Page 85 of Unhinged Magic
For fuck’s sake,Mom.
I entered the room, their attention turning to me.
Mom’s demeanor stiffened. “Wesley, you look pale. Are you not feeling well?”
“Yeah,” I croaked. “I mean, no.” I turned to Skye, who watched me closely. “Do you mind if we go? I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me.”
“Ah, sure.” She turned to Mom, knowing full well we hadn’t eaten this morning, having made plans to head to Coffee Cove for breakfast afterwards. “Maybe I could stop by another time?”
Mom placed her tea beside her on a nearby table. “Of course. You’re welcome here anytime. Nice to see you, Wesley. Keep in touch.”
“You too Mom.”
We exchanged hugs before I fled for the front door, swinging it open and heading for the street.
Skye’s voice came from behind me, her quick footsteps rushing to keep up. “Wes, slow down. Are you ok? Did you find it?”
Her delicate hand clutched mine, halting my movements. I steeled myself for whatever the fuck came next. The part whereI told her everything. I couldn’t face her right now, my every instinct causing me to pull my hand from hers. Once she knew, she would never look at me the same. How could my mother nothateme?
Skye moved into my line of vision, and I turned away from her, pacing the pavement.
Her voice called out to me, desperation edging her tone. “Wes, what is it? What happened in there?”
I felt her fear tear down the seam of our mate bond, the bond I thought we could fix. A strangled laugh left me at the thought; what a fucking mess we were. Any ideas I had of us ever being together had just been ripped from me.
I fisted my hair, elbows spearing the sky as I tried to find the right words. She needed to know the truth. I couldn’t lie to her. Pacing back to Skye’s Mini Coop, I swung the door open, grunting as my knees hit the dashboard.
Skye jumped into the driver’s seat, her tone soft. “Wes, talk to me.”
My head fell back against the rest, my eyes sliding shut. I went to fist my hands into my jacket pocket, stopping before I remembered its contents. The death notice that should have been mine.
I heaved a sigh. “It’s in my pocket.”
Skye remained silent, staring at the raindrops on the windscreen currently blurring our vision from the outside world. She summoned a deep breath, turning to me. “Tell me what happened in there.”
I avoided her gaze, only to find the glass beside me fogging up from our body heat. I swiped at it, peering outside to where three young boys jumped from one puddle to the next.
Skye pressed on, her voice a whisper. “Wes.”
I turned my head to find warmth and kindness in her fine features. She was beautiful, her long brown hair naturallytousled in a way that made her look like she’d planned it that way.
My heart caught in my throat at the words I needed to speak. My voice leaving me as barely a whisper. “I killed him.” The words kick-started a torrent of emotions within me, my voice crumbling. “Landon died trying to save me.”
The vision of his face above me as he gripped my arm, keeping me from falling into the well would haunt me forever. His screams as I used him for leverage as I scrambled onto the damp ground again. But his eyes as he fell in moments after, would curse my soul for a lifetime.
Tears blurred my vision, one sliding down my cheek until I swiped it away.
Skye’s hand grasped my face, turning my head to her. “This is not your fault,” she affirmed, with purpose.
A shudder wracked my body, and I gave in to it, letting the devastation take me limb by limb. “That death notice should be mine. Landon should be here instead of me.” I stared at her with disbelief, unable to believe she still sat here beside me after what I had just admitted.
Had she not heard me correctly?
I should be sitting on the pavement on my ass, having been booted from the car, not held in the warmth of Skye’s palms.
Had I been wrong? Was this something we could work through together?
She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, her warm breath hitting my neck. “That’s not true. Accidents happen, some brutal. But you cannot blame yourself for this.”
