Just Witch It

by ERIN BEDFORD

  It was quite an accomplishment and I couldn't be more proud of him.

  "So are you and Ian okay now?" Trina asked, finally moving away from the trophy to her half-packed back. "I mean, you guys seemed like you were okay last night at the party where you were practically dry humping in front of everyone."

  "I was not!" I threw a bundle of socks at her as my cheeks burned. "But yes, we're fine. Better than fine."

  "And what about graduation?" Trina tossed my socks back at me. "How's that going to work?"

  I shrugged. "The same way anyone who dates an older person does. He'll do his thing, and I'll do mine. We'll see each other on weekends, and after school and work. Same with Aidan. Both of them graduate today, you know."

  "Gotcha.” Trina nodded. “Well, I hope the best for you all."

  "What about you and Libby? Any plans for the summer?" I sat down on my bed with a flop. We had a little bit of time before the graduation ceremony, so I was trying to get all my stuff ready before then. Who knew what we would be doing afterward?

  At the mention of Libby, Trina smiled. "We're going to her parents for the summer. They have a beach house in Malibu. Sun, the beach, itty bitty bikinis. It's going to be a blast." Trina wagged her brows suggestively, and we both fell into a fit of laughter.

  A knock on my dorm room door broke up our fun. Getting out of bed, I moved over to the door and opened it.

  "Dale! Hey, I thought we were going to meet downstairs?" I frowned, my brows furrowed as I kissed him hello.

  Dale gave me a shy smile and ran a hand through his shaggy auburn hair. "Yeah, I know, but I wanted to talk to you for a second."

  I glanced back at Trina and then to Dale. "Uh, sure. Let's step out here. Trina wants a minute alone with her trophy." I wiggled my eyebrows at her, making her scowl and grab her trophy. She threw it in her bag as I closed the door behind me. I leaned against it and focused on Dale.

  "What's up?"

  Dale shifted in place his hand tucked into his pocket as he pushed up his glasses. It was so adorable how nervous he was right now. I wondered what he wanted to talk about.

  "So, I was wondering... I was wondering..."

  "Dale," I placed my hand on his arm my eyes softening. "You can ask me anything, I promise. It's okay."

  "I know, it's just hard. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and it's kind of a big deal for me." Dale blushed up to his ears, and I wanted to kiss him so hard right then.

  "Well, I'm sure whatever it is, my answer is yes."

  "What are you doing this summer break?" Dale finally got the words out his face so full of hopefulness, but I was still a bit confused.

  "Uh..." I cocked my head to the side as I stared at him. "Nothing that I know of. Going to my parents, I guess. Why?"

  "Would you... I mean, would you consider... coming home with me? To meet my family?" Dale turned his eyes away from me as if he were too afraid to see my reaction.

  My chest fluttered with nerves and surprise. He wanted me to come home with him? And meet his family? As in his parents? Wow, I'd never done that before. I mean, I'd met Aidan, Ian, and Paul's parents but it wasn't like I came home with them for the whole summer break. It was in passing, at special events or, most recently, at lunch. Plus, going home to meet the family? That was kind of a big deal.

  "Are you sure?" were the first words out of my mouth. Not yes, not I don't know, but are you sure? Way to be confident, Max.

  "What do you mean, am I sure?” His shock that I even asked brushed away some of my worry. “Of course, I'm sure. I love you, Max. I want my family to meet you."

  I blinked up at him and a small smile curled up my lips. "You love me?"

  Dale wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. "Of course, I do. Don't you...?"

  "Yes!" I cried out and then blushed as I lowered my voice. "I mean, yes. I love you too. I just didn't expect you to say it so...suddenly."

  "Is it really sudden, though?" Dale lowered his face down to mine, nipping at my lips. "I thought I was quite blatant with how in love with you I am."

  I giggled and kissed him soundly on the mouth. "Well, it's still nice to hear it aloud. I'd love to come with you to see you family."

  "Great. We can leave this weekend after graduation. Do you want to go by broom or old fashioned airplanes?" Dale rubbed his nose against mine.

  My brows bunched together in confusion. "I thought you're from here? Where are we going?"

  "Oh, no. My grandparents live here, not my parents. My family is back in Florida... or, more specifically, off the coast of Florida. We live in the magical community of Key Witch. It's a secret island only witches and wizards know about. It even has a whole barrier over it so humans can't find us."

  "Really?" My mouth fell open, and I became even more eager to meet his family. "That sounds so cool!" Then something came to mind and my face fell. "I'll have to ask my parents about it first... but you know, I'm an adult! I can go home with my boyfriend if I want to."

  Dale chuckled. "Still, I'd like to stay in your parents’ good graces. Running it by them wouldn't be the worst idea."

  "Well, what are we waiting for?" I grinned and grabbed his hand dragging him down the hallway. "Let's go!"

