Chapter 23 Summary & Analysis: 19. Venesa
Spoiler Notice
Warning: This page contains major spoilers for Chapter 23 of Hexed (B&N Exclusive Edition) by Emily McIntire. If you haven’t read this chapter yet, you may wish to stop here.
Summary
Venesa reflects on Enzo’s fear of heights and his willingness to board the Ferris wheel anyway. She admires his vulnerability and the threat he made earlier against Rusty—a high school tormentor whom her cousin Aria once locked Venesa in a room with so he could rape her. On the ride, Venesa tries to distract Enzo with talk of shadow work and crystals, but his panic grows. His hand flies to her thigh and grips it tightly. The touch stirs sharp arousal in Venesa even as she tries to comfort him by telling him it’s okay to be scared. As the wheel climbs and their bodies draw closer, an intimate stillness settles between them. Enzo’s hand moves to her waist and then the nape of her neck. He murmurs that if she doesn’t say something, he’ll kiss her. Venesa feels an overwhelming pull toward him, but images of Aria and of the probable fallout for both of them flood her mind. Ultimately, she pushes against his chest, breaking the moment. She tells herself that Enzo isn’t hers to have and that she isn’t worth the destruction that would follow if they gave in.
Key Events
- Venesa mentally acknowledges Enzo’s fear of heights and how it makes him more attractive to her.
- She reveals that Enzo already confronted Rusty, a former classmate Aria set on Venesa to assault her.
- The pair board the Ferris wheel; Enzo’s anxiety is visible in his white-knuckled grip and his request for the safety bar to be checked.
- Venesa introduces the idea of shadow work and suggests crystals, attempting to reframe his phobia.
- Enzo’s hand clamps onto Venesa’s thigh in a reflexive panic, sparking physical tension.
- Their faces draw close; he tells her to speak or he’ll kiss her.
- Venesa thinks of Aria and the consequences, then pushes Enzo away.
- She concludes he belongs to someone else and that she is not worth the risk.
Character Development
- Venesa: Exposes her history of sexual trauma, the way it was orchestrated by her cousin, and her complicated gratitude toward Enzo for threatening Rusty. She reveals she has never been kissed and harbors a deep-seated belief that she is unworthy of love or of the chaos a real relationship would bring. Her decision to push Enzo away highlights her protective instincts and her willingness to sacrifice her own desire for his safety and the fragile balance of their families.
- Enzo: The Ferris wheel forces him out of his controlled persona. His fear of heights cracks the illusion of an invincible mob heir, letting Venesa—and the reader—see genuine panic, need, and longing. His request that she say something or he’ll kiss her shows raw desperation, while his earlier act of threatening Rusty illustrates a protective streak he rarely displays.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Fear and Vulnerability: The Ferris wheel functions as a symbol of suspension between safety and danger. Both characters confess—through action or word—that fear is human; Enzo admits he cannot show weakness because of who he is “supposed to be.”
- Forbidden Attraction: The tension between desire and duty runs through every exchange. Venesa repeatedly reminds herself that Enzo is engaged to Aria, and that acting on their feelings could destroy both of them.
- Trauma and Survival: Venesa’s past with Rusty and Aria surfaces as a reason she appreciates Enzo’s threat and as an emotional wound that shapes her self-image. Her use of “shadow work” as a coping concept suggests she has intellectualized her own pain.
- Masks and Reality: Venesa suggests they “pretend we’re in a different” life; Enzo counters that it isn’t real. The chapter explores the gulf between the roles people play and the hidden selves they show only in rare, suspended moments.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 23 deepens the emotional stakes of the central romance. For the first time, the two leads are physically and emotionally cornered into acknowledging their mutual attraction. Venesa’s traumatic backstory comes into sharp focus, recasting earlier interactions with Aria and explaining her guarded nature. Enzo’s fear and his whispered ultimatum strip away his mask, making him a more complex, sympathetic figure. The scene also raises the central conflict: their desire is real, but so are the familial and criminal structures that forbid it. The chapter’s final lines—where Venesa decides she is not worth the fallout—set the stage for future turmoil and self-sacrifice.
Study Questions & Answers
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Why does Venesa bring up “shadow work” and crystals? What does this reveal about her personality?
Venesa uses psychological and spiritual language to make sense of Enzo’s fear and to offer comfort. It reflects her tendency to intellectualize trauma—both her own and others’—and suggests she has spent time searching for frameworks to cope with pain. Her suggestion also functions as an attempt to connect with Enzo on a deeper, non-romantic level before the moment turns intimate. -
How does the Ferris wheel setting amplify the chapter’s conflicts?
The Ferris wheel creates an isolated, suspended space removed from the demands of family, duty, and social expectation. In that bubble, both characters can briefly drop their defenses: Enzo shows fear, Venesa lets attraction surface. Yet the machinery continues to move, and the ground is always in sight, mirroring how reality will soon crash back down. The pod becomes a liminal space where they almost kiss, but the return to the ground symbolizes the inevitability of their real-world constraints. -
What does Venesa’s final thought—“I’m not worth the fallout”—tell us about her character arc?
The line crystallizes her deep-seated insecurity and low self-worth. Despite her strength and intelligence, she views herself as a potential source of devastation rather than as someone deserving of love. It also reinforces her protective instinct: she is not just protecting herself, but shielding Enzo from the consequences that would follow if he broke his engagement. This self-sacrificial streak will likely drive future decisions and complicate their relationship.