Wedded Witch (The Cursed Coven of Spells Hollow)

Chapter 9

SWYN

It’s an hour later when there’s a knock on my door. I’ve showered and calmed down a little, but my pulse quickens at the unexpected sound. I wasn’t expecting anyone.

My mind races. Shit. What if it’s my family? What if it’s my husband?

I can’t breathe for a moment, a tight knot forming in my chest. They couldn’t have found me this quickly, could they? Every instinct I have tells me to be cautious, but I can’t just ignore it.

My body moves on autopilot as I quickly check my reflection in the mirror, brushing down my clothes, and flicking my damp hair over my shoulder. Calm. You have to look calm.

With a steadying breath, I stride to the door, pull it open, and—freeze.

My brows shoot up in surprise. It’s not my family. It’s the grumpy motel clerk, standing there with a nervous smile that seems so out of place on his previously tight-lipped face.

“Kel. What are you doing here?” My voice is cool, sharper than I intended, but I don’t care. He was rude to me, mean to the dog. I haven’t forgotten.

“Hi, Vi…I mean, Swyn. Yeah…umm…” he stammers, looking everywhere but at me, his eyes darting around like he’s searching for the right words. My irritation flares again. Is he here to apologise? He better be.

“I was wondering if you wanted to get dinner with me?”

I stare at him. Is this guy serious? For a moment, I can’t even process the words. Did he just ask me out? After how he acted earlier?

“You want to take me out?” I manage to choke out, louder than I planned. “Are you mental?”

I’m almost laughing at the absurdity, but there’s still too much frustration boiling under my skin. Just seeing him again after earlier has me riled up, and the audacity of him standing here – smiling – is just too much.

“Like, no, seriously, is something wrong with you? Some kind of defect? Split personality, maybe?” I can’t stop the words tumbling out. “You were a complete arsehole to me less than an hour ago!”

I cross my arms, bracing for him to defend himself, but he doesn’t. His face tightens, but he says nothing. It’s almost worse that he’s not arguing back. What is his deal?

Finally, he looks at me, really looks at me, and his eyes… soften.

“Swyn, look, I know I messed up earlier, okay? I was an idiot.” His voice drops, quieter now, and it throws me off. Why is he sounding so vulnerable? I want to stay angry, but it’s slipping away.

He steps closer and his cologne – that gorgeous leather scent from last night – washes over me. It’s much nicer than the tobacco scent I caught a whiff of earlier. Maybe he’d just been smoking?

“Just give me a chance. Let me make it up to you. I’ll take you out, show you I’m not always such a jerk. Honestly.”

My eyes narrow as I uncross my arms, fingers twitching. “You think buying me dinner is going to fix the fact that you treated me – and that poor dog – like dirt?”

“No.” He shakes his head quickly, almost desperately. “But I’ll try. Please.”

Please? This from the guy who barely grunted at me earlier? This is weird. His whole demeanour has changed, and I can’t tell if this is some twisted joke or if he’s genuinely trying to make things right. Maybe I just caught him at a bad time…

I sigh, curiosity getting the better of me, even as my brain screams at me to shut the door in his face. “Fine. One chance.”

He exhales sharply, and there’s a flicker of relief in his eyes. He tries to hide it, but I see it. “Great. There’s a diner across the street.”

I blink at him, then laugh, the sound dry and incredulous. “The diner you mentioned yesterday? Wow, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet.”

His mouth quirks up at the corner, and for a second, there’s a flash of something I wasn’t expecting – humour. It’s faint, but there’s something else there too. Regret, maybe? It’s hard to read, but it makes me pause. Why is he suddenly so different?

“There’s not a lot around here, in case you haven’t noticed,” he replies, shrugging.

I glance down the street. He’s right – this place is the definition of a ghost town. “Fine. When do you want to go?”

“We should probably head over before they stop serving.”

“Now?”

“No time like the present.”

I hesitate, but then nod. Thankfully, I’m already dressed in clean clothes after my shower, though part of me wishes I were in my pyjamas, so I could have had an excuse to say no.

“Let me grab my key.”

The door stays open as I turn back inside, grabbing my room key, my purse, and phone. When I return, Kel’s standing there, looking at me with that same hopeful expression. I lock the door and follow him out.

We cross the street in silence. I can’t help but stew in my thoughts. What is going on with him? One minute he’s cold and distant, and now… this.

