Page 82 of Love's a Witch
“Henry has a particular affection for dragons. As a forest ogre, I think his kin often interacted with them,” I told Blue.
“I really have so much to learn about this place. Like, I know we grew up knowing magickals were about, but I guess maybe it’s just that myopic nature of youth at times? I think I was just so focused on my own stuff that I didn’t really ask too many questions about the others that lived in Briarhaven.”
“Understandable.” I was pleased that Sloane was talking, sharing more about her past with me, and maybe I would be able to help her break down that wall she’d so carefully erected after she’d awoken. “I think kids can be forgiven for not seeing theworld around them more clearly. They’re still learning. I only knew about most of the magickals because they were constantly in and out of the castle.”
“I still can’t believe you grew up in a castle.” Sloane slanted me a look.
“It had its perks.”
“I bet.” Sloane quieted, her expression tightening as she eyed the drapes pulled back from the window to reveal softly falling snow. I sat across from her and crossed my arms over my chest, waiting.
“So.” Sloane took a few healthy gulps of her coffee, and I let her gather her thoughts.
This was where she was going to try to tell me that once was all we’d get of each other.
“So,” I repeated when the silence drew out, knowing she was struggling. “Why don’t we skip the part where you try to push me out of your life, and you just accept that I’m around for the long haul, and we take it day by day from here?”
Sloane’s mouth dropped open, and I wanted to pull her back to bed and kiss her until she forgot all of the insecurities that had crept back in this morning.
“I wasn’t going to push you out of my life,” Sloane grumbled, burying her face in her coffee again.
“Weren’t you?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Maybe just a wee bit of space,” Sloane conceded, and I laughed.
“Yeah, all that. Why don’t we skip it? Let’s just give this a proper go and see what happens. I reckon we’ll be quite happy if we do.”
“You make it sound so easy.” Sloane gulped her coffee at an alarming rate, and I filled another cup for her. “But I’m cursed. Nothing about dating me is easy. Why would you want to deal with all that?”
I couldn’t say aloud what I’d been thinking:Because I want you and feel as though I’ve been waiting all this time for you to come back.
“Because nothing great in life comes easily, Sloane. The hard work makes the reward that much sweeter.”
I beamed at her when she just stared at me, caught on my words, her brain trying to come up with some solution. At some point, she’d have to understand that I was the answer, not the problem. I’d just have to wait her out until she saw that I really meant what I said.
“But you don’t know me all that well, Knox. I’m fiercely independent. Difficult. Bitchy. Annoying. Ask my sisters.”
“And I suspect they’d all say a lot of great things about you too. Nobody’s perfect, Sloane. And I like your sharp edges. They challenge me. I don’t need everything in my life to come easily to me. Will you give us a chance?” There, I’d laid it bare, holding my breath. I wasn’t going to push her, not yet at least, but I really hoped she’d consider dating me.
“Like a trial run?” Sloane asked tentatively.
“Sure, a trial run. Some would even call it ‘dating.’ Let’s date, Sloane. No pressure. After you deem the trial run to be over, you can let me know if you’re keeping me or returning me.”
“Returning you to whom?” Jealously spiked in Sloane’s impossibly beautiful eyes, and I suppressed my grin.
“Just a turn of phrase, witchling.”
“Knox.” Sloane gave me a look. “I don’t stay.”
“Maybe you will… this time.”
“And if I don’t?”
“We can figure it out. There are always solutions, you know that.”
“You can’t leave here. Briarhaven is your home.”
“Maybe it is time for someone else to come run it a bit while I stretch my wings.” Reaching over, I patted Blue, who grinned up at me, a happy wee emberwolf.
