Page 25 of Magic and Matrimony

“I’m not going to talk about this with everyone.” My face is burning, and Josephine makes a surprised sound. Ava gets it a few seconds later, because she snorts and starts to laugh.

“What am I missing?” Stellan looks around the table accusingly, waiting for someone to fill him in.

My head falls into my hands. “Can we please move on.”

Odie signs something to Stellan. Her hands are low under the table, so I can’t see what she’s saying. His mouth goes wide in an oh. He starts to chuckle and then winks at me.

“Nicely done, Piper.”

I groan and down half my drink in one gulp.

“Moving on,” Ambrose says, relaxed again beside me. The smugness practically radiates off of his skin.

I breathe out a gust of alcohol-saturated breath. “Now that I’m married to Ambrose, I can break the hex. I couldn’t even talkabout it before, no less figure out how to get rid of it, so that’s my short-term goal. Besides these trials, I guess.” I rub the space between my brows, a tiny ache pulsing there. I frown and do the math in my head. Dammit. My curse is going to kick in soon.

“Ambrose,” a beautiful woman purrs as she slides between tables to stand in front of Ambrose. She’s tall and willowy, with perfectly curled shiny brown hair. Her makeup is straight out of a social media how-to video, and she blinks thick lashes at the man pressed up to my side. Regardless of how pulled together she looks, there’s a crazed glint in her gaze. It’s unsettling.

He stiffens, and Roman groans across the table. Odie partially rolls her eyes, but she’s trying not to, turning her expression into a grimace.

“Rebecca.”

“It’s been forever.” She leans down to kiss his cheek. I don’t know what comes over me, but I throw up the drink menu between them, nearly giving her face a paper cut.

“Sorry. Were you looking for the menu?” I hold it out to her like an idiot. Ava makes a choking sound, and Odie signs “smooth” across from me. I close my eyes and slink down into my seat.

Rebecca plucks the menu out of my hand and tosses it on the table behind her, which is also full of people. “Excuse me, I’m talking to Ambrose. You apparently have no idea who I am.” She never takes her eyes off him. She’s right. I have no idea who she is.

“Come up to the bar. My friend Tessa and I just opened a bottle of wine. I’m sure you’ll have a much more interesting night with me.” Her eyes drip with disdain as she looks me over.

“That’s a lovely offer, but I’m here with my friends… and my wife.” Ambrose smiles up at the woman.

I just took a sip and practically spit it out all over the table. I manage to control my response, but some of the booze dribbles down my chin.

“Wife?” Rebecca’s voice wobbles, and she finally tears her adoring gaze from Ambrose to look around the table. “Which one of these whores is your wife?” she screeches. Ava leans forward to gape at me, mouthing, “Who the hell does she think she is?”

“You should go back to your friend.” Ambrose lifts his drink and takes a sip, all but ignoring her.

Rebecca’s body is shaking as though she’s been out in freezing temperatures. Her chin wobbles and tears stream down her face. I lean in to whisper to Ambrose. “Is she okay? She doesn’t seem okay.”

“Her? You’re married to her?”

Ambrose stands up, placing his body between us. “Before you say another word, and definitely not one against my wife, you need to get out of my sight. Or I’ll have you kicked out of the bar.”

“Ambrose, no.” Rebecca grabs at his sweater, her cotton candy-pink nails twisting in the fabric. Ambrose nods at someone, but I can’t see who. A few seconds later, the bouncer is peeling Rebecca off Ambrose and hauling her away while she screams his name.

The only sound in the bar for several tense moments is the low drone of music. After nothing else happens, the chatter starts back up. Nervous titters turning into relieved laughter when the woman doesn’t return. Bram, Roman, and Odie all seem unfazed.

“What the hell was that?” Ava whispers, but it’s loud enough for Ambrose to hear.

He doesn’t answer the table, though. Instead, he leans in to speak softly, just for me to hear. “That’s what happens when I kiss someone.”

“You kissed her?” That’s not really important, yet the stab of ugly jealousy that rears up inside me forces the question out.

Ambrose pulls back to look at me, his eyes drifting down to my lips. I lick them on instinct, feeling parched. “Back in high school. For a long time, she used to stalk me. We tried to use magic to cleanse her of my curse, but it doesn’t work that way.” He shrugs. “It was only once and her reaction to me has diluted over time.”

I look over at the exit, where the bouncer is barring Rebecca from coming back inside. If that’s what the curse is when diluted, I’d hate to see it fresh.

Her muffled shouts from outside can still be heard inside the bar. A shiver goes down my spine and I rub my arms. I don’t know if my reaction is because my curse is looming, or because of the desperation that I saw in Rebecca’s eyes.

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