Page 68 of Ensnared
“I can hear you,” Aiden bellows from the bathroom.
This only has us laughing harder. It’s barely seven in the morning, and I’ve already had two fantastic orgasms. Life is good.
Twenty-Three
Skye
That evening,after working on setting up the satellite internet all day, I return to my cabin to pack. Jack comes with me—for company, he says, but I know they’re all worried about the break-in—and dozes on the couch. The room still reeks of my perfume. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to wear this scent again. It makes me so angry that this nasty person who broke in ruined it for me. It’s such a small thing, but so significant.
There on the floor are the two boxes Aiden and I brought from Anchorage, the ones Alice sent me from San Diego. At first, I consider keeping them shut, moving them to the Lodge, and unpacking them there, but curiosity gets the best of me.
I take a kitchen knife—the junk drawer in the kitchenette doesn’t include a box cutter—and crouch next to them. The moment I open the first one, the scent of Alice’s home wafts up at me. It’s faint but so familiar, my eyes fill with tears. I lived with her long enough that all my belongings now smell of her fabric softener. I swallow past the lump in my throat and bring out summer dresses, soft band t-shirts in a rainbow of colors, and half a dozen pairs of sandals. All pretty, feminine stuff that will be virtually useless here.
Maybe we could all go on vacation in Hawaii.
It’s an interesting thought—what would it be like if I arrived at an all-inclusive resort with three handsome men in tow? I’d be the envy of every woman there for sure. Maybe we could find a secluded little island somewhere, with just a hut and endless white-sand beaches, and no tourists. The guys could swim in the azure-blue waters as sea dragons, and I could read in the shade.Bliss.
I sigh and fold the clothes back into the box. This one contains nothing else, so I cut the tape on the second one and dig in. Here, I find childhood mementos, a lone teddy bear, some candles, my favorite chipped coffee mug. My tears spill over no matter how fast I blink, and I have to sit on the floor for a minute to pull myself together. Then I take my new phone and dial Alice’s number.
She answers on the fourth ring, her voice faraway and distracted. “Hello?”
“Hey, Allie, it’s me.” My throat is tight, and my words come out barely audible, so I try again. “It’s Skye.”
“Oh, hey!” She brightens up. “I didn’t recognize the number.”
I can just imagine her smiling, her face lit up. She’s very pretty, with dimples in her cheeks and freckles sprinkled over her nose. In that moment, I love her so much, it hurts even more to know that we won’t see each other again soon. Our previous argument fades into the distance. It doesn’t matter if she was cross with me—she put together these boxes and took care of my things while I couldn’t. I’ve always been grateful for having Alice as a sister, and that sensation washes over me, powerful and radiant.
“I got the first of the boxes,” I tell her. “Thank you so much for sending them.”
“Yeah, of course. It’s your stuff anyway,” she says. “I’m glad I could help.”
I grin, even though she can’t see me. “I don’t think I’ll be using sandals in Alaska anytime soon, but it’s good to have everything in one place again.”
Alice lets out a melodious laugh. “I can imagine. So you’re staying for the winter, then?”
“Yep. The job I got is too good to pass up.”
I don’t tell her yet that I’m likely staying here forever. It’s not a conversation I want to have on the phone—especially since she won’t be able to visit me here in the village. Maybe she and the boys could come to Anchorage next spring. I doubt I could convince Aiden to let another witch into Amber Bay, but we could rent a cabin elsewhere and spend some time exploring the wilderness. I bet Simon and the kids would love all the different plants out here.
“You sound different,” Alice says after a pause. “You seem happy.”
This gives me pause. Iamhappy. Is it really that obvious? Can she hear it through the phone?
“I am,” I reply. “It’s a good place.”
“Is there a guy?” she asks.
For a split second, I consider denying it. It’s a strange impulse, almost like some instinct pulling me back, warning me to keep the three men I found here to myself. But this is Alice, and I can’t lie to her.
“Yeah,” I say. “I mean…it’s complicated? But there’s definitely a guy.”
Maybe this is another conversation we need to have in person.Hey, sister, I’m now sleeping with three men. At once! Life is great, did you know?
Alice sighs. “I’m happy for you.”
I know her well enough to hear a hint of something in her voice.
“But?” I ask.
