Page 46 of Heal Me

“No, I have a rental car.”

“Great, then we’ll meet you there,” I say, forwarding him the restaurant information. “We’d better get back. I have class in a few minutes.”

I expect more berating and guilt-tripping, but Dad goes with the silent treatment for the car ride to campus.

We say our goodbyes, and I walk to the Biology building but turn right around, deciding to blow off class and instead meet Aubry and Julia.

“A cross-country, in-person guilt trip. Your dad must be really nervous,” Aubry comments as we enter a boutique a few blocks over from Memphis Magic.

“You need to get with Amelia and Florence. The two old birds talk a big game, but they’re actually skilled with hexes,” Julia advises. “You cannot let this Jen bitch go unchecked.”

“You really think it’s a good idea to start a war with a roommate who’s out the door in less than a month?” Aubry points out. These two could not be more different. Aubry has such a girly girl look in a bright floral sundress, and Julia has such an I-make-girly-girls-cry look in a black shirt, cutoff shorts, and black fishnets with skull and crossbones on the knees.

“Says the woman who let the ex-girlfriend move in next door to her man,” Julia taunts.

“Yeah, yeah. But see, it all worked out. Sonia’s in her own house an hour away from Damion’s, and now she and I are friends. All without magical intervention.” This past weekend, I helped Aubry throw Damion’s ex-girlfriend a housewarming party. I’m not sure what’s weirder—that Aubry threw Damion’s ex-girlfriend a party, or that Damion’s ex-girlfriend is a succubus. Eventually, I’m going to bottom out of this rabbit hole. Right?

“Do not listen to Glinda the good witch over here,” Julia says, jerking her head to Aubry. We enter the boutique and Julia grabs a leather miniskirt from the rack. She pairs it with a halter top. “You need a badass outfit. Let your dad know right out of the gate you’re not going to take any shit.”

“I show up in that, and my dad will try to have me committed.” I hope he was making an empty threat about a psychological evaluation. He goes down that road, and well, I don’t even want to think about it.

“How about a power-play red dress?” Aubry suggests as she holds up a sleeveless red dress with a mock V-neck and some cool cutouts in the back. It’s fairly skimpy, but since I’m short, it’ll likely hit midthigh.

“Boring,” Julia announces.

“You sound just like Vivian,” Aubry retorts. “I didn’t tell my grandma where we were going, else she would have invited herself. You would be dressed in either leather or sequins from head to toe,” she says, holding up a plunging V-neck sequin minidress.

“Then it’s a good thing she’s not here, because I would never in a million years wear that dress in front of my dad,” I say, heading to the fitting room. I’m dreading this part—the looking at myself in the mirror underneath the harsh fitting room lights—but slipping on the dress, it actually works really well with my curves.

I step out and they both smile. “That’s the winner,” Aubry announces.

“And add these to your battle armament,” Julia says, handing me a shoe box. I take a seat on the bench and strap on the complicated spiky black heels. “And leave those on later with Gabe. He strikes me as the type of man who might enjoy a little domination. Let me know if you need to borrow anything. A flogger might be nice to start out with.”

My cheeks turn as red as the dress I’m wearing as I step back into the fitting room, changing into my clothes. We walk to the front, and I think of my dwindling bank account as I hand the sales clerk my debit card.

“Could you help me with a financial abundance spell?” I ask Aubry as we make our way down the street, bags in hand. “It would be really nice if I could just take this summer off for the first time in forever.”

“Absolutely. Just let me know when.”

“Perfect, thank you.”

“And after you’ve given the heels a test run in the bedroom, let me know if you need the flogger,” Julia says with a wink as she heads inside her salon.

Chapter 20

Gabe

Using my power, I’m now seated on the foot of Charlotte’s bed. My heart nearly stops when I catch sight of her in the bathroom mirror—she’s wearing a curve-hugging red dress and the sexiest heels I’ve ever seen. Her lustrous raven-black hair is curled into short, loose waves. She’s done something different with her makeup, and my gaze lingers on her red lips, envisioning them around my cock later this evening.

“Doogie, what do you think?” she asks her cat.

“Doogie and I both approve,” I call.

She places a hand over her heart. “I thought you warded this place.”

“Only a fool would ward himself out of his goddess’s temple.”

“I thought I owed you worship,” she says with a smile, busying herself putting her makeup back in the drawer.

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