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“IT’S SO WONDERFUL YOU could make it today, even though Iris couldn’t,” Mary Rossler said to her oldest son, William.
“We’re separate people, even though we’re engaged,” William reminded his mother and smiled at her.
“Of course, of course,” Mary said while counting down the plates on the table. She had already done so three times.
“So, what’s so special about today’s dinner?” William—or rather Liam—leaned against the kitchen counter, observing his mother.
She was often fussing around and making sure everyone was okay. But this time she was being extremely precise. The food had to be perfect, and the table had to be shining.
“Henry’s coming over, too.” Mary glanced at Liam in the middle of her preparations, and he saw the wide grin on her face. “He said he’s bringing a special guest with him.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “He finally found himself a girlfriend?”
“What else could a ‘special guest’ mean?”
“I have no idea what it means, Mum.”
“Exactly. It has to be a new girlfriend.” She paused briefly, turning to face Liam. “He hasn’t told you anything?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Maybe he went to the States with her,” Mary wondered out loud, giving the plates a few more polishing touches.
“So, a romantic holiday in the States to test the relationship?” Liam smiled, humoured by the idea.
“Does it sound that absurd?”
Henry had never brought a girl home. It was going to be new for everyone.
“Guess not.”
Knocking interrupted their conversation.
“Oh, my!” Mary squealed. She took a quick look around the room and turned to Liam. “Can you fill the glasses, please, dear?”
“Of course, Mum.” He smiled, watching his mother glance around the house as if the Queen was coming for dinner.
Mrs Rossler rushed to the door, but not before checking herself in a mirror.
Liam shook his head and grabbed his wand. He flicked it in the air, energy flowing from within him all the way to the tip of the wand, and the glasses started filling with water.
“I can’t believe it!” Mary’s voice was a mix of shock and excitement as it rang through the house. It was followed by laughter.
Liam picked out his brother’s laugh. But the other one was feminine. Girlfriend, he thought.
“It’s been so long!” his mother said.
He froze. His mother knew Henry’s girlfriend.
He turned around. The trio was standing just barely in his line of sight, still in the hallway.
And his jaw dropped. Henry had brought her.
The girl—or rather, young woman—wasn’t Henry’s girlfriend. Or so Liam hoped.
It was Ciara. Ciara Jareau, his ex-girlfriend.
Her hair was still brown, just longer and darker. Her build was slimmer, too. But she still looked like Ciara.
The same girl Liam had been in love with once.
“Why is it flooding in here?” Poppy asked her oldest brother, coming in through the back door.
Liam’s eyes widened, settling on the flooded table. Water was running out of the glasses, pouring down all the way to the floor.
Poppy tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at her brother. “What distracted y—”
“Bloody hell! Ciara!” Polly—Poppy’s twin—screamed with excitement. Loud stomping followed the scream as Polly rushed down the last few stairs.
Poppy’s eyebrows rose, hearing Ciara’s name. She turned to her brother Liam with a knowing look.
“Not a word,” he hissed and hurried to make the extra water disappear using a spell. He flicked his wand, and the water vanished, leaving the surfaces dry.
“Polly!” It was her voice. Even after years Liam would have recognised it anywhere.
He turned back to see his brother and Ciara. Polly was hugging Ciara, and Poppy was waiting for her turn, which she soon got.
“What is all this noise?” Ray—Mr Rossler, or Raymond—walked down the stairs.
“Hello, Mr Rossler,” Ciara greeted the man. They shook hands.
Mr Rossler smiled at her. “Blimey! It’s been a while!”
Ciara smiled back at him. “I’ve been a little busy with work. But I have six months off now.”
“Suspended for nearly getting herself killed.” Words slipped from Henry’s mouth like he was a little boy giving away his sibling’s mischiefs.
“Killed?” Mrs Rossler shrieked.
“Henry is making it sound more serious than it is,” Ciara said, giving her best friend a long and hard look.
Ciara’s words brought no comfort to Mary who was mortified. Her eyes were wide, and her hands covered her mouth. But Henry calmed her down.
Ciara’s eyes scanned the room, taking in the familiar shade of green on the walls. The stairs had stayed the same—white lacquered wood. The scent of food coming from the kitchen must have been like stepping into a memory for her.
Her eyes settled on Liam while she was taking in her surroundings. He was standing a little further away, leaning against the wall near the kitchen doorway.
Ciara smiled at him. “Hi, Liam.”
It was the first time they had talked since their break-up.
“Hi,” Liam said with a matching smile.
“Alright then!” Mrs Rossler clapped her hands, deciding not to give room for an awkward silence. “The dinner is ready.”
Mr Rossler called for Gabriel who was still upstairs. The others walked into the kitchen and sat down.
Henry grinned. “I am dying to get some of Mum’s food!”
“I told you diner food isn’t that good,” Ciara said.
“Diner food?” Mrs Rossler asked. She set the food onto the table, flicking her wand in the air. The food floated from the kitchen counter to the table.
It was all made without magic. Food spells were beyond tough. But it wasn’t because of that, because Mrs Rossler knew how to make food—with or without magic. She had just wanted to go through the effort of making it from scratch.
Ciara turned to face Henry. “You didn’t tell them?”
Henry grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t tell them I was going to see you. I said I was going to the States.”
“What?” Mrs Rossler gaped. “I thought you were on a holiday trip!”
