Page 113 of Hexed
And those words, something about the way he says them, or maybe because he’s even saying them at all…they unlock something inside me, a sensation I’ve never felt but is so overwhelming, I can barely stand it.
I’ve always prided myself on being independent. On not needing anyone other than my uncle, whom until now I’ve trusted with the world. And I don’t know how Enzo knew where I was, why he was there, or why he came out and jumped to my defense, but right now, I’m so thankful, I could cry.
Hypothetically. The tears don’t ever actually come.
All I can do is look him in the eyes and say, “Okay.”
He releases my chin and skates his touch down my neck before resting his fingers loosely at the base of my throat. “Have you opened your present?” he asks softly.
Biting my lip, I shake my head. “Not yet.”
He nods and drops his hand, and I feel empty at the loss of his touch.
I lean over the console to brush my lips across his cheek. He turns at the last second, and I pull back quickly, but not before our mouths graze. Just like last night.
Just barely.
Just a hint.
A whisper.
But it tilts my world on its axis anyway.
He sucks in a sharp breath, his hands gripping his steering wheel so tightly, it might break.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
Then I open the car door and walk away, because if I don’t…I’m not sure I’ll survive the engagement party tomorrow night.
When I have to watch him with another woman, even though it feels like he should be mine.
TWENTY-NINE
VENESA
The engagement partyis at Uncle T’s estate, and I’m taking Athena with me.
There’s no way in hell I’m going alone, and Fisher said he’d meet me there, which is a little out of character for him, so I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Athena is at least nice arm candy and can serve as a distraction.
It’s what I need. A shield. Something to get me through this night until Enzo and Aria disappear and I can go back to pretending like they don’t exist.
Good riddance, honestly.
And if that doesn’t work, then I have an unbinding spell ready to go at home, just to make sure and cut any ties to Enzo that might be left over.
I’m a big believer that time is an illusion and doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with knowing someone for a couple of weeks and letting them have such a big impact on my life. And Enzo hasimpactedme in ways I’m not sure I’ll recover from.
And for the first time, I empathize a little with my momma, because maybe this is how she felt with my father. An overwhelming type of attraction she didn’t have the discipline to control. Maybe that’s why she always let him back, every single time, with a smile on her just-healed face.
Maybe that’s why she always picked him above me.
Above everyone.
Above herself.
The engagement party itself is absolutely beautiful. Fit for a queen, or in this case, the princess of Atlantic Cove, and Uncle T has ensured that the who’s who is here to rain their gifts and praise down on the happy couple.