The diner comes into view, still as quaint and charming as it was when I had breakfast today. The bell jingles as we walk in, and the scent of coffee and fried food wraps around me. It’s oddly comforting.

Kel holds the door open for me, and I raise an eyebrow at him. “Such a gentleman,” I mutter under my breath as I slide into a booth.

He follows, sitting across from me. For a moment, there’s nothing but silence as we both just… stare at each other.

“So,” I start, breaking the tension, “are you going to explain why you were such an arse earlier, or are we just going to pretend that didn’t happen?”

Kel shifts uncomfortably in his seat, eyes flicking down to the table. I can tell he’s debating whether to give me an excuse. “I don’t have a good reason,” he admits quietly. “I… had a rough day, and I took it out on you I guess. That wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”

His honesty throws me off. I blink, not expecting the straightforwardness of his answer. I was ready for some half-assed excuse, but this? This feels…real. Genuine.

“Okay,” I say, my voice softer than I planned. “Fine. But just so we’re clear, you were a complete arsehole and if it happens again, I’m done.”

To my surprise, he smiles. A real smile this time, not the forced one from before, and warmth spreads through me, unexpected but welcome. “Yeah, I was. I love the way you say it though, Vi. Feel free to keep calling me an asshole as much as you want.”

I can’t help it, I smile too. And just like that, the conversation starts to flow. We talk about simple things—work, movies, music. I make a joke about his terrible taste in bands, and he throws it right back at me. I laugh, the tension from earlier slowly melting away.

He’s actually fun to talk to. Who knew?

But then, something catches my eye outside the window. I freeze.

A dog. Is it the same dog from earlier? It’s hard to tell in the dark, but it’s sitting just a few feet away, watching us through the glass. His dark eyes are locked on mine, head tilted as if he’s waiting for something.

My breath catches in my throat. What the…

“I’ll be right back,” I say abruptly, sliding out of the booth without waiting for Kel’s response.

The air outside is cool, but I barely notice it as I approach the dog. He’s still sitting there, his gaze never wavering. There’s something about him, something familiar that tugs at me.

“Hey, boy,” I murmur, crouching down to pet him. His fur is soft, and he leans into my touch, his eyes filled with something that almost feels like understanding.

I glance back at the diner window. Kel’s watching me, a curious expression on his face. Does he realise it’s the same dog from earlier? Wouldn’t he be scowling if he did?

The dog lets out a quiet whine, and my chest tightens.

What is it about you?

“I feel like we’re connected, you and I,” I whisper, scratching behind his ears. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon.”

I give him one last pat before standing up and heading back inside, though I can still feel his eyes on me as I walk away.

When I slide back into the booth, Kel’s brow is furrowed, his eyes searching mine. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say, though I’m not entirely sure. “Just saying hi to the dog.”

He nods, but there’s something behind his eyes that tells me he wants to ask more. Instead, he lets it go. Weird.

We fall back into conversation, but my thoughts keep drifting back to the dog. Even now, I can still feel his gaze on me, as if he’s trying to tell me something. Something important.

But I’m not ready to figure it out yet.

We finish our meal, the plates pushed aside, conversation winding down as the atmosphere between us settles into something warmer, more comfortable than I’d expected.

Still, there’s an underlying tension I can’t quite shake off. He was so different earlier—cold, distant—and now he’s attentive, almost… sweet. It’s confusing, and it’s left me wondering which version of him is the real one.

Kel tosses some cash onto the table to cover the bill and a generous tip, standing up and stretching slightly. I admire the way his dark T-shirt pulls taut across his muscles.

“Ready to head back?” he asks, his voice casual, but there’s an undertone of something else. Did he catch me ogling him? I can’t tell. He’s hard to read, this one.

I nod, grabbing my purse. “Yeah, let’s go.”

He steps toward the door and holds it open for me, the same small, gentlemanly gesture he made earlier that I found surprising. I mumble a soft “Thanks” as I walk past him and out into the cool night air.

The temperature has dropped significantly since we went inside, and I pull my jacket a little tighter around me, feeling the chill.

The motel is right across the street, its neon sign flickering slightly in the dark. Kel walks beside me, his pace slow, almost like he’s not in a hurry for this moment to end. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Part of me is still wary, on guard after the way he treated me earlier, but another part of me—one I’m reluctant to admit—is intrigued.

We cross the quiet street, and for a moment, there’s only the sound of our footsteps against the pavement. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, trying to gauge his mood, but he’s staring straight ahead, lost in thought.

