Page 54 of Witch You Weren't Here

Now she knew it suited him perfectly. Bright and warm, brimming with pockets full of sweet and creative things. And probably his mobile phone too.

She took in a deep breath, filling her lungs up with the scent of him, and it worked better than the weed she’d accidentally ingested. She dozed off.

A jolt and a bump made Kay’s head knock against the door frame. Her head really was going through it that evening.

She twisted away, blinking as she realised there was a light flashing, and cold air coming into the car.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and take account of the fact the car was tilted at a strange angle. Through the windscreen, everything looked the same – dark sky and tiny floating flakes of snow. But through the passenger-side window, she could see a long barrier at a right angle to them and when she tried to move in her seat, gravity announced that the car was not in its usual four-wheels-on-the-ground position.

‘H-Harry?’ she called out croakily, looking over at the empty driver’s seat. ‘Harry?’ she shouted louder, panic lacing her voice as she struggled to free her arms from underneath his big coat and find the button for her seat belt.

‘I’m out here, Kay. Are you all right?’ His muffled voice came to her from behind the car.

What the hell? Had he needed to stop and take a wee? Why would he park the car on a bank like this, though? She felt like she was in a fun house, and everything was the wrong way up.

She pressed the button on the window and leaned out, trying to see where he was. ‘What’s going on?’

Footsteps crunched in the snow and Harry appeared at the window, hanging onto the car. His cheeks and nose were pink, his face pinched.

‘I hit a patch of ice and I couldn’t get the car back under control. We spun and came off the road down this … lay-by? I think. It’s like the hard shoulder, but it’s got a barrier. I managed to shove it with magic so we missed hitting it, but I can’t get the car back out now, so I’m trying to push it.’

She opened her mouth and then shut it again and rubbed her hand over her face. ‘Wow. I really slept through that?’

‘That’ll be the drugs, I guess.’ He gave her a chagrined smile.

‘Or the head injury— I’m kidding, Harry,’ she said at his sudden look of concern. ‘Let’s just get back on the road, yeah? Do you want me to get behind the wheel? I can give it some gas, while you push. I promise if we get unstuck, I won’t drive off without you.’ She made a cross over her chest and gave him a faux-solemn look.

His mouth lifted gratifyingly at the corner. ‘Yeah, that’s a good idea.’

She unclipped her seat belt and opened the door, misjudging where the actual ground was so she fell out, rather than stepped out.

‘Easy does it,’ he said, catching her, and she gripped his biceps hard to pull herself upright. She looked up at him; tiny snowflakes were catching on his pale eyelashes. One landed on his lower lip, and he swiped his tongue across it. ‘There. You can stand?’

‘I can.’

He dropped his hands and stepped back. ‘If the police come by and catch you behind the wheel, you’ll be in big trouble, though. Maybe you shouldn’t drive.’

‘Oh.’ She wrapped her arms around herself. She was still wearing her own coat but missed the warmth of his. And she missed his arms. Missed him wanting to touch her. In the muddle of her memories from back at Leon and Alex’s, she remembered him feeling bad that she’d been stoned while they were fooling around. That might have been why. Equally, it might be because they were currently stranded and had a ferry to catch. Priorities, Kay.

She shook her head and leaned in to the car to get his coat for him.

‘What other option do we have? You drive and I push?’

He pulled his coat on, buttoning up, the relief on his face evident, and for a moment she wanted to shake him. Fancy coming out here in the snow without his coat, just so she could keep snoozing, cosy and oblivious.

‘There’s a good possibility you are the stronger of the two of us.’ His smiled widened. ‘You broke apart a sofa bed with your bare … feet.’

She snorted, and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she had used magic. Albeit unintentionally. ‘I appreciate that you’re not a macho alphahole, Harry, you don’t have to the labour the point. And we don’t have to pretend that I, at five foot three, am going to pack more muscle than you.’ She waved a hand to indicate his height.

‘It’s possible, but even if we were both built like Alex, I doubt it would work without magic.’

‘Well, sure. You’re still the best person to do the pushing then, aren’t you?’ She turned away and slid down the slope, only realising as she rounded the back of the car, how much pushing would actually be required to get it back onto the road again. ‘Wow. Good work finding the only bit of hill in Holland.’

He laughed and followed her part of the way, stopping at the boot, while she continued on up the other side to get in the driver’s seat. Her head was a little swimmy still now that the fresh air was hitting her, but it wasn’t like she was going to do anything more than put her foot on the accelerator and guide the car back onto the road.

‘OK, when I say go, just start gradually applying the gas. Take it easy so we can try to avoid it wheel-spinning,’ he said, once she was in the driver’s seat and had adjusted it so that she was close enough to reach the pedals and steering wheel.

‘Got it.’ She started the car up and kept it idling, waiting for his word.

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