Page 122 of Magical Mission
That hit harder than anything else he could’ve said.
Because that was the truth of it.
I wanted answers. I wantedcontextfor the pain. But I couldn’t want redemption for someone who never asked for it.
Keegan must’ve seen the realization in my face, because his shoulders eased.
We stood there in the lamplight, close but not touching.
“I’m glad you told me,” he said, his voice quieter now.
“I wasn’t sure I should.”
“You should.” He took a slow step closer. “Always.”
I nodded, but the little knot of unease stayed coiled in my chest.
Because while Keegan said the right things, always, something in his eyes told me he was stillwatching.Still wondering if my need for understanding would pull me too close to something dangerous.
And maybe…
Maybe I was wondering the same.
Keegan didn’t move at first. He just stood there, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him, see the flicker of firelight caught in the darker gold of his eyes. My breath stilled as his gaze dropped—first to my lips, then back up again, slower this time. Measured.
I didn’t step back.
I didn’t want to.
The air between us shifted, warm and humming, thick with something that hadn’t been spoken but had been building for weeks.
His hand lifted, barely, and brushed a strand of hair from my cheek, while his fingertips lingered just a breath too long.
My whole body tightened in response to just his…presence.
I felt flushed, fluttery, and suddenly aware of every point where we almost touched.
His mouth parted like he was going to say something, or maybe he wasn’t.
Maybe he was just going to kiss me.
I wanted him to.
And then—
A sharp, echoingclangrang out from somewhere near the town square, too loud and sudden to ignore.
We both jolted, stepping apart like we’d been caught stealing time.
Keegan’s eyes stayed on mine for one lingering heartbeat more.
Then he muttered, “Of course.”
And the spell between us shattered like ice on a Wisconsin lake.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The halls of the Academy hummed with life again.
