Page 58 of Surviving in Everton

“Oh, icky!” She scrunches up her little nose.

“That’s why we’ve gotta be careful about mixing the spell right.”

“Oh, okay. I’m gonna go play now! I just wanted to give you a hug.” She gives me the promised hug then disappears back outside.

“That was a nice way of explainin’ spells and potions. Maybe I should take you away from Hudson and you can work in the classroom with me,” Declan teases.

“No, she’s mine, you can’t have her,” Hudson jokes.

“Hey! I know a spell!” Ayden blurts suddenly.

I can’t hold back my laugh and soon everyone is joining me. Poor Ayden is looking at us like we’ve lost our minds, but he looks so proud of his epiphany. I suck in a calming breath and finally look up at Ayden.

“You do, do you?” I giggle.

“Well, I know lots actually.” He sticks his tongue out at me.

I lean towards him and snap my teeth like I’m going to bite his tongue.

“Anyway, I just remembered when we were kids I did this memory spell on Kayden that made him extremely forgetful. It was fucking hilarious. We would be talking and he would forget what hejustsaid. I’m talking as soon as he said it he didn’t remember saying it, or what we were even talking about.”

“Wait, I don’t remember that!” Kayden exclaims.

“Well, duh.” Ayden rolls his eyes. “You didn’t remember when you were under the spell. You think you’re going to remember years later?”

“Oh shut up,” Kayden grumbles.

“Alright, you two, behave. Ayden, tell me more about this spell,” I instruct.

“It’s exactly what we need. You can ask them questions and they’ll answer, but they’ll immediately forget what you asked, and what they said. It’s like the conversation never happened to them. Think Dory on steroids.”

“Ooooh, that would be perfect! Can you add that to the truth potion?” I clap my hands together and bounce with glee. That spell really solves so many problems. I’m so glad Ayden remembered it.

“Of course, I can, Doll. Do you really doubt me? I’m gonna run home and see if we have everything I need.”

He walks over to me, pulls me close and kisses the daylights out of me. I swear I see stars. When he finally pulls away, I gasp for breath.

“Wow. You should leave more often.”

He smirks then leaves to make a potion, yet again.

“Right, and with that, I’m gonna head out. Got a busy day of trying not to go kill a bitch tomorrow,” Quinn announces.

“Yes, please, don’t. I would much prefer her to be the one to go to jail,” I stress.

After that, everyone starts slowly trickling out, until it’s just Nate and me. Well, and West, who’s completely absorbed in whatever’s on his computer, I don’t honestly think he even knows where he is. I look around the room and find Nate staring out the back window, so I slowly walk over to him.

“You okay, baby?”

He exhales slowly before answering. “Not really, Kitten. I guess I’m taking all of this really hard. Ijustgot you back and now I could lose you. All because of a couple of petty jealous assholes,” he finishes on a growl.

I wrap my arms around his waist from behind and lay my face on his back.

“I’m sorry, Nate.”

“It’s not your fault, Kitten. I just… I couldn’t handle losing you again. I know with everything in me, if anything ever happened to you, I would cease to exist. “

“Hey!” I pull back from him and jerk him around to face me. “Don’t you talk like that! Besides,yousaid if anything happens to me, you would be there for Violet. She needs you. Even if something does happen to me, you can’t just check out. I love you with every fiber of my being, and I know you feel the same about me, but you can’t stop living your life like that. Promise me, Nate.”

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