Mel whirled on her once they were alone.
“DID YOU SEE THAT?”
“I... saw something,” Riya said carefully.
“Exactly! There’ssomethingthere!” Mel pressed a hand to her cheek, starry-eyed. “Andrew went out of his way to check on me. And that wink—God, he’s as smooth as Irish butter. He must like me back,I know it.”
Riya tilted her head. “What makes you so sure?”
“Come on, RiRi. Why else would hecare?”
Riya bit the inside of her cheek. Mel, bless her, had a knack for jumping to conclusions. But even she had to admit she’d never seen anyone look at Mel quite like that before.
Another flicker of warmth curled at her fingertips.
Riya clenched her fists, forcing it back.
Sometimes, when things were quiet—when she wasn’t caught in the slipstream of her never-ending to-do list—she noticed how the world felt... slow. Stagnant.
Like something waiting to be nudged.
It had been years since the Incident. Years since she’d told herself the cost of peri magic was too high.
But the truth? Sometimes a part of her stillcravedit. That electric hum, the weightlessness of bending the world into shape—just a little.
Her gaze flicked to Mel.
Mel, who’d once paid off a freshman for the last iced tea in the cafeteria, simply because Riyaalwayshad an iced tea with her lunch.
Mel, who never got mad when Riya forgot to text back for days.
Mel, who was still holding on to a shattered wheel like she could will it back together.
She could be ridiculous sometimes. A little much. But she’d done so much for Riya. And even though she had every reason to feel dejected, still she held on to hope.
Mel deserved something good. Especially right now.
And what was one spell, really? As long as she was careful, she coulddothis. Just this once.
Riya’s fingers buzzed faintly in response. She exhaled.
“If you really feel this strongly about him,” she said, “I’ll do it. I’ll cast the—thespell. For you.”
Mel lit up like fireworks.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Before Riya could brace herself, Mel suddenly threw an arm around her andsqueezed, nearly knocking the broken remains of the mousetrap car from her hands.
“You’re the BEST, Riya! The best!!!!”
Riya staggered but didn’t pull away.
Sure, it wasn’t a plan. It wasn’t a promise. But Mel’s smile was back.
And Riya, far too tired to think about what that might cost her, decided that, for now, it was enough.
