Page 75 of Wedded Witch
A band plays in the corner, their sound an easy blend of folk and blues. It’s the perfect backdrop to this easy, natural night out with Kel. We find a spot close to the band, and I can’t help but let the music settle over me, soothing and uplifting all at once.
The second we sit down, Kel leans forward, resting his elbows on the table, his eyes locked on mine. “So, this is a date, yeah?” His tone is teasing, but there’s a real question in his eyes.
“Depends,” I tease back, leaning in just slightly, matching his posture. “Do you want it to be?”
“I think we both know the answer to that.” He smirks, but there’s a softness behind it now, something more serious than the banter we’ve been throwing back and forth.
His hand moves across the table, and before I know it, he’s holding my hand again, his fingers stroking the sensitive skin on the inside of my wrist.
I suck in a quiet breath, not realising how sensitive that spot was until now. His touch is light, almost reverent, but there’s an edge to it, like he’s holding back.
“I’ve been wanting to take you out for a while,” he admits, his voice lower now. “But I didn’t think you’d ask.”
I smile, feeling a flush rise to my cheeks. “Guess I surprised us both, huh?”
“Yeah,” he says softly, his thumb making small circles on the back of my hand again. “But I like surprises.”
The waitress comes over, and we reluctantly pull apart, though I still feel the ghost of his touch on my skin, as Kel ordersfor us—some drinks, burgers and chips, nothing too fancy— but the tension between us doesn’t fade.
If anything, it grows. Every glance, every brush of our legs under the table feels like it’s building towards something inevitable.
When our drinks arrive, he leans back, his gaze settling on me.
“You look… different tonight,” he says, his voice lower now, more serious.
I frown, not sure how to take that. “Different?”
“Relaxed. Like you’re finally letting yourself breathe a little.” He pauses, his eyes searching mine. “I like it.”
His words catch me off guard, and I realise that maybe he’s right. For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like I’m drowning. I’m just here, with him.
“I think you’re right,” I admit, taking a sip of my drink. “It feels good to get out, to forget about… everything else for a while.”
Kel’s hand reaches across the table, his fingers brushing against mine. The contact is light, but it sends a spark through me.
“You don’t have to carry it all on your own, Swyn,” he says, his voice soft but firm. “We’re here for you.”
I look at him, really look at him. Kel, with his easy smiles and golden retriever energy, always looking out for me, even when I don’t realise it. He makes me feel safe, in a way that I haven’t felt in a long time, but lighter too.
His energy is infectious, it’s impossible to be anything other than joyful around him.
“I know,” I whisper, my fingers curling around his. And for the first time, I let myself believe it. “But let’s not talk about this stuff tonight. It’s a date. I want to have fun. God knows how long it’s been since I did that.”
As we eat and talk, I can’t help but notice the way his eyes linger on me, the way he watches my mouth when I speak. It’s not just lust—it’s more than that, a connection that’s been growing between us.
And the more we talk, the more I realise just how much I like being around him. He makes me feel grounded and alive at the same time, like I can breathe, but also like my heart might pound out of my chest.
Kel orders us more drinks, and before long, we’re laughing, talking, and getting caught up in the moment. He’s easy to be around, his humour infectious, and every time his arm brushes against mine, or his knee touches my leg, I feel a rush of warmth spread through me.
It’s easy to get lost in him. He makes me forget the world outside, forget the curse, the danger, the heavy weight I’ve been carrying around.
“You’re a lot of fun, you know that?” I say, grinning up at him after he tells me a ridiculous story about one of his pranks on Sol.
Kel leans in a little closer, his gaze locked on mine. “Only when I’m with someone who can keep up.”
I laugh, my heart skipping a beat. His hand rests on my knee now, his fingers lightly brushing the fabric of my jeans, and I’m hyper-aware of the heat radiating from his skin.
We’re flirting, toes over the line of something more, and I can feel myself leaning into him. He’s leaning in too, his lips just inches from mine.