by Wendi Wilson
He smiles at me, one that reaches his eyes and makes them sparkle like sapphires. I can’t help but smile back. My whole body relaxes. For the first time, I feel totally at ease with him. I cock an eyebrow as a thought hits me.
“Are you doing something?”
“What do you mean?”
I motion between us. “I mean, are you doing,” I lower my voice a notch, “a spell to make me more relaxed?”
Bryce chuckles and shakes his head. “No, I’m not doing anything.”
“Can you do that?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.
He presses his lips together and nods. “I can. There are many spells that affect people’s moods, their emotions, their desires.” He shoots me a meaningful look as I flinch at that last one. “Kai, I promise I would never use a spell on you...unless you ask me to.” He places his right hand over his heart and moves it in the shape of an X. “Cross my heart.”
I see the truth in his eyes. “Okay. I believe you, Bryce.”
“Okay, well, now that we have that settled, what are you going to do with me now that you have me here?”
I feel a stupid blush heating my face again. “I, uh,” I stammer, “don’t really know. I just felt like I had to see you.”
The temperature of my face skyrockets. Why can’t I keep my big mouth shut around him? I’m constantly blurting out whatever pops into my head. It’s so embarrassing.
“Hey,” he says, reaching over to place a hand on my knee, “don’t be embarrassed. I wanted to see you, too.”
“You did?”
He chuckles. “I followed you all the way here to this creepy corner of a deserted library.”
A smile cracks my face. “You did, didn’t you?”
“Yep.”
“I overheard another conversation between my mom and Ms. Coraline last night.”
“More forbidding you to see me?”
I nod. “Yeah, but it was weird. Ms. Coraline said something about removing her protection if I see you again.”
“Protection? What does that mean?”
“I have no idea. My mom seemed really agitated about it. She tried her best to keep me in my room and away from Ms. Coraline but I snuck out to listen. She kept promising the old hag that I would obey her.”
“The old hag. I like it,” he says, grinning.
I smile back. “That’s what Ana and I call her. That, or the old wi-” I cut myself off quickly.
“Witch?”
The blush is back. “Sorry. I didn’t mean...”
He shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it.”
His words are meant to be reassuring but I sense that I’ve offended him. I lean forward and roll onto my knees. Finding courage I didn’t know I had inside me, I place my hands on his cheeks and stare directly into his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Bryce. Until yesterday, I didn’t even know witches were real. All I had to go on was the wicked witch in the movies. I promise I’ll never call her that again. She’s not good enough to deserve that title.”
I try to pull my hands away but he slaps his against mine, trapping them on his face. He smiles and the bees in my stomach wake back up again. I’m starting to panic. I think he might want to kiss me but I’m torn between wanting it and wanting to get to know him better first. I mean, he admitted that he spreads himself around to keep anyone from getting too close. What if today is just my turn on the carousel?
“Kailani.”
The word yanks me out of my own head, and I refocus on his eyes. “Yes?”
He pulls my hands from his face but doesn’t release them. “Stop worrying so much.”
I huff out a laugh. “Is it that obvious?”
“You know I can feel emotions. When I am actually touching a person, it’s amplified. I can almost taste your anxiety.”
The word taste draws my eyes to his mouth. My tongue darts out to wet my dry lips. I wonder what his lips taste like. I’ve never kissed anyone before but I bet he’s good at it. The corners of his mouth turn up slightly. I jerk my eyes back to his and see humor shining in them.
“Oh, God,” I whisper before shaking my hands free of his. If he felt my anxiety, he certainly felt my desire.
“Kai,” he says, his voice low and smooth.
“No, it’s...I have to go.”
I plant one foot on the floor beneath me and push up but my ascent is halted when he climbs to his knees in front of me and grabs my shoulders. His stare snags mine, and I freeze, waiting to see what he’ll do next. He gazes at me thoughtfully, then nods, like he’s made his decision. I suck in a tremulous breath and hold it, waiting for him to speak.
