Page 49 of This Witch Is Not Wicked

“You should be sorry,” she snapped, landing us at a standstill, both of us glaring daggers at each other, neither willing to back down, and I had this sudden stupid urge to kiss her.

To kiss her and make her shut up. To fight with our mouths in a very different way, and the idea was turning me on way more than it should have in this moment.

Tears gathered in the corners of Enid’s eyes, and just like that, all my anger melted away.

“Enid.” I reached for her, but she moved back.

“Don’t.”

Godwitches, I was such an ass.

“Ambrose was all I had for a long, long time,” she said. “He’s come every month for years. It’s just sex. Nothing else.”

“Why isn’t it anything else?” I asked, not sure I wanted to know.

She sniffed and dashed a tear away, not meeting my gaze. “Because I’d have to move away. He’d never live in my bog with me.”

“That doesn’t seem fair,” I said.

She snorted. “No it doesn’t.”

“So that’s it? That’s the only reason you two aren’t together?” Jealousy rose like a tidal wave, crashing over me. I shouldn’t have cared that if this Ambrose would move in with Enid, that was all it would take for her to be his. Fully his. I shoved a hand through my hair, needing to get it together.

“No,” Enid finally said in answer to my question. “There’s other reasons we can’t be together.”

My gaze snapped to her glassy one. Her brown eyes darker than I’d ever seen them, almost black. I’d once thought them to be so hard, so emotionless, but now all I saw were the swirling depths of emotion.

“He never has fully accepted me for who I am. Vine doesn’t like him.”

I snorted. “Vine likes everyone.”

“Not Ambrose,” she murmured. “He was never right for me, and that’s why this has only been about sex.”

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I barged in here yelling at you. I had no right to do that. I don’t know why I got so angry. I guess I just thought we had a deal.”

Her jaw locked. “I know. That’s why I told Ambrose to leave.” I could’ve sworn her cheeks had the slightest blush to them. “Because of our deal.”

“But what about next month?” The words came out before I could stop them. “You’re supposed to meet monthly, right? Next month will still be before our arrangement is over.”

She stared at me for a long moment. “We’ll be discreet next month.”

The words were a sucker punch. Godwitches, why was this so difficult? My lungs squeezed tight, making it hard to breathe, and I bent over for a moment, hands braced on my knees.

“Nevan?” Concern laced her voice, and she reached out, hand hesitating, hovering, before she grasped my arm.

“It’s fine.” I took a few deep breaths. “Is Fairwitch safe with Ambrose knowing about us?”

“That’s why you’re upset?” Her voice was tight. “You think I’ve given away your city?”

“Haven’t you?”

“You don’t need to worry about Ambrose.” She grabbed my arm, even though my hands were still braced on my knees. “Trust me on that.”

“I do,” I said, still bent over.

There was silence for a moment. Then, “So you’re okay with me and Ambrose meeting next month?”

Something in her voice made me straighten to my full height. She was close to me now, hand still gripping my arm, face scrunched in concern. I could’ve sworn I heard something like disappointment in her tone. Like she wanted me to tell her that I wasn’t okay with it.