Page 98 of Witch Please

“You might think I’m unhinged, but I’m positive now that we belong together.”

“Soul mates?” he asked, wondering if she’d think he was too cheesy for words.

Danica didn’t even hesitate. “I’m glad I’m not the only one circling that word.”

Feeling bold, he said, “See, I thought that the moment I met you, and I tried to back up off it because I didn’t want to freak you out. I’ve never felt that way before, like I finally found the missing piece of myself.”

“Wow.”

“Good wow?”

“The best.”

“Well, ifthatdidn’t scare you off, I don’t mind talking about my exes. The last time I got sort of serious with someone, she left me for a biologist who studies puffins.”

“That’s not so bad?” Her voice rose on the end, making it a question.

“In Iceland.”

“Yikes.”

He dug deep for another painful story. “Before that, the girl I was dating fell for my sister. Maya didn’t encourage her, but after Ashley said she’d rather be with Maya…”

“Yep, that’s awkward as fuck.”

He laughed, finally able to see how ridiculous it all was. If he believed in magic, he’d swear someone had hexed him a long time ago and had finally seen fit to remove the curse so he could be with Danica. “You want to hear another one?”

“I don’t know, do I? In all seriousness, not if it’s painful for you, CinnaMan.” She didn’t sound like she was too sure about that endearment.

“Is that my official pet name now?”

“Do you hate it?”

“Nah, it’s growing on me. And this shit happened a while ago. I guess…I’m over it. Or Iwillbe, as long as you don’t come up with a completely irrational reason to leave.”

“Like moving to Peru to raise alpacas? I did wonder about that. It seemed like an oddly specific thing to say during an argument.”

“Hey, it wouldn’t have surprised me even a little.”

“Fair point. Sure, hit me with one more ridiculous breakup.”

“Since I mentioned I’m bi before, you won’t be surprised that I’ve dated a few guys. The last one dumped me to perform full-time on cruise ships. Timo is kind of a huge deal on Royal Caribbean. I used to creep his Pictogram account, and honestly, his cabaret candids are fun. Seems like he lays mad pipe with the vacation crowd.”

“You did not just say that.” Danica devolved into helpless laughter, and Titus enjoyed listening to her, not even minding her amusement at his awful history.

“It’s Trevor-speak, contagious as hell.”

“I haven’t met your friends yet,” she said softly. “We should change that. I want to blend our crowds. Mingle your poker night with my book club. Sound fun?”

It seemed like she was done poking into his past, and as much as he didn’t mind being open with her, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.I told her. And it didn’t change anything. That’s…amazing.Danica didn’t seem to have anything else to say about his former virginal status, much to his amazement.This woman is so cool.Finally, the relationship he’d always dreamed of was within reach.

We can date for a while before we talk about moving in together. I’d rather jump straight to a proposal, but that might freak her out. I can be patient as long as I know she’s not going anywhere.

Belatedly, he said, “Yeah, I was just considering logistics, but I’d love that if you’re into it. Maybe we could play poker, drink, and talk about books.”

She laughed. “That sounds amazing. Tell me more about Trevor. I guess he’s your closest friend, so I need tips on making him like me.”

“It won’t be difficult. He likes free food and hanging out.” At her urging, he told her a little more, how long they’d been friends and the way his life had imploded when his girlfriend left him. “It’s been years now, and he’s showing no signs of being ready to get his shit together. And I let it slide because he’s a good guy and most of the time, he seems happy enough, but sometimes—”

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