Page 40 of Hexed Up

“And what’s in it for me?” he asks.

“My delightful company for the weekend?” I suggest.

“I can think of something else I’d prefer,” he says, eyes darkening.

“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “Yesterday was fun and I enjoyed it–”

“But?” he says, frowning.

“But this situation is already complicated enough, we don’t want to make it any worse.”

“Says the woman who wants me to pretend to be her boyfriend.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m kinda fucked up. Which is definitely why you don’t want to sleep with me and end up permanently in love with me.” He stares at me for five whole seconds, eyes wide. “I mean, that’s what will happen if I can’t reverse the potion.”

“Right,” he says, rubbing his hand though his hair, “and you truly believe that’s a risk?”

“Yes,” I say, plus the risk my crimes are discovered. Plus the risk my family finally disowns me. Plus the risk I fall head over heels in love with him too.

“Molly, why didn’t you tell your family the truth? Why not tell them your sister was wrong and I’m not your boyfriend?”

“Ahhh.” I jump up onto the counter, hands tucked beneath my thighs. “My mum’s whole mission in life is to see her three daughters paired up and producing babies.”

“Isn’t that a little dated way of thinking?”

“Yep. But our witching powers are inherited through the female line so it’s important, not just to her, but the wider family. My mum was the only one of her sisters to have girls. If we don’t have girls then the magic fizzles out.”

“I still don’t see why you couldn’t tell her the truth,” he says with a disapproving frown.

“You haven’t met my mum! Every time I see her she’s quizzing me about my love life or trying to set me up on a date. And when Prim told her you were my boyfriend for once … I don’t know.” I peer down at my lap. “She seemed sort of proud of me.”

“She’s not usually proud?” he asks softly.

I laugh bitterly and look up, meeting those sky-blue eyes. “I’m brewing potions illegally and barely making enough to scrape by.”

“Barely making enough?” he repeats in alarm.

“I don’t own a Ferrari, Horatio,” I point out.

“But you do live in this flat, here in Heatherley Court.”

“I inherited it from my aunt,” I explain. “Most months I’m struggling to pay the gas bill. This month things were actually looking up. Someone posted a rave review about my potions online and orders have been soaring. Then the cauldron exploded and … well, you know the rest.”

“I feel responsible for the explosion,” he says. “I interrupted you.”

I wave my hand through the air. “It wasn’t your fault. I should have been paying better attention.”

I pick up one of the scones and start pulling it apart with my fingers. It hasn’t risen as much as it should have.

“I’m sure your mum is proud of you, Molly,” Horatio says.

“She’s proud of Prim. Prim aced all her Witching Academy exams and has a proper job. She’s proud of Tiggie because she’s beautiful and outgoing and will probably end up onWitches Got Talentone day.”

“Witches–” He shakes his head. “Molly, I’ll do it. I’ll come with you this weekend and pretend to be your boyfriend.”

“Really?” I say, a huge grin forming on my face.

“Yeah, and you’ll only have to repay me in brownies.”