She swallowed, and I could tell my words made her uncomfortable.
“Only if you want to,” I said quickly.
“I do need to get out of my comfort zone.” She chewed at her lip for a moment, then gave a firm nod. “You know, we could do it together.”
“Do what together?” My eyes shifted back and forth.
“Get out of our comfort zones.” She tipped her head toward Riven, who was now standing on the bar top, feet tapping as the tavern cheered. “You can’t know if you two have a chance unless you try,” she said.
My stomach twisted. I supposed I needed to follow my own advice. If Layla could be brave and put herself out there, then maybe I could too.
Chapter Twelve
RIVEN
The tavern erupted in cheers as I played my final song of the night.
“Alright, now get out!” Draven yelled to everyone as he wiped down the counter.
The tavern began emptying, my lute case brimming with gold coins.
I waited until the last patron left, then approached the bar. “You really know how to make your patrons feel special.” I took a seat on one of the stools.
He paused, lifting a brow. “When I said ‘get out,’ that included you. We stayed open far later than I wanted to thanks to encore after encore from you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, reaching over the bar and grabbing an empty tankard, then clinking it down.
Draven sighed. “Fine.” He pointed his wand at the barrel behind him, then said a spell. The ale lifted in a perfect ball that floated over my tankard and dropped into it with a splat. The amber liquid sloshed out out the side, down onto the bar top Draven had just cleaned.
He whipped the rag over his shoulder. “You’re cleaning that.”
“Why don’t you just spell your rag to do it?” I asked, thinking of allthe clever cleaning spells Emma used at Steeped in Love. “Save yourself the trouble.”
He certainly had enough money to buy any spelled object he wished to.
Draven grunted, which I assumed was as much of an answer as I would get. Some magicks thought spells had gone too far these days, magic doing everyday tasks that they believed they could do themselves. It was more of the older magicks against all these newfound spells. Many of them argued it was leading to laziness and complacency in our society.
It felt like everyday I passed merchants on the road with new spelled items that could do amazing things: brooms that could sweep for you, rags that could clean every surface, firewood that would always burn. But there were downsides. I once saw a broom that wouldn’t stop smacking its owner. He ended up having to chop it into pieces, and even then, the pieces chased after the poor guy. In the end, he burned the broom, and that finally put the magic to rest.
“Why are you here with me instead of with Emma?” Draven asked. “Isn’t she your girlfriend now?”
My shoulders slumped at the mention of Emma. “And here I was thinking you weren’t a gossip.”
“I’m not.” Draven shot me a glare. “It’s not my fault every person in this damned town is talking about the famous Riven Shiu finally being tied down.”
After that amazing kiss last night, I wanted to see Emma again, but I needed a day to think about what I would say.
That kiss, her soft, curvy body under mine as I pinned her to the table... my cock had ached all day just thinking about it. I’d spent last night after that kiss in my room at the inn, pumping myself while imagining all the things I’d wanted to do to her on that table. Then I’d finished and came up with about a million reasons why none of those things could ever happen.
“You stay past closing, make me pour you ale, and now you’re not even drinking it.” Draven leaned his elbows on the bar top. “Are you trying to get me to ask you what’s wrong?”
I rubbed my jaw.
“Fine.” He rolled his eyes. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I kissed Emma yesterday,” I said.
“So? Isn’t she your girlfriend?”
