Page 74 of Charmed, I'm Sure
Kyle’s eyes flared with anger, but I didn’t stick around to see what he’d do. Grabbing my bag, I stormed out of the gym.
It only took about fifteen minutes to get to Bellevue Manor, and though I hadn’t known exactly what to expect, what greeted me was far worse than I’d imagined. Bright yellow yolk dripped down the white siding, pooling on the porch below, where scattered eggshells littered the wooden planks. Evie and Maddie were scrubbing the railing, but it was Magnolia who instantly grabbed my attention. She always did—especially when she stood at the top of the steps, hands on her hips, a rag clenched in her fist, and a scowl darkening her beautiful face.
I hadn’t even stepped out of the car before she shouted, “Go home, Taylor.”
Not exactly the welcome I’d hoped for, though I couldn’t blame her. Slamming my car door harder than necessary, I ignored her outburst and crossed the yard toward her aunt. “Can I help?”
“No!” Magnolia snapped, folding her arms across her chest. The move might have been meant to intimidate, but all it did was draw my gaze to where her breasts pushed higher. When my eyes flicked back to hers, fire blazed in her aqua blues, and a pretty crimson flush spread across her cheeks.
Evie turned to me with an exaggerated eye roll. “Ignore her. You’d think after a day at the salon, she’d be a little more mellow—”
“I was mellow,” Magnolia huffed, throwing her arms out to gesture at the mess on the house. “Until you called me about this shit.”
“Anyway,” Evie cut her off with a pointed glare before turning back to me. “We’d love some help, Taylor. Thank you.”
“We don’t need his help—”
“Cheese and crackers, Mags.Shut.Up.” Maddie abandoned her spot at the railing, stalking over to me. “Here, you can take over for me. I need a break.” She shoved a sponge into my hand, wiped hers on the towel tucked into her back pocket, and headed for the stairs.
Their aunt came to stand beside me as I watched the women bicker. She whispered, “Come on, honey. I’ll show you what we’re working with.”
“Is she alright?” I asked, nodding toward Magnolia.
Evie barked a laugh and clapped my shoulder. “Is anyone ever really alright?” When I shot her a questioning look, she shook her head with a chuckle. “She’ll get over it. Now, come on.”
A few minutes later, Magnolia joined us. She didn’t acknowledge me, just dunked her rag into the soapy water and got back to work. For fifteen minutes, she scrubbed and ignored me, her silence gnawing at my patience. I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t want to go back to square one. I didn’t want her gaze filled with disdain. I wanted the fire—the longing I’d grown used to over the past few weeks.
“Mags—”
“Oh, so you do remember how to speak.”
“Magnolia—”
“Your fingers don’t seem to be broken, either.”
“Magnolia, stop.”
“Stop what?” Her tone was nonchalant, but her knuckles turned white as she scrubbed at the siding with unnecessary force. Her movements stilled when I wrapped my hand around hers. Her eyes snapped to mine, her lips pressed into a tight line as she gritted out, “Let go.”
“Talk to me, and I will.”
“Excuse me?” she scoffed.
“You heard me.”
“Why should I? You’ve been ignoring me for five days. What’s a few more minutes?”
“Sunshine—”
“Don’t ‘sunshine’ me, Taylor Hallows.” Her voice sharpened, growing louder with every word as she yanked out of my hold. “You’ve been ignoring me for days, and then suddenly, when your stupid-ass friends decide to egg my house, here you are. Riding in on your white horse, in shining armor, coming to my rescue. Well, guess what? I don’t need you or your stupid horse. I can save myself—and I could do it in heels.”
Behind her, I caught her aunt’s wide-eyed expression as she retreated into the house. She must’ve thought we needed privacy to hash this out. But the whole damn town could’ve been there, and I wouldn’t have cared. Magnolia was going to listen to me, whether she wanted to or not.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the steps, around the side of the house.
“What the hell do you think you’re—” Her tirade ended in a squeak as I pinned her against the siding, caging her between my arms. Her pupils dilated, her breathing quickened, and hell, having this conversation was the last thing I wanted to do right now.
I leaned closer, taking in her spicy floral scent. I was close enough that I could count her freckles and make out every shade of blue andgold that colored her irises. Every defiant spark in her eyes had me wishing we were somewhere far more private.