“Kai, I...” He inhales deeply and blows the air out in a long stream, releasing my shoulders and letting his arms drop to his sides. “I don’t know what’s happening here. I’m not supposed to get close to anyone. You’re not supposed to even look at me. Yet, here we are. I can’t…” Another deep breath. “I can’t stay away from you anymore.”
The breath I’ve been holding rushes out, and I gasp for oxygen. I hear his voice but can’t make out the words over the pounding of my heart ringing in my ears. I shake my head to clear it.
“Wh-what?”
“Are you okay? I mean, if this is too much, if it’s not worth the risk, please just tell me. I understand.”
“No!” The word comes out louder than I anticipated. “No,” I say again in a much quieter voice. “I don’t know what this is, either, but I think I want to find out.”
Bright teeth flash as his mouth widens into that smile. My heart jumps into my throat at the sight of it. He leans forward and, in a panic, I turn my face to the side and close my eyes. I hear a slight chuckle and feel the soft brush of his lips against my cheek. His breath on my ear causes a shiver to travel down my spine and back up again.
“I can wait,” he whispers.
When I open my eyes, I’m alone.
Chapter Ten
“Do your parents know about me?”
Bryce shakes his head, letting his gaze slip down to his feet. It’s been a week since our first meeting here in the library. We tried to ignore each other all week at school but it was hard…for me, at least. I still have a hard time reading him. There has been one big difference though. He stopped hanging all over Sandy, Amelia and Lanie. The thought makes me smile.
“That makes you happy?” Bryce asks, his face dropping in disappointment.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“I told you I’ve been keeping you a secret from my family, then I felt a rush of happiness from you. I thought you’d be more…disappointed about it.”
“No,” I say in a rush. “I was thinking about something else.”
“What’s that?”
Feeling the heat rise to my face, I shake my head vigorously and focus my vision on the dusty encyclopedias shelved behind him. I can’t tell him the truth. I need to think of something else, quick. The warm touch of his fingers on my chin disrupt my thoughts. My eyes fly to his, which are crinkled at the corners.
“Tell me.”
I release my breath on a sigh and close my eyes. I don’t want to lie to him. Opening my eyes, I steel my spine and blurt out, “I was thinking about how you’ve ignored the other girls at school all week,” before dropping my eyelids closed again.
The touch of his hand amplifies with my eyes closed. His fingers drift from my chin upwards until his palm is flush with my cheek. I can’t help but lean into it, rubbing my skin against his warm palm. I hear a soft chuckle and jerk away, my eyes flying open. I can’t believe I just did that.
“Kai,” he whispers, “don’t.” When I don’t respond, he continues, “Please don’t be embarrassed. I love your reactions…every one of them. Your emotions are so clear, so focused, it’s like you’re broadcasting them just for me. It makes me feel…I can’t find words to describe it.”
“Uh, we were talking about your parents?” I stutter, trying to change the subject.
Bryce leans bac
k against the shelf behind him with a sigh. “Okay,” he says on another sigh, “we’ll talk about my parents. I’ve mentioned you casually. They saw me talking to you on the beach that night, and I told them I ran into you and introduced myself. That’s all. They don’t know we met here last week.” He pauses and straightens his stance, his blue eyes shining. “They don’t know we have a secret spot in the woods.” He takes a small step forward. “They don’t know I’ve met you there, to talk, every morning this week on our way to school…and every afternoon.”
My heartrate accelerates and the bees start buzzing in my belly as he leans toward me. I try to keep my breathing steady and even. His predatory smile tells me it’s no use. He doesn’t need to rely on physical responses to know what I’m feeling. The thought causes the blood to rush hot through my veins, warming my face with yet another blush. He knows I want him.
“They don’t know,” he continues, his voice dropping to a whisper as his face comes within inches of mine, “that I’m here with you, right now, and that I’ve never wanted to kiss someone so badly in my entire life.”
