’s coppery hair.

She pressed a hand to her chest and willed the vital organ to get a handle on itself. Walking around this house was like going back in time. The witching community all around her. Her body chemistry making her into a walking bag of hormones. She’d only been there once after Harry had left for university and the memory of how heartsick she’d been smashed into her like a bowling ball in the middle of sponge cake.

There was a reason she was freaking out about these feelings for him. Harry had even said it himself on the ferry, fears were there to protect you from dangerous situations. Letting herself care this way about Harry Ashworth again was a dangerous situation.

Finally, she found the door that had to be the ‘second parlour’.

‘Holy grimoire,’ she gasped as she walked in on a scene that was like something out of a Disney movie, with chairs floating through the air and swaths of fabric wrapping themselves around the chairs that were stationary and orders of service floating down to rest on the seat cushions.

Her dad and two other witches swung around to stare at her, everything pausing in mid-air.

‘There must be at a dozen NMs in this house at the moment,’ Kay hissed. ‘At least.’

‘It’s fine. We’re almost done,’ Marvin told her. ‘The protective magic would have barred the door. Someone was trying to get in earlier. It only let you in because you’re a witch.’

‘Oh, OK.’ She took a deep breath.

Marvin laughed and came over to her. ‘You look lovely, honey. Don’t get yourself flustered. This house is designed for this kind of event. No need to worry. Have you got time to help us?’

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