Page 79 of Unhinged Magic
Pacing the deck, I fought the urge to crack my knuckles. “I don’t havetime. The longer we leave this, the more time that passes...” I stared up at the clouds threatening to expel yet another onslaught of rain on us. Their dark, lingering fists teased us from above, and I imagined at any minute they would unclench and let go. “I fucked up, Morgan. I need to fix this.”
She pursed her lips, a small nod. “I get it, really, I do. But turning up at Skye’s house demanding you speak with her is not the way to go about it. Not right now.”
I kicked a stray stone off the side of the deck, watching it land in the grass. Fuck, I would need to move that before it rooted the lawnmower. I let out a strangled groan, frustration curling my hands into my hair. I wanted her to hear me out, to give me a chance to explain. That I did this to keep her safe,for us.
“I never had a choice. My hand was forced. I only did what I did because Skye’s life was threatened.” A knowing look passed between us, the kind that told me somehow in the fucked-up universe that Morgan was on my side. That she understood. “I’m sorry for what I did to you, and I hate I screwed up my friendship with Ty. But he has to understand it was for his sister. I love her.”
Morgan’s brown eyes glazed over, a tight smile pulling at her lips. She moved toward me, stopping at arm’s length and shoving her hands into her jeans. “Tyler will get past this. I know he will. Just don’t expect it to be overnight is all.”
I hoped she was right, that someday this would all be a distant memory. “Yeah, ok. I’m not giving up, though. I’ll sit outside her house every night until she speaks to me. Can you tell her that?”
Morgan’s brows raised, rippling her forehead. “Are you sure?” She stared at the clouds still looming overhead. “You might want to rethink that.”
I nodded firmly. “Tell her.Please.”
“Okay,” she murmured, although I wasn’t sure she believed me.
“I’m serious. I’ll be there.” I meant every word.
Our fated bond tugged at my heart, considering the possibility of being near Skye again, of holding her in my arms.
Morgan nodded. “Yeah, okay, I’ll make sure she knows.”
“Thank you.”
She made to head home, jumping down off the end of the deck. Slowing, she turned back to face me. “Good luck.”
Skye
Rainhadsettledintothe cove for an entire week, its damp seeping into every crack, frizzing my hair and making my windows weep. No matter how much fresh air I let into this room during the day, the damp returned at night like a love letter finding its rightful owner.
I smudged my hand over the residue, clearing the glass to see outside.
He was still there.
Morgan had warned me, but I hadn’t believed her at first.
Until he showed up. Day. After. Day.
He sat on the rocks for hours, every night from 5 PM as the heavens rained on him, leaving around 10 PM when I went to bed. I knew, because I watched him leave from between the split in my curtains.
Morgan filled me in after her hurried phone call earlier in the week. I wished it had been for another reason, a coffee date or catch up, but appreciated her phone call. Also the follow up warning me of his planned presence outside. Unfortunately, our friendship had been tense since Wes left, everythingfeeling a little too forced. Which I totally understood given the circumstances.
I peeked through the curtain at him again. If it were anyone else, it would freak me out, a man lurking outside my house. It sure held the great premise of a stalker novel someone would write someday. But he wasn’t a stalker. It was Wes. And it ripped my heart open to see him getting drenched in the hope I would speak to him. Truth is, I didn’t know what to say.
I once vowed to never let a man make me cry, a promise I had always held onto, one I had never broken. The burning behind my eyes reminded me how many times I had cried already because of him.
As the window misted again, I swiped it, finding him staring up at the house. Shit. Could he see me? My legs wavered at the thought of our connection, like it could drag me beneath the pounding tide to him. My heart fell as the ocean’s roar pounded against the rocks, sending its spray in every direction, soaking him completely. Still, he did not move.
How long would he stay out there? He would get ill if he continued this.
I sighed. I couldn’t avoid him forever.
Shaking my hands as if it would garner up courage, I headed for my bedroom door, my heartbeat thumping in time with every step down the stairwell. Each floorboard creaked as I descended, causing Scar and Jade to stare at me quizzically from where they sat on the couch watching a movie.
“Skye?” came Scar’s voice as I headed for the door, pulling it open. “Are you…?”
“Yup,” I said, popping the 'p' as if heading out late at night into the pouring rain was no cause for concern. Like I wasn’t about tospeak with him.Like I hadn’t just spent the last two months preparing myself for this very moment. “Won’t be long.” I shut the door behind me.