My heart leaps into my throat at his words. I can’t seem to take a deep breath as the air whooshes in and out in shallow pants. He stares into my eyes for what seems like an eternity, waiting for…something. I’m not sure what. Maybe my permission? I don’t know what to do. I’ve never done this before.
I open my mouth to say something- I’m not really sure what- but before any words can leave my lips he closes the gap between us and presses his against them. My eyelids slam down and warmth spreads across my chest as my heart tries to pound right out of it. His lips nibble a gentle rhythm against mine while his hands tangle into my hair. I start to teeter forward and brace my hands against his chest for balance. I can feel his heart pounding in time with my own. The realization that he’s just as excited and nervous as I am makes me relax a little bit.
He must feel it, the tension easing out of my body, because a slight tug of my hair tilts my head to the side as he deepens the kiss. Of their own accord, my hands slip up over his shoulders and into his hair. I press forward, trying to get as close to him as possible. His right hand leaves my hair and wraps around my waist, pulling me toward him until our bodies are flush from the knees up. A moan works its way up my throat and escapes before I manage to smother it.
Bryce echoes the sound and tightens his hold on me. My body moves back as he pushes forward, until I am sandwiched between him and the bookshelf behind me. The hand on my back slowly descends, massaging as it goes, and I start to panic. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how far I should let this go and I don’t know how to stop it…or if I should stop it.
Before I can finish the thought, Bryce’s touch and heat are gone. I open my eyes to see him leaning against the opposite bookshelf. His eyes are closed and his breathing is ragged. He has a pained look on his face that I think I somehow put there. I must have done something wrong. I know I somehow disappoi-
“Stop, Kai,” he whispers, interrupting my thoughts.
Suddenly, he’s in front of me again. His warm hands are on my cheeks as he tilts my face up toward his. He tucks my hair behind my ears before brushing his lips softly against mine once, then pulling back to gaze into my eyes.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. You were,” he says, pausing to lick his lips, “you are perfect.”
“But-”
“No. No buts. It’s my fault. I went a little…overboard.” One side of his mouth lifts. “I just wanted to kiss you once but when I had you in my arms, I lost all control. We were connected. I could feel you so clearly. Every emotion- your uncertainty, your acceptance,” his voice deepens with each word, “your desire. No, don’t be embarrassed. Please. I got so wrapped up in the feelings, that when you suddenly felt unsure, maybe even a little scared, it was a shock. I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I never want you to be afraid of me.”
“Bryce.” I swallow the lump in my throat and pull his hands from my face, holding them tightly in my own. “I wasn’t afraid of you, I swear.”
He’s shaking his head before I even finish the sentence. “I felt it, Kai.”
“Oh, God,” I mumble. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
“Say what?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.
Biting my lip, I take a deep breath, then blurt it out in a rush. “I’ve never done this before.”
“What? Made out in a library?”
I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head with a groan. “Any of it, anywhere.”
“You mean, this was your first-”
“Yep,” I cut in quickly before he can finish.
“No way.”
I hear what sounds suspiciously like humor in his voice and snap my eyes open. “Are you laughing at me?” I ask, incredulous.
The smile drops from his face. “No! Never. I just can’t believe no one has ever kissed you before. You’re so…irresistible. I’m the king of resistance, and I never stood a chance.”
The rock that had lodged itself into my chest starts to dissolve. “Well, I’ve never been interested in anyone before,” I say, injecting as much superiority as I can into my voice.
His teeth flash as the smile lights his face again. He pulls me forward and plants one soft kiss on my lips before wrapping his arms around me in a warm hug. “Until me?” he whispers, his mouth so close to my ear that his breath sends shivers down my spine.
Before I can reply, his body tenses, and he makes a quiet shushing sound. That’s when I hear it. Footsteps. And they are coming toward us. I start to panic. If it’s someone who knows us, or even just knows who I am, I’m in big trouble. I can’t be seen with Bryce. I need to get away but this aisle is attached to the back wall. There’s nowhere to run.
