Page 28 of Hexes and Exes

“Just dropping off some muffins I made this morning.” She sets a bag down on the counter. I swear I can smell them and my stomach growls.

“Did you get up before the crack of dawn to bake?”

Her eyes dart to me before focusing back on Morty. “I got up at a perfectly respectable time and did some baking. Do you have a problem with that?” Under her breath, she mumbles, but I still hear her. “Everyone’s got an opinion about me just living my life.”

“I didn’t say it was bad,” I counter. Ava finally fully turns and looks me in the eye. Well, I’m assuming. Her giant sunglasses are pointed in my direction.

I’m not swimming in dirty gray sweats, but I’m sure I don’t look that much better. I’m wearing a pair of old jeans and a blackhoodie with the resort's logo on the front. I didn’t bother doing my hair when I got up and it’s probably sticking out in a bunch of different directions. Whatever Ava sees makes her scowl. I’m going to take that as a positive.

“Why are you here so early?” She sounds accusatory.

My gaze drifts down to the elixir on the counter. Ava sees it before I snatch it up and put it in my pocket.

“Just picking up a few things.”

Her eyes drop to my sweatshirt pocket. “What is that?”

“That’s none of your business,” I snap. Morty makes a sound that could be a hiss or a chuckle from the other side of the shop. When the hell did he walk away from the counter?

“It is if I’m going to be hanging around you. That could literally be anything. A drugging spell, a love potion.”

“Trust me, if I was going to seduce you, I wouldn't need a potion to accomplish that.”

Well, fuck. As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I want to take them back. How does she get under my skin like this? It’s like I trip over myself to insult her because, Maiden forbid I speak the actual truth. I don’t even want to think about the truth around Ava.

Her face goes blank and her chin tips up. “Trust me, I know how forgettable I am.”

“Ava,” I sigh.

“No.” She holds up her hand to silence me. “I’m good. Morty, I’ll see you later. Enjoy the muffins.”

“Wait one second.” Morty pops up behind the counter again as if he teleported across the room. I know he doesn’t have that kind of magic, so it just highlights how little I’m paying attention to anything except for Ava.

“You and your friends are looking into fated bonds, yes?” Morty straightens the plaid draped over his shoulder. Ava and I both turn to look at him.

Ava’s gaze darts to me and then away. “Oh, I’m not. Not really.”

I roll my eyes. I wasn’t specifically looking into it, but we’ve all been curious about Roman and Josephine's bond. “Yes. Why? Do you know something?”

Morty takes us both in, a sly look on his face. He pulls a muffin out of the bag and nibbles on the edge of it. I want to steal it and shove the whole thing in my mouth.

“I don’t, but you know who knows a ton about fated bonds?”

Ava takes the bait. “Who?”

Morty smirks, and I immediately know I’m not interested in finding out who.

“Fitz.”

“Oh. Um, well, we’ll have to get in touch with her.” Ava looks worried. I get it. Fitz is the scariest centenarian I know.

“I already called her for you. She’s expecting you in”—Morty looks at his watch—“ten minutes.”

When did he call her? He hasn’t picked up the phone since we’ve been in here.

Ava turns to look at me, still wearing her bug-eyed sunglasses. “You’d better go then.”

“No, she’s expecting both of you.” Morty grins and then takes another bite of the muffin.

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