of them sat with their desks opposite each other, and Mia went over the study guide for their next test. Her hormones surged every time she stopped to look at him, but Ben was clueless. She was the reigning queen of poker faces, keeping her feelings on a tight lock-down.
While watching the two of them together, I tapped my chin, wondering why. What did she have to lose?
“These two are hopeless,” Zack sighed. Even he was getting impatient with their stubbornness, and he’d helped far more people fall in love than I had. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. We need to draft a potion.”
I shook my head. “I have an idea.”
Mia left her desk to get a bottle of water from the school’s vending machine. When she returned, I whispered a spell. “Inconcinnus.”
As if I’d stuck out my foot, Mia tripped. Ben reacted immediately. He caught Mia just as she was going down, and she landed hard against his chest. The water bottle fell to the floor, unnoticed.
“Are you okay?” He sounded worried.
She stared up at him with her big, brown eyes. A surge of hormones and desire radiated throughout the room. Both Zack and I watched the two of them, on the edge of our metaphorical seats. Come on, Ben. Don’t blow this opportunity.
Trouble was, he was used to girls chasing him, not the other way around. I wasn’t confident he could pull this off.
At first, he leaned away, but then he stopped himself. I could see it—the moment he recognized that look in Mia’s eyes.
“Go for it, you idiot,” Zack chanted behind him.
“Confidentia,” I whispered, hoping to grant him some courage.
He did it—he moved in close, pressing his lips against Mia’s. Behind him, Zack exploded in cheering. He jumped up and down, clapping his hands together as if he’d never been more thrilled in his life.
I waited a few seconds, gauging Mia’s reaction. When her hands slipped around Ben’s neck, a sigh of relief escaped. Zack rushed me, nearly knocking me down. I hugged him back, happy tears pooling in my eyes.
He laughed. “Ah, don’t go soft on me, Thorne.”
I quickly wiped my eyes, smiling. I couldn’t help it. Winning felt good, and this felt like winning. As small as the moment was, I knew I would be proud of it forever.
Once Zack settled down, he said, “What made you think to do that?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Sometimes, it pays off to be the damsel.”
He, of course, had no idea what I was talking about.
“I knew if she fell, he would be right there to catch her,” I explained. “That’s just the kind of thing guys like to do for their ladies.”
“How did you know Mia would crack?”
“I didn’t.” Their kiss deepened, sending waves of pulsating desire throughout the room. “But I figured if I could get them touching, she wouldn’t be able to hide it any longer—maybe we should give them some privacy.”
Zack grinned. “It’s not like they can take it much further. Bet you the next study session takes place on a living room sofa!”
“You’re on,” I said as I headed toward the portal. “And for the record, I hope it’s a bet you win.”
10
Xander went MIA for the rest of the evening. He never came to the courtyard where we always ate dinner together. Apparently, my own love life was not as easy to manage. Too upset to eat, I gave my plate full of untouched spaghetti and meatballs to Birch.
The worst part was having to walk back to my dorm alone. Since there was no telling when Riley would conjure her next monster, Xander usually tagged along. But tonight, I went solo. The campus grounds were darker than usual, too. Shadows danced across the sidewalk. Leaves bristled against the trees. Even the night winds moaned a distant warning, but I wasn’t afraid. I simply missed Xander’s presence, and the way he held my hand as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
Just as I released a small sigh, I felt it. Familiar, magical tingles touching the back of my neck. I spun around, squinting into the dark spaces along the sidewalk.
“Xander?”
He didn’t answer. My gaze drifted up into the trees and through the spiral topiary bushes. He was nowhere to be found. Nowhere I could find him anyway. He clearly had no intention of revealing himself.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered against the cool night air.
Utter silence.
Fine, let him avoid me. Picking up the skirt of my toga, I carried on my