Witching You Weren’t Snowed In (Witching You #2)

Chapter 14

Sage

The window felt cold against my back, but the rest of me was on fire. Leo pressed his body into my hips, keeping me still as his mouth slanted over mine. Again and again. As if I’d run away from this.

His fingers threaded through my hair, tugging gently, fisting the strands as if that alone could release some of the smoldering tension. I sucked in a breath as his lips moved, trailing down my neck, creating a deliberate path of sensation I felt everywhere. This wasn’t what I’d imagined when I decided to kiss him, caught in the moment, hearing what we’d accomplished together.

I thought it might be sweet. Even satisfying after so many years of wanting him. This was so much more.

It felt like something inside of me clicking into place for the first time in my life. A puzzle piece that had fallen on the floor, and I’d searched for it, certain I’d never be complete. That it was gone forever. Until now .

I was terrified, utterly, and totally that this moment might not be real, and all the pieces would scatter to the wind.

But he made me believe. He’d been putting my heart back together ever since I arrived home.

His mouth found mine again, almost blistering, and then something happened. A rough sound rumbled in his throat and he bit back a curse. His fingers loosened, and cold air rushed into the space he allowed between our bodies.

I blinked, scrambling to figure out what I’d done; my throat too tight to ask. Leo pressed his forehead against mine. Air rushed out of his lungs and he grit his teeth.

“Sage, I can’t do this.”

The words made me freeze. My entire body turned to ice, but my mind reeled. No. This isn’t happening. Not again.

“I’m sorry,” he choked. “This isn’t right. I never should have—”

My hands shoved against his chest, forcing him back, but not far enough. I searched his eyes, the edges of my vision blurring with tears at the pained look reflecting at me.

“Why?” I asked, silently begging him to explain. If there was a reason, I could make sense of this. He had to feel something for me. You don’t kiss your enemies like that. Or maybe you do. What did I know? Maybe that was what made people enemies—experiencing a kiss that life-changing, knowing you’ll never capture it again.

He refused to look at me. His agonized silence filled the room, a mockery of the peaceful stillness outside. The stunning mountain, and this moment I thought was our second chance.

I had to go. I couldn’t stay here. Whatever explanation he had, he wasn’t giving it. My legs were numb as I searched for my jacket, then blindly put it on. The zipper snagged in the teeth, refusing to budge. I jerked my arm to make it work, a sob burning in my chest.

“Let me help you.”

“No.” I dropped the zipper and snatched my gloves. “Getting close to you again was a mistake.”

Leo reached for me, his voice breaking. “Don't say that. Please, Bennett. Just don't say that.”

I backed toward the door. “You have the money for the rink now. You got what you wanted.”

“That’s not what this is about.” His hands scrubbed through his hair, and he squeezed his eyes shut before trying to answer. “I know you don’t understand, but I never wanted to hurt you. Ever.”

A harsh laugh escaped the rawness of my throat. “I can’t believe I fell for this again. We’re done, Leo. For good, this time. Our deal is over. Tell people whatever you want about me. And best of luck with the resort. I'm sure it will be a huge success. Now that you're the golden boy again.”

My boots sank into the deep snow as I bolted back to the lift. I was such a fool, thinking things were different. That maybe I’d been wrong about before. A strange part of me had believed there was more to our past, and if I figured out what it was, it would fix everything .

The sky had grown overcast and giant flakes fell as I ran away from Leo for the second time in my life.

Let it snow. Because I wasn’t going back.

***

“This might be the snowiest Christmas on record,” my mother said as she arranged a pine garland twisted with fairy lights around the linen-draped banquet table.

I didn’t need to look outside to know she was right. It had been a week since I left Leo standing by the overlook, and the storms were coming one after another. Some were quick squalls of angry flakes, others were gentle, almost dreamlike. No matter what I did. No matter how many times I tried to relax—or attempted to numb the pain for a night with spiked eggnog—the snow kept coming.

“I hope the weather doesn’t keep people away from our event.” My mother opened a container of finger sandwiches and placed each one on a metal-tiered display. “It’s wonderful the rink project is funded, but your father is so excited to show off his latest recipe. We’re thinking about adding some new items to the tea menu.”

I stole a finger sandwich from the box and pressed the spongy bread lightly between my fingers before taking a bite. Since we’d raised enough money for the rink project, thanks to the help from an anonymous donor, the money raised from tonight’s party would go to a local charity. With only three days until Christmas, the turnout was expected to be huge as the town gathered to celebrate the holiday.

The lodge’s great room had been transformed into a festive winter wonderland with crystal ornaments hanging from the exposed beams and white vintage lantern centerpieces casting a warm glow over the tables. Extra staff put the final touch on the decorations, lighting pillar candles, and preparing for the guests to arrive. There was no sign of Leo.

