Drawn to You

Chapter 11

Sometimes the best solution to dealing with a big problem, in Liv's opinion, was to find an even bigger one to put the original issue in perspective. It wasn't always the smartest plan of action, but it kept her focussed, at least. Missing Rhea—and then fucking her again—had her second-guessing all sorts of things, so she welcomed the puzzling problems the tinctures represented. In theory, there was no reason she couldn't make Finn an emergency elixir he could take for unexpected lapses, but that was definitely a more life-and-death scenario than I slept with my ex and I'm pretty sure I still love her and I have no idea what to do with either of those pieces of information.

Finding information on tincture alternatives was difficult, especially since many witches knew she was working with a demon. Some witches flat-out wouldn't talk to her. Others would insist they weren't aware of any alternatives, and Liv always heard And if I did, I wouldn't tell you trailing their answers like a shadow. At her local Fathoms market, she looked at what other witches were selling to get ideas. A pill or drink would be the quickest way to administer the magic, but she worried that it would fade away just as fast. The notes she had made during their meeting felt promising at the time, but now they seemed circular and too simple.

"What was I thinking?" Liv muttered as she looked at the supplies she had bought at The Fathoms. She had used Finn's card, like she promised, but she didn't get too much. Part of her restraint was sensible: she wasn't sure what was going to work, so there was no point in buying ten of something only to figure out it was a failure. The dropper bottle looked promising, at least, but the more she looked at the empty capsules, the more she thought they were a bad idea. Thanks to the Wellness Policy, they had to get any potential medications cleared, and she didn't want Finn to get caught with anything he couldn't explain. The medical testing wouldn't be able to handle the magic in the capsule, and so the tester would probably assume it was an illegal substance of some kind. "Do they check eyedrops? Probably. Bastards!" Liv shut her eyes and wished she had paid more attention when Becky swore in Irish. It sounded satisfying to say, anyway, and she would welcome having more options in moments like these.

Hi! I was wondering what the rules about eyedrops were, she texted to the doctor who normally worked the house shows. I just want a moisturizing eyedrop. Would have to bring it in to get tested? She realized that probably sounded suspicious, but she couldn't think of a better way to ask. For some reason, the WWE executives never thought to worry about tattoo ink, which was surprising, given how many wrestlers had tattoos; some, like Rhea and Damian and the Usos, had enough for several people. But she also didn't want to draw attention to the loophole lest they try to close it, bringing an end to Finn's long-term solution before she even found him a short-term one.

When her phone trilled, Liv originally thought the doctor had just sent her a reply, but then she recognized the ring tone. "Rhea?" she said, answering before she could stop herself.

"Hey. I... well, I'm in the neighbourhood," Rhea said, "and I was wondering if you were busy...."

Liv had to laugh. "My farm isn't in any neighbourhood."

"I know, I know." Rhea laughed too. "I was just trying to think of something to say. Anyway, if you don't want company—or at least not my company—that's cool. But I'm in town and I can pick up treats if you want anything...."

Just you. Liv wouldn't let herself say it out loud, though. Their night together had been fantastic, but she knew they needed to have some serious conversations. "I think I'm out of coffee," she said at last, "so if you want any, you'll have to bring some. And I'll never say no to a slush."

"I'll see what I can do. You're... okay with me popping in?" Rhea asked hesitantly. "I don't want to interrupt or anything. I'm sure you're busy."

"It's fine," Liv replied. "I was just about to take a break anyway, so you have good timing." She leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Call when you're about five minutes out and I'll go open the gate."