Bryce releases me, takes a step away and faces the open end of the aisle. He starts mumbling something and, as his voice gets stronger, it becomes clear that he’s chanting. His words are unfamiliar but the hair on my arms stands on end as I feel something swirl around us. It feels electric. Powerful.
“Nobis indeprehensus; hostis caecus. Nobis indeprehensus; hostis caecus. Nobis indeprehensus; hostis caecus.”
The footsteps get closer and on pure instinct, I step behind Bryce and bury my face between his shoulder blades. A shock ripples through me at the contact, causing me to jump back just as a woman rounds the corner and stops, looking toward us with a perplexed expression. Bryce is quiet now and turns his head to the side while bringing his index finger to his lips.
I stand still, frozen in fear. I recognize her. She’s the reference librarian, Mrs. Ellis. I open my mouth to make some excuse, not really sure what to say, but before I can utter a sound, she turns and walks back the way she came. “I swear I heard something,” I hear her mumble as her footsteps echo down the staircase.
I press my hand against my chest, letting out a harsh breath. Bryce turns toward me, taking a step closer, but I raise my hands to ward him off. I need a minute to think before I speak. I watch him as he puts his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels.
“She knows me,” I say quietly. “She knows my mother.” Bryce acknowledges the statement with a nod. “How did she not see us?”
Pulling his hands from his pockets, Bryce holds them out in a placating manner. He can obviously hear the barely controlled panic in my voice. He takes another small step forward, cautious as though he’s approaching a wild animal.
“Kailani, please. Don’t be afraid of me,” he says, starting to sound a little panicked himself. “It’s just a spell.”
“A spell?” It’s like he’s speaking a different language. I can’t comprehend what he’s saying.
He moves forward another step. “Yes. I cast a spell to make us…invisible, I guess, is the best way to put it.”
“Invisible?”
His feet bring him within touching distance, and he slowly reaches for my hand. Rubbing it between both of his, he explains, “We weren’t literally invisible
but the spell sort of…clouded her vision. It made her eyes tell her brain that no one was here.”
“It did?” God, I’m being so eloquent right now.
“Yeah,” he says, pulling me into his embrace.
He runs his hands over my back, massaging away the tension. I relax into him, laying my cheek against his chest. We stand there, silent, for several moments before I pull back to look into his eyes.
“You’re a witch.”
A small grin tugs at the corner of his lips. “Yes.”
“You’re a witch, and you cast a spell to make us invisible.”
“Yes.”
“Huh,” I say, before pressing back into him.
He tightens his arms around me, laying his cheek against the top of my head. “You’re not going to tell me how awesome that was?”
A chuckle escapes before I can stop it. “Bryce, that was awesome.”
“I know,” he says with a laugh, squeezing me even tighter.
Chapter Eleven
“How was your library date?”
“Shh, Ana!”
I glance around the cafeteria, making sure she didn’t catch anyone’s attention. We’re stuck inside for lunch because it’s pouring rain today. No one near us seems to have heard but Bryce catches my eye from the other side of the crowded room. He’s sitting with some guys from the football team, blending in as if he’s been here for years. He raises his eyebrows in unspoken question, and I give a small shake of my head to let him know I’m all right. I don’t understand how he can sense my anxiety when so many people’s emotions have to be blaring at him right now.
Looking back at Ana, I lean forward and motion for her to do the same. “It was wonderful,” I say, feeling a blush heating my cheeks.
“Why are you blushing?” she hisses excitedly.
I glance around again, making sure no one is paying attention. “He kissed me.”
“What?!”
I straighten and squeeze my eyes shut as her voice seems to echo around the room. Opening them slowly, I notice several people nearby looking at us curiously for a moment before turning back to their own conversations. Bryce catches my eye once more. He has one eyebrow cocked and a knowing smile playing around the edges of his mouth. I close my eyes and sigh. I can’t keep anything from him.
