Page 20 of Wallflower Witch

“We weren’t talking about you,” Matt says.

“Mor…” Josh beseeches.

“It’s fine,” I say, blinking hard.

Patrick hops up from the bed he was lying on and comes to me, gently cupping my jaw and forcing my gaze from the floor.

“Mor,” he starts. “Morrigan. I was just stunned by how gorgeous you are, as I assume the other two are as well.” They both nod in agreement. “We were talking about our favorite shows growing up.” He nods to the television.

I take a deep breath and nod. “I’m sorry. Growing up, I was always the butt of the jokes, or the one who made everyone stop talking when I entered the room. After thirteen years of that through school, it’s where my mind jumps to automatically. But I know you and Josh enough by now to know I should trust you. You have been nothing but kind to me from the beginning.”

I meet Patrick’s ice-blue eyes, and my heart skips a beat. My tongue slips out and slides along my bottom lip. Patrick’s eyes darken as he tracks the movement. I suck in a deep breath of his musk and bergamot scent.

Patrick leans forward slowly, keeping his eyes locked on mine. I forget that Matt and Josh are in the room with us. His lips press into mine gently. He pulls back, and I lean forward, chasing him. He smiles before taking my mouth again. I feel his tongue run along the seam of my lips, requesting entry. I open my mouth, and his tongue darts in, stroking mine and lighting a fire in my belly. Something flutters through my arms almost like ants running down toward my fingers.

I moan, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer as his hands move down to my hips.

A hand pulls my hair around my shoulder, freeing one side of my neck, and I flinch, pulling back from Patrick’s mouth.

“Sorry,” Josh says, turning red. “I wasn’t sure if you remembered we were here. And I want you to know that he’s not the only one interested in you.”

“Definitely not,” Matt adds from his place near the small office table.

“But…” Josh smiles at me. “I’m open to sharing if that’s something you would like, too.”

I gape at the three men before me. “You can’t be serious,” I splutter. “Sharing?! Who does that?!”

“Someone who believes they have enough love for more than one person,” Matt answers.

“Or someone who doesn’t want to choose,” Patrick adds.

“It’s not as taboo as you might think,” says Josh. “There are clubs dedicated to all kinds of lifestyles, and more and more people are living their lives openly. If you want to think about it a little longer, that’s okay, too.”

My mouth opens and closes while I try to form words. I have never thought about having multiple partners and how that would look. Sure, in some of the journals and diaries I’d transcribed, the men had been with multiple women, but they typically didn’t know about each other, let alone all be together at the same time.

I’m saved from answering when movement catches my attention on the far side of the room. The young boy from the tree walks into the room.

I turn to see what he needs.

“Is someone here?” asks Josh.

I nod. The little boy is looking straight into my eyes, smiling softly.

“What?” says Matt. “I don’t see anyone.”

“Long story,” Patrick answers. “Who is it? What do they need?”

“The little boy who helped me,” I say, still watching him approach. If he had been a person, I would be able to hold the hand he is holding out.

His smile gets larger as he reaches toward my face. “Thank you for helping us,” he whispers as his fingers touch my cheek, then my world goes black.

The next morning I’m treated to breakfast in bed from the diner. I’m not sure who went and got it, but the smell of bacon and coffee has me coming back from dreamland.

“How are you feeling?” asks Matt, coming to sit beside me on the bed.

“Okay,” I murmur, bringing my hand up to rub my eyes. “What happened?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Matt says. “We were having a conversation, then you suddenly turned to face away from all of us, but these two seemed to know what was happening. Then you smiled. Then you collapsed.”

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