Fire Spell by T.A. Foster

we couldn’t cross that line. It wouldn’t be a casual hook-up. How could it after the past three years? If I slept with him, I’d be saying that I was his—that I could give myself to him. No matter what I tried to tell myself or how amazing he felt, it wasn’t our time. I didn’t belong to Jack. I never did.
    He took my face in his hands and crashed his lips against mine. I felt the urgency claiming him. He was passion and heat. Every time he touched me, it was as if flames blazed from his fingertips.
    I had to stop him. I had to tell him.
    “Ivy, I think I’ve fallen so in love with you, I don’t know what’s right and wrong anymore. I don’t know what’s up or down. Being with you is the only thing that makes sense.”
    I stared at the ceiling. His words caught me off guard. I reminded myself I had been stronger than this before. I had defeated a Proxy and taken down an immortal evil. If I could do those life-altering things, I could tell this man we were over before we ever began.
    The lines around his eyes softened. “Do you know how good it feels to finally tell you all of that? I don’t have to pretend.”
    Each time he smiled or laughed, my heart shattered a little more. The words were precious and genuine, how could I do this?
    I pressed my palm against his chest, remembering when I found strength in how he shielded me from Helen. I sorted words in my head like ‘I’m sorry. It’s not you, This is hard for me too,’ but none of them felt right, none of them could simultaneously tell Jack what he meant to me while explaining how clear it was we weren’t supposed to be together. There was no easy or magical recipe to break someone’s heart.
    I maneuvered to the side, rocking out from underneath him.
    “What’s wrong?” He sat back on his heels.
    I tugged on my shirt and flattened it against my hips. I didn’t want to cause him this pain.
    “Ivy, are you upset with me? I shouldn’t have thrown you against the wall like that. I let it get out of control.”
    “No, that’s not it.” I wasn’t about to tell him how hot it was that he could take control like that—that would confuse everything. “You need to know that I have to keep you alive. I promise I will keep you alive, but that’s all that’s between us.” I wiped a tear that stung the corner of my eye.
    “That’s it?” His voice was low.
    I was barely keeping it together. “Yes,” I managed to whisper. “That’s all we can be.”
    “What about all of the things we said to each other in Vegas?” he questioned.
    I fought the tears. “I realize for you it seems like we can pick up where we left off a year ago, but too much has happened since then.” I didn’t want to go into those details, but what choice did I have? “Look, I got back together with my ex, and then he left again. That whole relationship is complicated. I even dated someone else.”
    “Right, the movie star.” He rolled his eyes.
    I nodded. “Right. Jack, I had to move on. We couldn’t be together. I could never be the reason you died.”
    “But it’s not your fault. And I know you can find a way to figure it out. You’re clever and talented. You’ve done it before.” I didn’t like that he had hope for us. It made it that much harder to continue. “Ivy, all year I could have moved on. Hell, I had no memory of us, but I didn’t. That has to mean something. I have been here for you this whole time.”
    The words dug into my heart, needling it with pain. I shook my head. “I had to think about you in a different way. I do think about you in a different way.” I reached for his hand.
    Jack sighed. “Is it all because of your magic? I don’t care that you’re a witch. I should have said that last night.”
    I nodded. “That’s the biggest part of it.”
    “But I’m fine with it. I think it’s amazing. I love it.” He cracked a smile.
    My voice was shaky. “I wanted us to have a chance. I really did. Over the past year, I’ve learned