Page 56 of Revenge is a Witch

He shrugs. “You knew that when you agreed to this date. Don’t pretend you’re not having fun.”

I shake my head, but I can’t deny it. Being here with Derek, even in the middle of all this drama, makes me feel grounded. "Alright, fine. You’re right. But don’t think this counts as the real thing. I still owe you a proper date.”

He raises an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Oh yeah? What do you have in mind?”

I bite my lip, thinking for a moment. “Something that doesn’t involve restaurant espionage. Maybe dinner at a place where we aren’t trying to bring someone down. A movie? Or I could cook for you—something that doesn’t involve potion ingredients.”

He grins wider, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “That sounds perfect. But honestly, this is exactly what I want. I don’t care where we are or what we’re doing, as long as I’m with you.” My heart does a little flip at that, and I have to remind myself not to melt right then and there. I glance over at Sebastian, wishing he could be at this table instead of with Kyla, but I know he’s playing the long game too.

“I just wish…” I trail off, my gaze flicking to Sebastian before coming back to Derek.

“I know,” Derek says softly, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “But we’ll get through this, Z. We’re a team, remember? All three of us.”

I smile, nodding. “Yeah, we are. And once this is over, we’ll have that real date. Promise.”

Derek grins, leaning back in his chair. “I’ll hold you to that, but for now, let’s enjoy this, okay? Who knows? Maybe this counts as our practice run for when we’re not taking down evil witches.”

I can’t help but laugh again, the sound lightening the tension that’s been hanging over me all day. “You’re ridiculous, but fine. Practice date it is. Just don’t get used to the whole revenge plot as our go-to date idea.”

Derek winks. “No promises, witch. No promises.”

I glance down at my water glass, catching a movement out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough, Sam has spotted me, and she’s already pointing me out to Kyla like I’m a stain on her perfectly curated evening. I keep my expression neutral, my posture relaxed, and continue the conversation with Derek like I haven’t noticed a thing. But inwardly, I’m gearing up for whatever nonsense is about to unfold. Any second now…

Right on cue, I feel Sam’s presence next to me. “What the hell is this?” she hisses, her voice low and accusatory.

I pretend to be startled, blinking a few times as I turn to face her. “Sam? Wow, didn’t see you there.” I give her a sweet smile that’s all teeth. “What are you doing here? Thought this place might be a bit out of your budget.”

Sam’s smug expression falters for just a second before she crosses her arms, a poor attempt at looking unaffected. “I’m here with friends,” she snaps, “friends that don’t steal my boyfriend.”

I blink a few times, pretending to be absolutely bewildered, but I catch Kyla snickering behind her like this is some kind of high school drama showdown. I bite back a sarcastic laugh. Oh, it’s drama they want? Fine.

I smirk, leaning back in my chair. “Steal? Derek wasn’t holding onto anything or anyone when things started happening between us.” I give a pointed look at Sam’s fuming expression. “So when it comes to thieves around here, I know you’re not referring to me.”

Her face flushes with frustration, her composure slipping faster than she can patch it back up. She mutters something under her breath about how I’m going to regret ever saving her from her illness. The words are low, angry, and she storms off before I can get another word in.

I watch her retreat, Kyla’s smug smile faltering just a little as she glances over at me. I could care less about their stupid clique, but something dark and bitter stirs in my chest. I shake it off with a sigh, muttering to myself, “I don’t want to have dark thoughts, but they do creep in.”

Derek, still sitting calmly across from me, shrugs. “I really wanted to jump in during that conversation, but it was kind of fun watching you handle it.”

I let out a small, almost amused huff. “Good thing you didn’t. The focus needs to stay on me—let them stew in their rage.”

Derek leans back in his chair, a grin tugging at his lips. “Oh, trust me, they’re stewing alright. You handled that perfectly.”

I flash him a smile, but my mind is already spinning with what Sam said. That comment about saving her from her illness… it stings more than it should. But I push it down. This night isn’t about feeling sorry for myself.

I try my best to block out the noise coming from Kyla’s table, which is getting increasingly louder and more obnoxious. She’s practically shouting about how amazing she is, as if she’s putting on some kind of one-woman show for the entire restaurant. Her voice grates on my nerves, but I grit my teeth and force a calm expression. It’s all part of the plan, I remind myself. She’s trying to rile me up, get under my skin.

Derek gives my hand a squeeze under the table, probably sensing the tension rolling off me. “You’re doing great,” he murmurs, and I flash him a quick smile.

Of course, Kyla doesn’t stop there. She ramps it up, going on about how much better vampire lovers are compared to wolf shifters, making her voice just loud enough to be heard a few tables over. I know for a fact she’s never done anything with Sebastian, but hearing her talk like that makes me want to snap her stupid wig right off her head.

I keep my cool, though. She wants me flustered, but I’m not giving her that satisfaction. I’ve got bigger things to worry about. Like timing.

Eventually, Kyla and her merry band of misfits finish their meals. Eva gets up to head to the restroom, and that’s when I give Sebastian a small nod. Without hesitation, he stands up,announcing something about needing the bathroom too, and heads down the same hall. The plan is in motion.

I rise from my seat a moment later, Derek shooting me a grin. “Good luck,” he says in a low voice, leaning back in his chair like we’re on a regular date. I return the smile before making my way down the small corridor.

As I reach the end of the hall, where the restrooms are, I feel a tug on my arm. Before I can react, I’m pulled out the back door of the restaurant, into the cool night air. It’s Sebastian, holding the door ajar with one hand while keeping an eye out for anyone passing by.

---