Page 38 of Brews and Banishments
Tugging on her hand, Ethan paused in the middle of the sidewalk. “Daisy,” he said, his voice firm but not aggressive.
She turned, a street light casting a hazy amber glow down upon her. “Ethan.”
“You’re beautiful,” he said. “And, every day, I’ll wish I would’ve said it sooner.”
The breath hitched in the back of Daisy’s throat. The wordwishhung on the back of her mind as he stepped closer, entering the disc of light she already stood in. The entire town of Willowbrook faded away. There was no longer any distance between them, only the gentle inhales and sharp exhales they both gave in anticipation.
Ethan dipped his head, his lips testing and wanting before capturing her own in a gentle kiss. The motion made Daisy’s legs wobble till he snaked an arm around her waist, keeping her upright. She touched the side of his face, the scratchiness of his stubble rubbing against her palm. When he pulled away, Daisy was breathless and whole again, holding onto him as though she would disappear the moment she let go.
But, then again, as Ethan led the way to her house, Daisy wondered how long it would be till itdidall fade away, if his feelings came from the spell. The fear was as resounding as the pleasure, the emotions clashing through Daisy’s life like an unstoppable hurricane.
Daisy clutched onto his hand as they walked further into the night.
12
Daisy
A grey hue had overtaken the sky early that morning. Daisy stared up as she walked alongside Tessa, her eyes stuck on a flock of geese that made their timely flight above them. The previous night’s events with Ethan remained prominent in the back of her mind. Every time she managed to day dream, to drift away from what she needed to do, Daisy found herself caught in an irreversible reverie, one that had entirely everything to do with the man next door.
“You’ve got that look on your face again,” Tessa teased.
Daisy shrugged, heat rising to the center of her cheeks. “There is hardly a look.”
“Let me guess,” she continued, reaching to pinch Daisy’s elbow playfully. “You’re thinking about what agreatdate you had with Ethan. Is that it?”
Smiling sheepishly, Daisy pushed her best friend's hands off from around her, the giggles already filling the morning air, when it was far too early for a laugh. And as the laughter settled, Daisy remembered what it was they had planned for the drearyday. If she had the option of reliving her date for all the hours of the day, Daisy would have rather done that instead of heading towards another one of her “enemies” businesses.
Ashford Grocerieswas the largest supermarket in Willowbrook. That might make a mind believe it to be a wide store, or even one with multiple stories, filled to the brim with products. But that wasn’t entirely the case. Willowbrook’s size allowed it to cater to a small population, which meant a handful of grocery stores were enough to feed all the mouths within. Ashford Groceries had been around long before Fields’ Herbals,if that could be believed. Sitting on the corner of the neighborhood and downtown, it was the perfect stop for families to make before heading home for the day.
Unfortunately for Daisy and Tessa, they were not seeking out some after work groceries.
“What onearthcould you two be smiling about?” a familiar older woman’s voice asked incredulously.
As they carried on past Daisy’s house, they realized that a familiar face watched them from a shrouded porch, the tall bushes in front almost blocking them out entirely. Daisy glanced over, craning her neck to try and get a glimpse at them.
“Mrs. Witherford!”
Without waiting for Tessa, Daisy ran up the driveway and rushed around the Witherford residence’s porch, eager to see the old woman. She hadn’t realized they’d come home from the hospital after her dramatic fall off the ladder. As Daisy ran up to her, she whispered a mantra in the back of her head, desperate to make sure that the curse placed upon her did not truly harm an old woman like Mrs. Witherford.
“Now what’re you gawking at?” Old Lady Witherford snapped when Daisy whipped around the porch.
Old Lady Witherford looked quite small and frail in her wide wheelchair. The sleek black chair seemed incredibly outof the ordinary on her front porch, where a few rocking chairs sat empty beside her. The old woman’s leg had been wrapped with a thick cast and was raised slightly, her toes sticking out of the very tip. She looked normal besides that, but Daisy couldn’t shake the growing feeling of dread within her stomach. Perhaps it was the wheelchair that made Mrs. Witherford look extraordinarily smaller than she truly was. Perhaps it was the cast itself, which probably weighed the same as the old lady, that made her seem sickly. Even though Daisy couldn’t put her finger on it, there was one thing she was more than aware of. Everything ailing Old Lady Witherford came from Daisy, and Daisyalone.
Daisy gulped. “That’s quite the cast, Mrs. Witherford.”
“The doctors said I broke my leg,” she explained with a dismissive wave.
“Blessed be,” Daisy whispered as she trekked closer.
Mrs. Witherford eyed her. “What’s got you looking so pale? I told you before, and I’ll tell you again,” she paused to waggle that familiar judgmental finger in the air, “all the time you spend in that shop drains the color from your face! Get some sun!”
Ignoring her, Daisy stepped closer as Tessa’s footsteps approached the base of the porch. “I made some fresh strawberry jam the other day,” Daisy said. “Why don’t I bring you some later, and if you need any help with anything I can -”
“The doctor didn’t say I was dying now, did he?”
Daisy blinked. “Well, I don’tknowyour doctor, but -”
“Then what’s all the fuss about? I am plenty fine, Daisy,” Mrs. Witherford snapped. “Until you can get me a ladder I don’t have to stand on, I don’t need no assistance!”