We hadn’t spoken since that day on the mountain. It was what I wanted, but I couldn’t stop the hopeful part of me that jumped every time my phone jingled with a text. I might be on a forced sabbatical, but if this were one of my cases, I would be in the trenches, working like mad to bring my couple back together. But magical agents weren’t working behind the scenes for me, and as we inched closer to Christmas, the thought of a miracle made me want to sink my phone into a holiday Jell-O mold and sleep till New Year’s.

Fifteen more minutes, and I would make my escape, vanishing into the arriving crowd like a magician in a puff of smoke. Valerie had taken over the main hosting duties, and I was merely a part of the setup crew. Back home, there was a bag of popcorn and the scary version of A Christmas Carol with my name on it. No more holiday rom-coms for me. They weren’t hitting the same.

“All right, everyone, it's almost time to get this party started!” Valerie walked into the room wearing a long, black dress and giant snowflake earrings that sparkled with each step. She’d replaced her trusty radio with an earpiece, and she pressed her finger to the device, speaking softly. I didn’t need to guess who was on the other end of that mic.

Make that ten minutes until departure.

“Sage, You’re here!” Valerie flashed a thumbs up to a tray of appetizers and nodded her approval at the centerpieces before she joined me by the banquet tables. “And you look amazing. I love your dress.”

I smoothed my palms down the strapless, red velvet cocktail dress that skimmed the middle of my thighs and fit like a second skin over my body. I’d learned my lesson on Thanksgiving when I showed up at the lodge in old sweatpants, not expecting to run into Leo. I might only have a few minutes left, but I was going to look hot the whole time.

No more Old Sage. New Sage planned to resurrect the epic power move from its watery grave and strut past Leo like he was invisible. Assuming he showed up before the clock ran out.

“I can't stay. I have plans. But everything looks perfect. You did a great job.”

Valerie blushed and waved away the compliment. “I followed your notes. I'm a huge fan—” She coughed lightly into her fist. “I mean, I'm a huge fan of your ideas.”

“Thanks. I'm glad we could work together. You make a great accomplice. Let's stay in touch after I head back to the city.”

“I would love that!” Valerie beamed as she pressed her fingers to her earpiece again. She listened intently, then sighed. “Sorry, I have to go. Your dad needs me in the kitchen. There 's a beef Wellington emergency. Whatever that means. But let’s get drinks before you leave town.”

“Count me in.” I gave her a quick hug before she hurried toward the back of the house.

Guests had arrived, filling the room with lively conversation and laughter. Soft jazz played in the background, and the scent of cinnamon mingling with vanilla, and the sweetness of freshly baked cookies floated in the air. I made a final pass of the room, greeting people and sharing plans for the holiday, before ending my tour next to the ten-foot Christmas tree.

A bittersweet ache tightened like a ribbon around my heart. This event was a success, and the town had accepted Leo as one of their own. But the funny thing was, they had also accepted me.

I’d become so wrapped up trying to meet everyone’s expectations, and hiding the fact I wasn’t Agent of the Year, I never noticed when people stopped caring. That sounded harsh, but it was profound. The excitement had lasted a week or two, then faded as it should, in the face of other meaningful moments.

I shouldn’t have let it hold so much power. Winning an award would have been an accolade to put on my resume. A hunk of glass to collect dust on a shelf. It didn’t define me, and it didn’t determine whether I was worthy. Only the way I felt about myself did.

Maybe coming home was about finally letting go of the past and my need to prove myself. Because at the end of the day, I was the only one keeping score .

Too bad my brilliant breakthrough wasn’t enough to stop the snow. It still fell, without end, outside the giant picture windows.

I think my curse had glitched, or I was trapped in an evil elf’s snow globe. If learning to accept myself wasn’t the final answer, then this was one screwed-up game, with no cheat codes, and a brutal boss level.

Good thing there were only two minutes left and still no sign of Leo. Three ghosts of Christmas, here I come. I’ll bring the popcorn, you bring the spooky epiphanies. Maybe I’d figure out the snow curse through film osmosis.

“That's some dress.” The smooth sound of Leo's voice made me jolt. My gaze darted around the room, but I didn't see him. Taking a step forward, I leaned around the Christmas tree and found him holding up the wall.

He wore a dark suit and an even darker expression as his eyes roamed over me.

“Have you been there the whole time? What are you doing hiding behind the Christmas tree?”

“I was watching you. I didn't think you'd come.”

I rounded the tree to face him and injected an unhealthy amount of sarcasm in my tone. “I like to finish what I started. I don't discard people just because I achieve my agenda.”

One more minute, then I’d walk.

“You think you know everything about me,” he muttered. “The truth would shock you.”

He pushed away from the wall, stalking closer until he towered over me, and I had to tilt my head to hold his gaze .

“Are you wearing that dress to drive me crazy?” His fingers slid across my hip, thumb caressing the soft velvet. “Because it's working.”

