Page 110 of The Neighborhood Witch

Her body squirmed. Air rushed into her lungs. She arched her back, flexing out her chest before falling back down onto the couch. She stretched out her arms, knocking over the wineglass, before pulling them back. She massaged her temples, grimacing with every deep finger massage. Alice rubbed her chest where the amulet had performed its dark deed. Her palm pressed deep into her sternum. She opened her eyes and beamed at Hugo.

“Hey,” Alice mustered. “You found me.”

“Always,” Hugo replied.

Their eyes locked. Hugo smiled at Alice, relief in his eyes. She smiled back, but then surveyed the room as if she was unfamiliar with her surroundings.

“How did I get back here?” Alice asked.

“I brought you here after what happened,” Hugo replied.

“I remember a great pain, and then it stopped. What happened?”

“After you went limp, I stabbed the necklace with the wand like you told me. It disintegrated. Then Johanna disappeared into dust, and I didn’t know what to do. I broke every speeding law to get here. Your reflection couldn’t help me. She was laying on the floor. I tried calling Ez, but I couldn’t get ahold of her. I tried some wine, and that didn’t work. Then I tried the one we made together. I think it worked because you’re here now,” Hugo finished.

He collapsed on top of her. His head buried into her neck. His arm grabbed the side of her shoulder. Alice wrapped her arms around him. Her fingers splayed out across his back. Her hands slowly rubbed the worn leather of his jacket in concentric circles. She cried. These were not tears of sadness, but joy.

“You saved me,” Alice said.

“We saved each other.”

They released from their embrace. Alice sat up and rotated toward him. Hugo sat back on his heels, now positioned between Alice’s legs. He touched her knees. His hands slowly worked their way up her thighs. She slightly winced. He lost himself in her eyes. His icy blues matched with her emerald greens.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry for what I said and how I acted. I had no right. I understand you were trying to help me. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. I love you. I love you more than you know, Alice.”

“I love you too, Hugo,” her words fought through tears. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have acted that way, either. I shouldn’t have hid the ring. I should have trusted you.”

Their gazes lingered. Their hearts raced. They desired each other in a way that transcended the physical.

Hugo rose. His hands cupped around her chin and traced the outline of her jaw. They continued behind her head. His fingers interlocked with her purple hair. He closed his eyes and leaned in. His lips pressed against hers. She wrapped her arms around his torso once more, kneading her fingers into his back as if she was molding and shaping him to her desires.

He kissed her softly. Her lips were still cold against his warm lips. They breathed heavily as if they gasped for air, but only found the wet embrace of each other. Their tongues danced in a forbidden tango. He pulled back on her hair ever so slightly. Not enough to hurt, but enough to excite her and send wild sensations through her body. Her eyes closed.

Time stopped. He was lost in the ecstasy of her embrace once again. Their hearts beat as one. They stopped, forehead against forehead, coming up for needed air. They opened their eyes and found each other once again in a lovers’ gaze.

“It feels like I waited hours for you tocome back,” Hugo said.

Alice pulled back and glanced over to the end table where the hourglass stood. “Did you touch the hourglass again?”

“Yeah,” Hugo replied. “What do you think stopped you from dying?”

Alice snapped back toward Hugo; her eyebrows crinkled. “Did you—” she started. “Did you speed it back up after giving me the wine?”

“No.”

“Well, no wonder it felt like hours,” Alice stated. “You should have sped it back up after giving me the wine.”

“How was I supposed to know that?”

“You literally passed out on my floor because of it,” Alice shouted as she fell back onto the velvet couch.

“You’re welcome,” Hugo responded.

Alice leaned forward. Her soft lips pressed against his to give him one more brief kiss. “I love you, Hugo,” Alice said. “But you need to stop with your parlor tricks and learn how real magick works.”

“That’s it! Where’s that necklace?” he joked as they broke into laughter.

Alice turned the ring in the hourglass back to the center. Alice’s cell phone buzzed in Hugo’s pocket and then fell silent.

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