  With another school year behind me and a new adventure in front of me, I couldn’t let any of the bad shit that happened get me down. After all, I was a witch, there was nothing I couldn't handle.

  Epilogue

  Beth Ann

  That no good, cheating witch! How dare she make a fool out of me?

  “Maxine Mancaster,” I growled to myself as I tossed things around my room. “Who does she think she is? She’s nothin’ but a half breed. What does he see in her?” I groaned and dragged my hands through my long red hair.

  I was gorgeous. I knew it. Everybody knew it. And on top of that, I had something most women my age didn’t have: Class. I was from a good Southern family with old family money. More importantly a magical family. We had roots all the way back to the Dark Ages for cryin’ out loud!

  “So, what does he see in her?” I asked my reflection, my hands on my hips and my brow scrunched together like some kind of cave man. I sighed and dropped my arms, smoothing them over my tea dress. It wasn’t just Max, ugh, what an unfeminine name, that I had to worry about though. There was her human ‘friend.’

  Callie.

  She was a piece of trouble I didn’t need. My parents were dead set on me marrying Chadwick since I couldn’t have Ian. We needed to get a foothold in one of the other major magical cities, and it was either in Georgia or California. Right now, as it stood, we weren’t getting what we wanted from Ian, and Maxine was too much of a problem to be taken care of easily.

  Now, Callie, though... A little birdie told me she was joining the human integration program at Sun Valley Academy with Chadwick. If she was separated from Maxine and her little army of men, then it would be much easier to get rid of her.

  I didn’t suspect that Chadwick would be a problem. He wasn’t the brightest bulb in the bunch, and he did whatever his mommy and daddy told him to. It would be easy to make sure that what was going on between them was a fling and nothing more, a passing fancy. At least, it better be.

  My daddy might be many things, but forgiving wasn’t one of them.

  As if on cue, my bedroom door opened, and my father, Sergeant Zagan Scarlette, came marching in. “Beth Ann.”

  “Yes, daddy?” I hustled to stand before him, ready to hear his will.

  Daddy stroked his goatee which was the same fiery red color as my hair and narrowed his amber eyes on me. “What is this I hear about Chadwick bringing a human girl home with him this summer?”

  Crap. How did he find out so quickly?

  “It’s nothing, daddy. Trust me.” I gave him my best innocent look, clasping my hands in front of me. “She’s just a passing fancy. She won’t last the summer.”

  “She better not. I have plans for that boy.” He scanned over me for a moment in thought.
“It’s really too bad you couldn’t get the Broomstein boy to change his mind. We would have had a better excuse for integrating our group there than in California.”

  I was prepared for this. “But daddy, there are loads of Dark Arts students in California. It won’t be hard at all to convince them into your way of thinking, I don’t think, sir.” I finished with a stern look and a salute.

  Daddy always liked it when I addressed him like one of his soldiers. We might not like humans, but that didn’t mean that we didn’t work alongside them if we had to. When it came to war, something my daddy thrived in, we got fought with the best of them.

  Daddy nodded. “And what of this half breed you were telling me about? The Mancaster girl? I heard she’s been popularizing integration.” He said it like it gave him a bad taste in his mouth, moving his tongue around with a grimace. “It’s already catching at a few of the academies. We can’t have that. The next thing we know, they’ll want is for us all to breed with them.” He scoffed a laugh as she shook his head.

  “Yes, Maxine Mancaster. She’s gathered herself quite the little harem of guys, it seems.” I arched a brow with a tiny smile. “And wouldn’t you know? They are all from influential families.” I paused and thought back to the redheaded boy. “Well, maybe not all of them, but even the Varnes are in charge of that hidden island by Florida. I heard Maxine talking about going there for the summer with him.”

  Daddy hummed and put his hands behind his back. “Key Witch, is it?”

  “Yes, I believe so.”

  A slow smile crawled up my daddy’s face one that made even my skin quiver with fear. “My darling, daughter. I do believe it’s time to start a little chaos.”

  TO BE CONTINUED...

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  Also by Erin Bedford

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  About the Author

  Erin Bedford is an otaku, recovering coffee addict, and Legend of Zelda fanatic. Her brain is so full of stories that need to be told that she must get them out or explode into a million screaming chibis. Obsessed with fairy tales and bad boys, she hasn’t found a story she can’t twist to match her deviant mind full of innuendos, snarky humor, and dream guys.

  On the outside, she’s a work from home mom and bookbinger. One the inside, she’s a thirteen-year-old boy screaming to get out and tell you the pervy joke they found online. As an ex-computer programmer, she dreams of one day combining her love for writing and college credits to make the ultimate video game!

  Until then, when she’s not writing, Erin is devouring as many books as possible on her quest to have the biggest book gut of all time. She’s written over thirty books, ranging from paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and even scifi romance.

  Also, third person is really weird when writing about yourself. Just putting that out there.

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