Page 28 of Revenge is a Witch

After a few moments, he unplugs the phone and hands it to me like it’s no big deal. "There. It’s basically a clone of Kyla’s phone. Whatever her phone does, this one will, too. But anything you do? She’ll never know. You’re completely off her radar."

I grin, holding the phone like it’s a golden ticket. “Hank, you’re a genius.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” He stands up, slinging his laptop bag over his shoulder. “I’m outta here. Plausible deniability, Z. I was never here.” With that, he’s gone, leaving me and Derek in the booth. And I meanreallyin the booth, because Derek’s still practically glued to my side.

“So,” he asks, leaning in, “what’s the plan, exactly?”

I shrug, trying to act casual, even though my brain is already ten steps ahead. “Not much. Just a few… accidental texts to the wrong people. I figure Kyla will stick her foot in her own mouth, so I don’t need to make anything up. Just gotta wait for her to slip.”

Derek’s brow lifts, and he looks genuinely impressed. “That’s... actually really smart. You’re not spreading rumors, just making sure the truth lands in the right hands.”

I feel a flutter in my chest—what is that? Oh, right. It’s someone complimenting mybrainfor once. “Thanks,” I mumble, feeling my face heat up just a little. I shift, making it clear I’m ready to get out of the booth. “I’ve still got a lot to write if I don’t want to end up repeating this year. So…”

But Derek doesn’t move. He just sits there, staring at me like I’m some kind of puzzle he’s trying to figure out. “Wait a minute,” he says softly, his voice quieter than usual. “Just… wait.”

I blink, completely thrown off by his tone. “Uh… okay? What’s up?”

“I just… wanted to look at you for a second.”

What? My brain screeches to a halt. This is Derek.Derek, the guy who throws insults at me like confetti, the guy I’ve known forever. And now he’s... looking at me? I feel a flush crawl up my neck, and, naturally, my defense mechanism kicks in. “Well, congrats, you’ve seen me. Satisfied?”

He doesn’t even flinch at the jab. Instead, he just smiles, and that throws me even more. I open my mouth to say something else, but then I remember what’s been bothering me since last night. Sam. I need to tell him.

“Can I ask you something?” I say, my voice a little more serious than before.

Derek’s expression shifts, concern flickering in his eyes. “Of course. What’s up?”

“Did you… know about Sam? About her… other boyfriends?”

I expect shock, maybe confusion. Instead, he just nods, like it’s old news. “Yeah. I’ve known for a while.”

I blink. “Wait, what? I only found out last night. How long haveyouknown?”

He sighs, leaning back against the booth, his hands resting in his lap like this is just another conversation about the weather. “Months. That’s why I stopped trying.”

I frown, still trying to piece this together. “That’s not what she told me. Sam said she started seeing other guys becauseyoustopped trying.”

He lets out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. “It’s not that simple. I tried for a while, but… it’s hard to keep pretending you care when you’re not in love with them. And when you know they’re sleeping around, it gets even harder to...”

I arch an eyebrow, feeling my sarcasm flare up. “Hard to what?”

Derek rubs the back of his neck, looking sheepish for the first time. “Hard to stayhard, you know? And let me tell you, it’s not fun being accused of erectile dysfunction by a witch.” I burst out laughing, the sound filling the booth before I can stop myself. Derek joins in, and for a moment, it’s like all the awkwardness disappears in a cloud of ridiculousness. “I don’t, by the way,” he adds between laughs, trying to defend himself. “I just didn’t find her personality attractive anymore.”

I’m still giggling, tears stinging my eyes. “Personality? Since when do guys need to find a girl’spersonalityattractive to get it up?”

He shrugs, a grin plastered across his face. “Guess it’s a big thing for me.”

I wipe away a tear, still shaking my head. “Well, good for you, Derek. I didn’t realize you hadstandards.”

The laughter dies down, but the mood between us is lighter now. For a second, I forget about Kyla, about my grimoire, about everything. It’s just easy—surprisingly easy—with Derek, and maybe that’s what I needed all along. Derek is still grinning from our shared laughter, but then something changes in his expression—like he’s bracing himself for something big. I can practically see the wheels turning in his head. He runs a hand through his hair, looking almost nervous. Which is strange becauseDerekdoesn’t get nervous.

“Z, I need to… I need to tell you something,” he says, his voice dropping a little, suddenly serious.

I raise an eyebrow. “Uh-oh. This sounds ominous. What did you do? Break another bone pretending to fumble during basketball?”

He chuckles, but it’s brief. His eyes meet mine, and there’s something in them that makes me stop joking. “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just… I’ve been thinking. And it’s better that I’m honest with you.”

My stomach does a little flip. I have no idea what’s coming, but the look on his face tells me it’s going to be heavy. I nod slowly. “Okay… honesty is good. I like honesty.”

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