A rush of heat joined the venom in my veins. “Good. I’d hate to think you weren’t attracted to me, that you kiss every girl you bring up to your private overlook.”

His hand flexed, tensing around my waist. I'd hit a nerve.

My time was up. But I didn't move. Every second that ticked by made the party around us grow hazier. The music faded—or maybe it screeched to a halt like a scratched record. I couldn’t hear anything over the hammering in my chest.

“Hey, Sage! Leo!” The sound of our names startled me out of my trance. Mrs. Avery stood near one of the banquet tables, pointing to a spot above our heads. “Look. The two of you are under the mistletoe.” She gestured to Leo with an encouraging smile. “Go ahead, kiss her.”

Looking up, I spotted the infernal plant hanging from the top of the window. I would have laughed at the irony if Leo's interest hadn't dropped to my mouth and lingered there. His hand still claimed my hip, and with the barest tug, I fell against him, his suit jacket brushing against my collarbone.

The air lodged in my throat. I cursed myself for wanting to go through with it, telling my love-starved brain the bliss would outweigh the heartbreak. Just one more kiss.

People had stopped to watch, waiting until Leo made his move. But as indecision flipped to a risky resolution in his gaze, I knew I couldn’t go through with it .

I sliced a finger through the air, casting a bolt of magic, and held out my palm. The mistletoe snapped from its string and fell into my hand. With a hardened smile, I stuffed it into his jacket pocket and spun on my heel.

Leo's fingers wrapped around my wrist, stopping me from running away. I still had my back to him as he leaned over me, his mouth skimming my ear.

“Well played.” His voice dropped low, becoming thick. “Merry Christmas, Bennett.”

Leo’s touch fell away. I drew in an aching breath, feeling the weight of other people’s stares. That was about as close to an epic power move as I could have hoped for, and when I looked over my shoulder, Leo was gone.

I stayed a few minutes more, putting on a brave face, then slipped out into the night. The snow fell softly and the icy air was invigorating. I indulged in it, letting it cool my head. On paper, my mistletoe rejection was a success, but it left me feeling unsteady. Leo's raw sincerity as he wished me Merry Christmas rattled the glass shards in my heart.

Huddling inside my jacket, I waited for my ride, and then asked the driver to drop me off a few blocks from home. I needed to walk. My emotions were too fresh to settle in for a movie.

My heels clicked over the cobblestone; the sound echoing through the quiet street. I passed shops and homes closed and dark for the night; their lit Christmas decorations were a fake sign of life .

I found myself lost on the streets where I’d spent half of my life. The familiar surroundings appeared warped as if I were viewing things through a carnival mirror. I didn't know what to do or what I wanted next. Thanks to my weather curse, I felt snowed in, stuck somewhere between the life I’d worked toward, and the one I had secretly wished to resume. Now neither seemed available to me.

The glow from a colorful fluorescent light caught my attention, and I paused on the sidewalk, not recognizing the shop. Peering through the frost-covered window, I spotted a woman sitting alone at a table. She shuffled a deck of cards, then dealt them one at a time in a tarot reading.

My hand hovered over the doorknob as I debated if my life was really such a disaster that I needed to visit another fortune teller. Delia would be proud. She'd also never let me live it down. But she wasn't here, and I'd run through all my options. Time to consider a dose of mystical wisdom before we were all buried in ice and snow like woolly mammoths in the last Ice Age.

I pushed open the shop door and walked through a silken curtain. The woman collected her cards and gestured to the empty chair at the table like she’d predicted my arrival. She extended her hand after I sat, rings clinking together as we shook.

“My name is Marcy. Welcome to my shop. What brings you here tonight?”

“Guidance?” I said, elongating the word and framing it as a question instead of a request .

Marcy smiled faintly and fanned the deck into an arch. “Pick a card.”

I studied them carefully, trying to determine which one would give me the best reading. The last thing I needed to do was draw The Death card. With my luck, the reading would say: The unlucky witch traveled home on a forced vacation to stop her weather curse. She learned to accept herself. And then, she died.

“That one.” I tapped a card in the middle and slid it out of the spread.

Marcy flipped it over and studied the card. Candles flickered, casting shadows over her face. Her brow creased, and foreboding trickled through my senses. Was there a card worse than death?

“This is The Moon card. It’s the card of secrets, illusions, and emotions buried beneath the surface. You'll need to trust your instincts even though everything you've seen before makes you question the truth.”

Marcy gripped my hand and her lips parted as a tremor of something undefinable passed between us. “A storm is coming, and you can’t run from it.”

Her words sent an icy chill down my back. It was the same thing Delia’s fortune teller said before the agency party.

I exhaled a shaky laugh. “Have you looked outside lately? The storm’s already here.”

Marcy squeezed my fingers, then let go, and swept the cards back into a full deck. “The snow doesn’t mean you harm. It’s trying to lead. What you do with the revelations when you get there is up to you.”