The light from the streetlamps casts soft shadows across his face, and I notice again how different he seems from earlier. There’s something softer about him now, something less guarded.

“You’ve been quiet,” I say, breaking the silence as we approach the motel’s parking lot.

He looks down at me, his expression unreadable. “Just thinking.”

“About what?”

He pauses for a second before answering. “About how I probably don’t deserve another chance, but I’m glad you gave me one anyway.”

His words catch me off guard, and I stop walking for a moment, turning to face him. There’s that vulnerability again, peeking through his tough exterior, and I don’t know how to handle it. It’s like every time I try to stay mad at him, he says something that softens the edges of my anger.

“You were an arse,” I say bluntly, crossing my arms as I study him, but a reluctant smile tugs at my lips and I can’t hide it. “But… maybe you’re not all bad.”

His lips twitch into a faint smile. “Maybe.”

We walk the rest of the way in silence, the lights of the motel growing brighter as we near it. When we reach the door to my room, I fumble with my keys for a second before turning to him. He’s standing there, hands in his pockets, looking unsure of what to do next.

It’s a strange look on him—he had seemed so confident before—but now… now he looks like he’s waiting for some kind of signal from me.

“Thanks for dinner,” I say, trying to fill the awkward silence that’s settled between us.

“Anytime,” he replies, his voice low. He takes a step closer, and for a second, I think he might lean in, might kiss me, but he stops himself. Instead, he reaches out and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear, the touch so gentle it sends a shiver down my spine.

I want more.

My breath catches, and I glance up at him, unsure of what to say or do. The air between us feels heavy, charged with something I’m not quite ready to face.

You’re married, Swyn.

“I should…probably get inside,” I mumble, taking a step back toward the door.

He nods, but his eyes stay on me, watching closely. “Yeah, of course. Goodnight, Vi.”

“Goodnight, Kel.”

I turn away and unlock the door, stepping inside quickly. Before I close it, I glance back at him, standing there in the dim light of the motel parking lot, watching me with that same intensity that makes my heart race for reasons I don’t fully understand.

I close the door softly, leaning against it for a moment as I try to steady my breathing. What just happened? The night started with me being furious at him, and now…now I’m not so sure what I am.

Horny .

Married. You’re still married.

There’s a knock on the door, and I jump, my heart leaping into my throat. I open it again, unsurprised to find Kel standing there, a sheepish grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

“You forgot this,” he says, holding up my phone. I must’ve left it on the table at the diner.

“Oh… thanks.” I reach for it, but the second our fingers brush, it’s like touching a live wire. A jolt shoots straight through me, igniting something deep inside.

I hesitate, my pulse quickening as the air thickens between us. His gaze locks with mine, and in that instant, everything shifts. The world narrows down to just him—his steady breathing, the heat radiating off him, and the magnetic pull drawing us closer.

I don’t think, I just move, leaning into that spark. My breath catches in my throat as his lips hover over mine, teasing me with the slightest brush—a promise wrapped in a dare.

The kiss is like a spark catching fire, and in that first second, it’s soft, almost questioning.

Then it deepens, explodes.

I gasp against him, heat blazing between us like wildfire. His hands find my waist, pulling me closer, and my entire body hums in response. I can taste the storm brewing in him—the raw, unspoken hunger that sets my skin alight.

Everything else falls away—the motel, the room, the entire world—until it’s just the two of us caught in the current of this kiss.

I lean into him, giving as much as I’m taking, my hands sliding up to tangle in his hair. The kiss grows more desperate, more hungry, like we’ve been waiting for this moment forever.

Every nerve in my body is on high alert, buzzing with the thrill of it.

When we finally break apart, I’m breathless, my lips tingling, my heart slamming against my chest.

Kel exhales sharply, his forehead resting against mine. “Wow,” he whispers, his voice low and rough.

I can barely find my voice. “Yeah… wow.”

For a beat, we just stand there, the air crackling between us, both of us trying to process what just happened.

“Sleep well, Swyn,” he says, stepping back with a lingering smile, like he’s just as shaken by the kiss as I am.

“You too,” I manage, closing the door, my hand trembling slightly as I lock it behind me.

The phone is still clutched in my hand, but I can’t focus on it. My mind is spinning, my body still tingling with the aftershocks of that kiss. I should be angry with him, frustrated. Instead, I’m...completely undone.

And maybe – just maybe – burning for more.