Chapter 6: Wayward

*Jessica*

Felix and I ended up pulling an all-nighter in his lab, but it had been worth it. I’d found something, or at least found enough of something that I could work with.

I would have spent the rest of the day, or as long as I needed to in the lad to work on it if I could, but Felix and I both had classes, and despite what I’d said last night, I knew I could only stay in a lad that wasn’t mine unsupervised for so long.

Fortunately, books were mobile, and the ones I’d found that would be the most helpful to my project were small enough to easily carry with what I needed for my classes.

And there I was, walking through the campus hallways with six spell books packed in my bag. My class wasn’t until late morning, and my plan was to kill time in the library with these books.

As I walked, I could see my fellow students and the social structure they had created for themselves. The sports teams and cheerleaders at the very top where Robin and Linc lived. Below them were the popular ones, well connected, but not always immediately recognizable. Below them we had the average student, the goths, the nerds, and any other social click between them.

And then there was me. One of the quiet loners. The girl who always had her bangs on her face and a hoodie that was two sizes too big for her. A person no one would pay serious attention to.

I was fine with that, though.

The less attention that was directed at me, the less tempted I would be to show off who I was and what I could do. That kind of positive attention would inevitably turn into bad attention.

Besides there was only one person in this building whose attention I was really interested in.

Then, like some kind of cosmic joke, that person was right in front of me.

Just as I rounded the final corner before the library, Robin was right there, and I walked straight into him. My bag slipped out of my grip and fell to the floor and two books, including a spell book, fell out.

“Robin!?” I asked, hating myself for how panicked my voice sounded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t- “

“It’s fine,” Robin cut in gently. “I’m the one who wasn’t looking.”

To my surprise, Robin knelt and gathered my dropped bag and my books. To my greater surprise, he had a smile on his face as he rose to his feet. Not the kind he had at the end of his recent football game, but something small and sweet. Something that made butterflies appear in my stomach.

“Thank you,” I said softly as I took my things back. My fingers brushed against his as I did, and a few more butterflies fluttered in my tummy.

“No problem,” Robin assured me. His handsome face was still pulled in a smile, but now it had an adorable, speculative quality to it. “It’s Jessica, isn’t it?” he asked me.

My jaw went slack and my mouth nearly fell open, but I managed to catch it in time. He knew my name? “I-it is,” I replied as I forced myself to remain calm and casual sounding.

Robin’s smile grew. “I’ve been seeing you around for a while,” he continued. “Like at the football game the other day. It, uh, it looked like there was a bit of a miscommunication between us.”

I felt my face burn. Of course, he would have noticed. “I …” I began, not really knowing what I was going to say.

“How about I make it up to you?” Robin suggested.

I was taken aback. “Pardon?” I asked, not knowing if I’d heard him right.

“There’s a bar just off campus, The Rumbler,” Robin explained. “How about I buy you a drink? Does 8 o’clock tonight work?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but I couldn’t make any sound on my first try. I didn’t have anything close to a love spell ready, but Robin was already asking me out. How. And why? Had Felix somehow gone ahead and done something. Or had Linc?

Mentally, I shook my head and pushed those questions away. They didn’t matter.

What mattered was that the man of my dreams was the one to approach me to ask me out.

I smiled; a smile I hoped Robin would find just as beautiful as I found his. “I’d love to, Robin,” I told him.

Now Robin’s smile grew into one that reached his eyes to fill them with a beautiful warmth and light. And for a wonderful few seconds, I got to bask in the knowledge that this smile was for me and only me.

“I’ll see you there, Jessica,” Robin told me.

He moved as if to walk away when he seemed to reconsider. Reaching out, Robin’s fingertips brushed against my cheek, their touch leaving a different kind of burn as he moved my hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear.

Robin smiled at me, a different kind of smile, but one just as beautiful on him. “You really are beautiful, Jessica,” he told me. “You shouldn’t have to hide that.”

I wanted to say something. I should have said something. But my mind was reeling from his smile, his touch, and his praise. By the time I could form words again, Robin had already passed me and was walking away.

I turned to look down the hallway after him. How was this possible. Robin was human, I was a witch. I could turn him into a toad if I wanted to, and yet, somehow, he was the one who had me in his power.

Not that I minded though.

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I paused outside the door of The Rumbler and took a final inventory of my appearance.

Running shoes, baggy jeans, and hoodie had been exchanged for black stilettos, designer skinny jeans, and a black, off-the-shoulders top. I’d been more generous with my makeup tonight, my lips a bright bubblegum pink. My hair was tied in a low ponytail so there wouldn’t be anything to obscure Robin’s view of the face he’d thought was so beautiful.

Happy with my final check, I stepped through the door and instantly spotted Robin.

And instantly froze in my steps.

Robin was sitting at the bar with his back to me. Seated with him was another girl wearing a little red dress, and even as I watched, Robin reached out to brush her cheek. Exactly like he had done to me this morning.

I felt that icy hand around my heart again, and I felt it crush a little more of my life.

Thankfully Robin hadn’t noticed me, and I slipped out the door just as quickly and quietly as I had come in and walked away.

I didn’t get very far before I had to stop to breathe. Breathe and get my nerves under control.

Linc had told me Robin would get to me eventually, and she had warned me that I wouldn’t really mean anything to him. But I promised myself it would be fine. It needed to be.

Robin’s heart was lost. Had he spent so much time searching for the right person that he’d given up hope? Was that why he hadn’t noticed me, and then drifted to another even when he had?

He needed my help. For his own sake, I would take Robin’s heart for myself. For his own good, I would.