Page 32 of Hexes and Hiccups
“No one wants to believe that there’s just a bad apple causing it all, just because they can. Makes the town seem far less hopeful than you thought it was.”
Daisy pressed her lips together, leaning closer to Ethan. “No matter what or who is behind all of this,” she whispered, one hand tightening around his own, “I’m glad to be here with you. I’m more than glad.”
“Me too, Daisy,” he murmured.
Daisy angled her head up towards him, staring up at his warm and enveloping eyes. The closer she came to Ethan, the easier it was for her to feel at ease. He was like a coat of armor, something that wanted to protect her, something that needed to be close to her. Daisy ached to be closer still, to know everything she could about him. The entire night was more perfect than she had imagined it to be, and though a part of her believed she needed to still be buried within the investigation, Daisy allowed herself to be selfish and leaned towards his lips.
Ethan captured her lips in a soft, yearning kiss. It was gentle and quiet, the sound of a ballad from Swing Timefilling the car all around them. Daisy imagined they were within the movie itself, dancing to their heart's content before falling into an earth-shatteringly passionate embrace. It was a fairytale, one that she never wanted to step out of. Ethan’s hand cupped her cheek, the gentle touch sending a chill down her spine.
Everything was just as it should be.
15
Daisy
The music from Swing Time still echoed in Daisy’s ears as they made the drive back into town. The drive-in theater sat right outside of Willowbrook’s limits, and a few minutes away from the infamous Lake Silverpine. As they drove away from their wonderful evening together, Daisy kept one hand tightly wrapped around Ethan’s while looking out the window. The evening had taken hold of the town quickly, only the moon and twinkling stars shining down overhead. Daisy felt lazy and hazy, stuck in a fictional romantic musical, with one foot stepping closer towards reality. The investigation haunted her like a ghost, remaining within her mind no matter where she was.
All Daisy wanted to do was remain stuck in time alongside Ethan, as if they were within their own infinite movie. But the future loomed, and her responsibility clung to her shoulders, with no intention of letting go. The closer they came to Willowbrook, the more she remembered what lay ahead, and it brought an unpleasant sourness to her stomach. So, instead of falling deeper into the hole, she clung onto Ethan’s hand tightly, her eyes catching onto the approaching Lake Silverpine.
A few cars were pulled up beside the lake, a growing crowd hanging around the shore. Daisy’s eyes caught onto some young teens loitering in the water, some of them ducking in and out of the inky black lake. They crashed through the water and waved their hands as a few more cars pulled out of the road and onto the dewy grass. Men clobbered out of their cars, wielding flashlights and blankets.
“Is there something going on at Lake Silverpine today?” Daisy quietly asked.
Ethan’s gaze snapped over, as he was already slowing down the car. “Weird,” he murmured. “Not that I know of. Looks like quite the crowd.”
For some peculiar reason, Daisy couldn’t pull her eyes away from the lake. Perhaps it was her intuition, or some sort of sense that lay deep within her. There didn’t seem to be anything inherently wrong with the growing crowd. They were rather joyful, it looked like. She pressed her lips together and sat up straighter, unable to shake the unusual feeling that was beginning to take a strong hold over her.
“Hey, Ethan…”
“Do you want to check it out?”
She glanced over at him in surprise. “How did you know I was going to ask that?”
“Let’s call it a warlock’s intuition.”
Daisy let a smile grow across her face. She didn’t even need to say a word, and Ethan already knew what she wanted, knew what she was about to say. Perhaps it was simply from their magical abilities, but Daisy couldn’t help but believe it was due to their growing bond. Her hand tightened around his and she squeezed, hoping the intent behind it could be felt by him without explaining it. Ethan simply beamed and pulled the car towards Lake Silverpine, parking alongside the other vehicles already there.
Daisy shouldered her purse and considered calling Tessa, but she decided against it. Tessa was already spending her evening looking into the maps, and that was far more than she needed to do anyways. There was no need to bother her with something as frivolous as a growing crowd around the lake. Besides, Tessa would probably prefer a rundown of the situation when it was over, her own personal intake of gossip – the unharmful kind. Daisy stepped out of the car in time with Ethan, immediately hearing a rush of excited chatter from the teens emerging from the lake. A few adults, it seemed, had finally arrived with the cars they had followed.
Ethan, whose confidence surprised Daisy sometimes, jogged over to one of the men standing beside a hummer. “Good evening,” he said. “Mind if we ask what’s going on here?”
The man turned, his beer belly threatening to spill out of his tucked in plaid shirt. “‘Course you can,” he replied gruffly. “Lou Stevens got a call from his boy earlier this evenin’. Somethin’ ‘bout a big find in the lake. Figured he might need some help luggin’ it out, so –” the man paused to pat his hummer, “brought myself on over to see what all the fuss was ‘bout.”
Daisy’s brow shot up. “Lou Stevens’ son wouldn’t be Tyler, would it?”
“Right you are, Miss.”
Ethan eyed her over his shoulder. “You know the kid?”
“He’s been diving into Lake Silverpine for weeks now,” Daisy explained, remembering old man Wesley Sharp’s plight in Town Hall. “Though I didn’t realize there wereactuallyvaluable things to find at the bottom of the lake.”
The man shook his head. “There’s plenty to find, if you know what to look for.”
“What exactly did he find?”
“Some sort of car, I believe,” the man replied. “Hopefully, a good one! Could use some old parts, if the boy’s willin’ to share!” He winked before beginning to head closer to the lake.
Daisy reached for Ethan’s hand as a chill rolled down her spine. The air was colder as they neared Lake Silverpine, the wind picking up a gust from the water. She clutched onto him tightly. They drew nearer to the group of teen boys that lingered beside the shore. Their excitement was loud and tangible as one man, presumably Lou Stevens, waded into the lake to attach a hook to the treasure the boys found. Daisy couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement course through her at the idea of finding something within the dark waters. Perhaps they managed to come across something valuable. Beside her, Ethan had a similar expression on his face as he watched.
