Page 37 of Cursed By the Love Witch

“For you, it’s not nearly enough.” His lips press against mine. “Will you wear it?”

I nod, blinking the wetness from my eyes. “Of course.”

He quickly secures the dainty chain around my neck. The stone falls against my chest, and I feel it hum with power. Another barrage of banging comes from the door as Prue laments that we are about to be late.

Bael kisses me again. It’s over far too quickly. Without another word, he seamlessly transforms into a raven and flies out the open window. I watch him go momentarily before rushing to collect my cloak and belongings.

Unlocking the door, I push out into the hall. Prue’s blue eyes narrow on me as I greet her with a genuinely frazzled grin.

“Sorry, I overslept. My alarm didn’t go off.”

“Right.” Prue doesn’t sound overly convinced. Her eyes linger on my chest for a moment. “Is that necklace new?”

We turn and make our way down the hall. My hand goes to the stone; it pulses against my palm like a real heart. Glancing up at her, I nod.

“Yes, I got it, um?—”

Prue chuckles and shakes her head.

“No need to lie, Dar. I'm all ears when you want to tell me about the mystery man I heard you talking to in your room.”

I choke on a breath, and that only deepens Prue’s grin.

“You’ve always been a dreadful liar. Is it someone I know?.” She tosses her arm around my shoulder as the bell rings overhead, signaling that we are, in fact, very late.

Goddess, how badly I want to come clean and admit it all to her. She would give me advice on what to do, advice that I probably wouldn’t want to hear since it would mean recognizing that the most fantastic pleasure was wrong and that it could never happen again.

Therefore, because I am an awful, unethical witch, my confession never comes. I merely smile at my friend and give a slight nod.

“It’s someone you know very well.”

Prue giggles as the two of us continue down the desolate hall. My hand tugs tighter on the stone, letting the rhythmic pounding soothe me.

I may have stolen his heart because of a love potion, but it’s abundantly clear I’ve carelessly given mine away to him. I don’t think I’ll get it back in one piece when all this is over.

17

DARCEE

The day passes in a blur.

Every time my thighs rub together, I remember what Bael felt like between them: his warm breath, the scent of skin, and the feel of his silken hair on my bare skin. My mind had been wandering all day, replaying the wonderful morning and knowing it should never happen again.

I know that, and yet, as I sit next to Prue at our workbench and watch Bael flit around the room explaining the properties of a plant I’ve never heard of, I’m desperate to feel his touch again. I’m powerless when it comes to my desire—and I’ve never wanted anyone as badly as him. It’s not unheard of for me to fall for someone too quickly—I am a love witch.

Usually, what ends up happening is I realize I’m more in love with the idea of them—their potential—than who they are. Bael is the opposite of that. The way he presented himself to me initially put me off. After seeing the softer, more compassionate side, I’m rapidly falling for the male I’ve discovered.

The one who cares for me in a way I’ve always dreamed of. While I love his gifts, I adore the compassion he’s shown me. From helping with my grade to holding me last night andkeeping the nightmares away, it’s no wonder I’m in danger of losing my heart to him.

Especially when I’ve opened my textbooks throughout the day to find little love notes tucked between the pages, each one was some abysmal riddle that made my heart pound and skin tingle. They are adorable, and I’ll cherish every single one of them forever.

I wonder—not for the first time—if we could have had this without the love potion. Would this relationship have formed naturally if I had come to him for help organically? It just seems so easy. For all I know about love potions, I am truly out of my depth with this one. It has shown no signs of waning, though our little tryst this morning surely didn’t help the situation.

Again, I vow that if it hasn’t completely gotten out of his system by graduation, I will take matters into my own hands. I was leaving that night anyway. The first day of my lease starts the day of graduation. I needed to be open immediately if I had any hope of making the next month’s rent.

I can make it through one more week of this. The end of our relationship—if it can even be called that—is a matter of when, not if.

Deep in thought, I barely register the bell ringing until those around me pack up to leave and shuffle out the door. Prue is already on her feet, stuffing her books into her bag and looking at me expectantly.

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