Page 55 of Secrets in Salem: Part One

Willow snatches the razor from the bag with a victorious 'ah-hah!' before backing away and tiptoeing out of the room, looking at us all with confusion. Micah smiles down at her and signs something she likely doesn't understand, though she still smiles up at him sweetly. I wonder if she'd still smile like that if she knew what he'd signed.

My beautiful girl.

Chapter 29

Willow

I'm just braidingmy hair when there's a knock at the door. I'm already dressed, makeup on and ready to go, tying the band at the end of my second braid, so I call, "Come in."

The door opens, Bishop poking his head around the corner with an infectious smile. I find myself returning the gesture, dropping my hair and straightening both braids over my shoulder.

"Hey," Bishop says, his deep timbre sending delightful shivers through my body.

"Hey, everything okay?" I question, standing from the bed to retrieve my purse. The one that still has a dagger in it. I've been too nervous to take it out, especially with my body going on the fritz and people vandalizing my house. It's providing some semblance of safety that I'm feeling severely lacking. The photos are also still in there. I'll have to get rid of those when I get a free moment.

Bishop nods, coming to stand just inside the room I've taken over, leaning on the door jamb and crossing his arms over his impressive chest. "Everything is fine. Just wanted to offer you a ride to Cassie's."

I smile in surprise but nod slowly. "That would be great, thank you. Do you know where-"

It's then I realize he saidCassie'sand not Max and Molly's. I never mentioned Cass.

"Of course you know where they live, because you know all kinds of things you shouldn't, right?" I inquire, raising my eyebrow though I’m not feeling all that pissed about it anymore. Turning into a creature of Hell and doing despicable things starts numbing you to trivial shit like invasions of privacy.

Bishop has the decency to look ashamed, and something in my chest feels uncomfortable with that. "I'm sorry, Low."

Shrugging, I reply, "I'd say it was okay, but it's kind of not. I'm just over it now. It can't be changed, so I'd rather move on and figure everything else out now. Bigger things to worry about and all that, you know?"

The tall, muscular man smiles again, though this one is tinged with guilt. "If it helps, we had no idea you had a studio. That was a complete surprise to us all."

I don't know why, but I start laughing, throwing my head back and pressing a hand into my stomach."It does help a little," I tell him, hooking my bag over my shoulder and letting Bishop lead me from the bedroom. I grab the bags of goodies for the kids before I exit the bedroom, hooking it in the crook of my arm before following after him.

Aleric and Micah are missing when we get to the living room, their places on the couch empty. Bishop snags his keys off the entry table beside the door. He opens the front door, holding it open for me to step out first like a gentleman, and I grin that little bit bigger. These guys have a really weird effect on me. They've lied, hidden and are still hiding truths from me, and won't explain shit properly, yet they make me all giddy. My heart does these weird twists in my chest, butterflies swarm my stomach, and my head gets all light and fuzzy when they're around. That's not normal for such acquaintances.

"Where are Micah and Aleric?" I wonder aloud, heading down the steps and pausing so I can walk beside Bishop to the car.

He looks down at me with another smile that does funny things to me despite being a little rigid and not all genuine, and answers, "They had some errands to run."

He's lying, or not quite telling the truth. I have no idea how I know, but I can just tell, like I've caught him in lies so many times in the past that I know his tells. Of course, I don't, but it doesn't explain how I somehow know he's omitting a few things. "That's fine. You don't have to tell me what they're really doing."

Bishop's eyebrows raise in surprise, no doubt as confused as I am. "How- how did you know that?"

"No idea, just do," I answer honestly, lifting my shoulders and smiling awkwardly.

"One of those feelings again?" he guesses, watching me closely.

I look away when I nod, staring at the car like it's the most fascinating thing I've ever laid eyes on. "Yeah, looks like it. You have your tells, and I just know to look for them. I don't think that's the first time I've noticed it either. But yeah, it's like I've lived an entire lifetime watching you and just instinctively know how to catch those little partial truths."

We're both silent when we reach the car, climbing in without a word. I'm completely lost in thought as Bishop pulls away from the sidewalk, driving toward Cassie's house without me having to provide directions. I'm staring out of the window, mindlessly listening to the music playing softly from the stereo, when Bishop speaks again. "What are my tells?"

I giggle like some school girl with a crush before answering without turning to face him. "Now, why would I give those away? If I told you, you'd know to hide them better or change them. I kind of like being able to know when you're fibbing."

"Oh, yeah?" he asks, a smile in his voice. I turn my head back to him, just as something black outside flashes across my peripheral. "How about we test it and you tell me if I'm lying. Ask me simple questions, and I'll mix my answers with lies and truths. You can try and pick out the lies."

My gaze goes to the window, seeing nothing that could have moved so fast that it was just a blur, so I focus on Bishop, turning my whole body toward him. "Fine, you're on. First question. Do you like pineapple on pizza?"

"No, hate it," he answers quickly, telling the truth.

Laughing, I say, "Okay. Next question. IsTwilighta good movie?"

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