Page 100 of Twisted
“Okay, put something else on.”
“But what?”
His lips curve into a smile.“I’d say ask Mabel but you’ll get stuck filming something for at least an hour.”
Flustered, I pull away from Xavier, missing him as soon as his body isn’t towering over mine.I go from my closet to my bed three times, brain refusing to brain because I’m so overstimulated.I need to get dressed.Brush my hair.Should I put on makeup?Mascara only?No, I’ll cry—happy tears, of course—when I see my mom, my biological mother.
And I need the book so I can cast a spell once I get there.I’m going to tweak afind-a-lost-objectspell but with my blood.Once I’m within a few miles, it should direct me right to my parent’s front door.While I’m moving around my room in a mad panic, Xavier calls the pilot and tells him we need to go to New Haven within the hour.I can’t hear what is being said, but it seems we’ll be leaving.
Now.
Suddenly, I’m scared.I’ve longed for this my whole life, to meet my parents, to know where I came from.But there’s a part of me not sure if I want to know why I wasn’t found.If I could find my parents, why couldn’t they find me?
Which makes a small voice in the back of my head start to say maybe Xavier is right.Maybe they are dead.But thespell.The spell worked.Maybe they assumedIwas dead and grieved me instead of searching?Maybe they were recovering from whatever attacked them, or maybe the Order had me cloaked.The Order doesn’t see witches as human, but it doesn’t stop them from hiring the rogue witch from time to time.I’ve seen it, questioned it, and was promptly told to ignore it.
Knowing Xavier is going to be with me—even though he’s there to prove me wrong—makes me feel better already.
“Are you ready?”Xavier asks.
“Um…maybe.”I blink a few times and disappear into my closet, changing into a black dress.I grab a maroon sweater to throw on over top and then shove the magical supplies I need into a bag.My mind blanks for another second before I remember that I need shoes.I put on socks and boots and then look at Xavier, not knowing what to say.
Is this a grand romantic gesture?Or an extravagant asshole move to show me he’s right and I’m wrong?
Maybe he really does just want to give me peace of mind and he has the means to fly us out to Hamden.
“How long will it take to get there?”
“The flight time to New Haven is about an hour and forty minutes as of right now.And then it’ll be a twenty or so minute drive to Hamden, depending on where we go.”
“Okay.”I nod, channeling my inner hunter.I’m used to marching into battle, so to speak.You can’t think too much about whatcouldhappen or you’ll psyche yourself out, but you also have to be prepared for the worst.It’s a delicate balance of thinking without overthinking.“Let’s go.”
* * *
I’ve never beenon a private jet before.Hell, I’ve only been on a plane a handful of times even though we travel all over.But it’s kinda hard to get a suitcase full of demon-hunting weapons through security without raising questions.
Mabel would be filming this, I’m sure.I can almost hear her voice in my head as I follow behind Xavier.The flight crew greets us and brings me a glass of champagne as soon as I’m seated.I’ve only seen private jets in movies, and this plane is no exception to what I thought it would look like.Well, I guess with one modification to be light-tight, making it safe for vampires.But tonight, the window shades are up, and I stare outside, looking at the busy airport.It was weird, being driven right to the plane with no security checks.
The rich can really get away with anything.
“Nervous flyer?”Xavier’s hand lands on my thigh, and instantly I feel calm.
“No,” I say, and quickly down the Champagne, putting the empty glass on a little shelf behind me.My hand lands on top of his, and my heart flutters again.“Okay, maybe a little,” I go on, but only so I can blame my fluttering heart on that and not on how I can’t get Xavier’s words out of my head.
I make him feel alive.
That terrifies me more than anything because it’s making it hard to deny how I feel about him.Beauty always falls for the Beast, but is he really capable of loving her back?
“It’ll be all right,” Xavier tells me and I think maybe…maybe he already has.
“Thank you,” I whisper, giving his hand a squeeze.
“Of course, Wren.”
“You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know,” he says simply.“I wanted to.”His eyes meet mine and my heart swells in my chest and it hits me that maybe I was wrong about love.I used to think falling in love meant just that: falling hard and fast with the world spiraling around you.I mistook anxiety for passion, ignored my intuition for the sake of butterflies, disguised my nerves as excitement.But the fall shouldn’t be a fall where you’re waiting and hoping for someone to catch you.That’s not love.Love is letting someone take my hand and slowly walking the path together, proving through time and consistency that they will be there.
Love is a choice.
