Page 33 of Hexed & Hazy

But he’s already pushing past me to open the door, and my face is already hot under all of my winter layers.

“Fine,” I grumble.

And he does as he promised, walking in step across the street with me.

“What if you fell? Slipped on the ice, with no one here to call an ambulance.”

“That would be unfortunate, but I’m nowhere near hip replacement age, so I would probably live.”

“Right. That’s true.”

Yet, he remains by my side.

We stop at the end of our driveway, facing one another, and there’s a wall between us. I think I put it there, but I don’t know how to feel about it. I clutch the warm soup tighter, waiting desperately for him to break the silence like he usually would.

He doesn’t.

“Good night,” I say.

Before I can turn away, he steps closer. “You’re a great friend, Ro. Thank you for everything.”

I smile tightly and lift the bowl. “And thank you for the soup.”

He lets out a laugh—finally, a genuine laugh, his eyes crinkling in a way that makes me settle into the warmth I’ve been trying to run from.

“The least I can do,” he says. “Good night.”

Chapter 12

Seth

Rowan has been doing a lot for me lately, and she doesn’t have to. She could have told me to figure it out myself, or to wait until the hex wears off, and I would have listened. But she’s doing more than that.

And I’m not the only one she works her ass off for. I see her running from business to business all around Starbrook, and then back home to meet with her clients from out of town. She’s busy, but she always makes time for me.

I want to do something for her.

It’s my first day off in a while, and I step into the greenhouse.

Donnie immediately leads me to the opposite side. “Look at how well it’s doing.”

Sure enough, there’s my calathea, and it’s thriving. Donnie may not be a plant witch, but there’s no denying he’s good at what he does. All around are flourishing blooms, even ones that are notoriously hard to keep alive, like the one he’s taking care of for me.

“Well, would you look at that?” I brush my finger over a green, striped leaf. “Do you think it’ll be ready to come home with me soon?”

“Certainly, but we can keep it here for a bit longer. Let it continue growing for now.”

“Sounds good.” I stuff my hands into my pockets and rock back on my heels. My mouth is dry, and I haven’t even said my question aloud yet. “I’m actually here to, uh… ask if you don’t mind if I use the greenhouse tonight? After hours, I mean.”

Donnie gave me a key to the greenhouse—the one at the local park—just a few months ago. I haven’t used it since, even though he told me I was welcome to. This place still feels like his, not mine, though I want to be a bigger part of what he’s doing for the community.

“Of course you can.” His brows furrow, and his tail swishes behind him. “I can’t imagine what you would have planned here in the middle of the night. Dare I ask?”

“A gift. For Rowan.” Once I finally say it, the rest of the words fly out. “She’s a star witch⁠—”

“Astral magic.”

“Yeah. That. And I know there’s a moon tonight, so I bought some crystals, and I wanted to… I don’t know. Surprise her with it. I know I can’t charge them myself, but if she’s here, she should be able to. So, I guess the real question is… is it okay if I bring Rowan in?”