His smile faded, replaced by…sympathy? Is that what was in his eyes? “Jenna, are you still that afraid of being hurt?”
His words went deep. “Maybe I am. But can you blame me? Your words, actions, and feelings are spell-driven right now. So are mine. That’s no way to lay the groundwork for any kind of relationship. Not when the instant it goes away, we could be left with…nothing.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
She turned away from him, but there was no way to escape him while sitting in the booth. “Titus, I have come to like you, but—”
“You think you might not when the spell is dissolved? I’m still going to be the guy I am right now. That’s not going to change.”
He was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower, softer, and filled with the kind of earnest emotion that tugged at her heart. “Things have been good between us. I thought something was genuinely developing. I didn’t realize you were just pretending.”
She closed her eyes as she put her head into her hands and rubbed her temples. “I’m not pretending. I’m as much a victim of the spell as you are. Can we just have some dinner and let this go? Seeing Ingvar has brought up some memories.” Memories of Eric and how shattered he’d left her. Made it hard for her to want to have much to do with love right now.
When Titus didn’t respond, she looked up.
He was gone.
Her stomach felt fine, so he hadn’t put much distance between them. She just couldn’t see him. She jumped up and scanned the restaurant.
Behind the bar, Bridget waved to catch Jenna’s attention. Once she had it, she pointed toward the street.
Jenna dropped some money on the table for the server’s time and headed out.
Titus was leaning by the door, looking for all the world like an immovable statue. A very handsome one. A very kissable one.
She stood next to him, shoulders squared, unwilling to back down. “I know you’re mad.”
“I’m not mad. I’m confused. And fed up.”
“I’m sorry. I’m confused and fed up too. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. But I don’t think it’s fair for us to get too deeply involved when it’s all going to go away when that spell is removed.” He wasn’t Eric. She knew that. And yet, memories of him had renewed her reluctance to get involved.
He finally turned his head to look at her. “Why would feelings that have already developed suddenly go away? You’re borrowing pain. I’d much rather borrow joy.”
She frowned at him.
He straightened. “What’s the worst that could happen if you took a chance on us?”
“I’d get hurt. Again.”
“And what’s the best that could happen?”
She knew what he was getting at. “My life would change.”
He smiled. “For the better, right?”
She nodded reluctantly. It was such a hard thing to imagine.
“So why not take a chance, valkyrie? Especially when the outcome could be more rewarding than anything you’ve ever done before?”
Titus studied Jenna’s beautiful face as she grappled with how to answer his question. He already knew the truth, but there was no way she’d admit it to him. She probably wouldn’t even admit it to herself.
She exhaled. “I’m scared.”
A feather could have knocked him over. The words he’d never imagined she’d say had just come out of her mouth. “Hey, it scares me too. The very idea of getting back into a relationship that could tear me apart again…”
He blew out a breath, then laughed. The sound was shaky. “It’s hard to willingly put yourself in a place that could end up bringing you pain. Especially when you’re like us. Used to winning and being on top. We’re not the kind of people who lie down and let the world walk over us.”
“No, we’re not.” She watched a couple of kids in Halloween costumes skip by with their parents. “But it’s not just getting hurt. It’s…” She seemed to be searching for the right words. “If things go badly between us, yes, I’d lose you as a friend.”
She thought of him as a friend. If that wasn’t progress, he didn’t know what was. “There’s every chance that won’t happen. Especially if we don’t want it to.”
She frowned and looked up through her eyelashes at him. “Titus, be real. Have you ever stayed friends with an ex? Especially one who broke your heart?”
He hadn’t talked to Zoe since the day she’d left Georgia. “Point taken.”
“And it’s not like we could avoid each other all that well. This is a small town, and we’re both first responders. We’re at the same events a lot. We show up at the same calls.” She gestured toward Howler’s. “We eat at the same places. For crying out loud, I work for your brother and see your aunt on a daily basis.”
“All true.” He stepped a little closer. Her blue eyes were lit up like diamonds. She was so perfectly beautiful it made his heart hurt. “So there’s risk involved. I’ll give you that. What good thing in life doesn’t involve some risk? But how about this: What if it’s all worth it?”
She stared at him, her internal struggle visible in her gaze. “I know,” she said quietly. “Then all of my fears were pointless and I kept myself from having something good.”
He took her hands in his. “Focus on the reward. The reward is huge. I mean, you get me.”
She laughed, which was exactly the response he’d hoped for. “You’re so full of yourself, Merrow. It’s one of the things I love about you.”
The words she’d just spoken seemed to
