Jinxed | A Halloween Romance | Coven Corner #1

Chapter Four

"Good morning, Aiden," Sky recited into the mirror with the most charming smile she could muster. "I'm afraid I have something I need to tell you. Remember when I knocked over those potions? Well, it seems I made a mistake and accidentally put a spell on you. What kind of spell? Oh, just...you know, a simple spell. It's hardly—"

Sky broke off with a scowl and she scrubbed her hand through her hair.

"What am I doing?" she said. "He's going to think I'm some sort of nutty witch who's obsessed with him and I certainly sound like one, standing here talking to my reflection."

It was long after her usual opening time for the tearoom. But the CLOSED sign remained firmly in place on the door of Boiled and Brewed. Sky had to sort out this business with Aiden first. She couldn't concentrate on anything else. All she could think of was the way Aiden had looked at her, or the way his hand had settled, warm and firm atop hers.

"Maybe I am going a bit nutty," Sky muttered.

She gathered her hair into a choppy ponytail and tugged her witch hat down over her ears to fend off the cold.

"Just get it over with, Sangrey," she said to herself in the mirror with a nod. "You brought this on yourself. You should have paid more attention in school to your magic lessons."

Sky took a deep breath and stepped out of her house. She steeled herself, fingers balled into fists at her sides as she made her way to Spellbound. But the closer she got to the shop, the more her recited speech turned to a jumbled mess in her head.

It sounded terrible. Just awful. And it certainly wouldn't ease the blow of what she had to tell Aiden.

Sky slowed to a stop when Spellbound came into view.

"Maybe I don't have to tell him," she reasoned. "Maybe I can just...take another stab at breaking the spell. If it doesn't work, I'll ask Hazel for help. Aiden never has to know."

Sky smiled. That did sound a little better. Less damaging. Just because her tea leaves showed her a skull was in her future, didn't mean that she had interpreted that sign in the right way. She was only twenty-four. There were plenty of things in her lifetime that could pertain to a skull. It didn't necessarily involve Aiden.

She had to know if the spell had worn off by now though. A vain hope, she knew. But she was grasping at straws and she didn't care.

Sky picked up her pace, leaves crunching beneath her feet, as she walked up to Spellbound and opened the door. The bell tinkled a greeting.

And Aiden was right there at the counter. Sky didn't even have time to compose herself or catch her breath.

"Miss Sangrey!" Aiden said with a heart-stopping smile. "Back for more candles already?"

Sky stuttered on the threshold.

Tell him, a voice in the back of her mind whispered.

Don't say a word, her heart said.

"Actually..." Sky started.

Then her courage gave out and she bailed.

"I was wondering if I could look at your crystals?" she said.

She did not need more crystals. Her bedroom was full of them. So was the kitchen window sill. And the cabinet under the sink in her bathroom.

"On your right," Aiden said, pointing to the window. "And if you don't see anything you like, I have a new shipment of crystals in the back."

"Thank you," Sky said, ducking her head.