“As an adult, I’m allowed to do what I want without sharing all the details,” Henry reminded his mother. “But yes. I went to see Ciara and now we’re here.” He leaned closer to Ciara with his head and then straightened back up.
The little gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Liam. Ciara and his brother had once been best friends. Or was it more? Had it always been more?
Everyone started filling their plates with food. Meanwhile, Gabriel showed up. Ciara stood up from the table to hug him, too, and then they both sat down.
Everyone settled at the table once their plates were filled.
“How has America been, then?” Mr Rossler asked Ciara.
“Well, I wouldn’t be the best tour guide, to be honest. I’ve been extremely busy with work.”
“What do you do?” Gabriel asked.
Ciara smiled at the teenager growing up to be a young man. “I’m a hit witch. But I do whatever my boss tells me to do.”
Gabriel’s eyes widened, and his mouth twisted into a grin. “Wicked!”
Mrs Rossler had a different reaction. She frowned, eyeing Ciara worriedly. “Isn’t that a little dangerous?”
“A little?” Gabriel looked at his mother in disbelief, shaking his head. “It’s super dangerous.”
“Exactly,” Ciara said. “So, pick a better career path, Gabe.”
“Listen to what she says. Those are some wise words,” Mrs Rossler said, nodding.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever.”
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Ciara said, turning to look at Liam who sat on her left. “Congratulations on your engagement. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the celebration.”
Liam smiled at her. “Um, thank you. It’s, uh, alright.”
He was good with words, but seeing her after so many years made him talk like a teenage boy on his first date. It was silly. It was just Ciara.
But to be honest, he hadn’t expected to see her.
Luckily for him, Ciara didn’t mind if he was clumsy with his words. She just smiled. “Good.”
“So, how long are you in England for?” Mrs Rossler asked Ciara.
Ciara smiled. “To be honest. I don’t know. Anything from a week to six months, I suppose.”
“What about your flat in the States?” Mrs Rossler had always been the type to worry, and she had once been like a second mother for Ciara.
“I was renting it, so right now I don’t actually have a flat,” Ciara said.
“She’s staying with me.” Henry flashed a smile and glanced at Ciara. “For however long she’ll be here for.”
Liam tried not to read too much into it. Henry and Ciara had been best friends forever. But something seemed out of place. Liam hadn’t even been aware the two were talking.
All he had known was that Ciara was alive and living in North America, thanks to a spy he had hired to find out her whereabouts—and to know whether she was even alive. It had been after she hadn’t replied to the engagement party invitation.
***
LIAM STARED OUT OF the window, sitting at his desk and drawing in his sketchbook.
Henry and Ciara were outside, sitting side by side in the grass. Talking. Here and there, Henry said something to make Ciara giggle.
Liam couldn’t focus on drawing. The pair was driving him insane with their stupid jokes.
At first, he felt silly for thinking that way. They were best friends.
But it hurt to be left out. Both by his girlfriend and his brother.
***
CIARA SAT DOWN BESIDE Liam on his bed. “You’re being oddly quiet.”
“So what?” He pretended to be reading the book in his hands to ignore his girlfriend.
“You’re not in England that often. Can you please put the book away so I can hang out with my boyfriend?” Ciara asked and smiled at him.
But Liam remained silent.
Ciara, not understanding something was wrong, got an idea. She snatched the book from her boyfriend’s hands and stood up from the bed, holding it up.
“What is wrong with you?” Liam snapped at her. The mischievous grin on her face turned into a frown.
“Liam, I—”
“Can’t you see that I’m reading?” he said, raising his voice. Getting up from the bed, he snatched his book back. “Go flirt with your new boyfriend!”
Ciara’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s something going on between you and Henry.” Liam kept his eyes on the book. He opened it and stared at a random page.
“You can’t be serious,” Ciara said in utter disbelief. “Henry is my best friend. You know that!”
“Looked more like friends with benefits.”
“You think I’d cheat on you?”
“Clearly it wasn’t that hard,” Liam hissed.
“I can’t understand you.”
“Well, I don’t understand this stupid act you’re trying to pull off right now. You can admit that you’re in love with my brother.”
Ciara wanted to scream at Liam. If they had lived in a flat of their own, she likely would have.
But she didn’t want to scream in his family’s house with everyone at home. So instead she grabbed her bag and threw all of her stuff in.
“You can call me when you come to your senses,” Ciara spat at Liam and walked out.
He didn’t run after her, even though he wanted to. Instead, he continued to stare at the book in his hands.
He already regretted his words.
***
“YOU’RE AN ABSOLUTE idiot!” Henry declared the next morning. “Honestly, you are.”
Liam didn’t need to hear it. He already knew he was a jealous brat.
“Ciara would never cheat on you with anyone. She’s crazy about you! And do you honestly think I’d do that to you?”
Liam sighed. “She’s angry with me.”
“She has every right to be angry. You barely see one another. And when you do, this happens. So go apologise.”
“As in actually now?”
“You should have apologised yesterday!”
“Fine, fine.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I’m an idiot.”
Henry’s mouth twisted into a teasing grin, one Liam was unfortunately familiar with. “I know.”
***
PERHAPS IT WAS JUST Liam’s imagination running wild again. Ciara and Henry had been best friends, never more than that.
But wouldn’t Henry have told him if it wasn’t that big of a deal? If they were still friends? The thought bugged him throughout the dinner.