by Holly Hood
“Are you kidding me?” Slade said nose to nose with K. “Sit down. I don’t even know who you are.”
K grinned. “Oh, but I think you do. If I would have known it was you Slade I would have figured this all out.”
By this time everyone was back at the table. I couldn’t understand how it was possible K knew Slade and Hutch. I wanted to know who this guy was.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Get out of my face,” Slade moved around him trying to get my attention again. This time I stood up. Something wasn’t right.
I needed to talk to Slade and figure it out. But before I could Hutch’s hand was on my shoulder. He jerked me backwards and grabbed Slade.
“You need to stay away from her,” he said, shoving Slade away from the table. He followed after him and shoved him again.
“Hutch,” I said alarmed that he was willing to get physical with him and in front of everyone. “Just let me talk to him.”
Karsen grabbed me by the arm. I was sick of everyone trying to stop me. I pulled away. “What is with all of you?”
Karsen stepped closer. “Just let them deal with this; you don’t need to put yourself in the middle of them. You’re going to get hurt.”
I didn’t bother arguing.
Slade moved in going for Hutch, he grabbed him around the waist. The entire restaurant jumped to their feet as they collided into a table. Plates dropped off the table crashing to the ground.
I shoved K out of the way before he could try and stop me from getting to the two of them. I grabbed Slade’s arm before he hit Hutch.
“Stop,” I said. “You’re in enough trouble. Why are you even here?”
Slade dropped his hand. All the anger melted away. “Talk to me please, and then I’ll leave you alone.”
I took his hand, ignoring Hutch’s angry stare.
Chapter 20
Boy drama. I was in the middle of it.
I never imagined this would ever be what my life was about.
Everyone stood outside of the shore café; it took Hutch’s charm to convince the staff not to call the police. I was glad they didn’t because none of us needed the drama anymore.
I crossed my arms fighting the cool breeze as Slade and I put distance between us and Hutch. He wouldn’t talk, he just walked further and further toward the water.
We came to a stop at the edge, the waves coming short of hitting our feet. Slade stared out at the water.
“You know, you’re confusing,” I told him.
“It’s been a crazy year that’s for sure.” He sat down.
I stared down at him. “I thought you had something to tell me?”
He gave me an aggravated look. “Will you just sit? I swear you’re the most stubborn girl I have ever met.”
“And I’m sure you have met lots,” I said planting myself in the sand. “So talk.”
Slade brought up one leg, his hand resting on his knee. “Things have never turned out right for us.”
No shit, I thought to myself. What was he trying to do to me?
“But now there is nothing standing in the way, I took care of everything.” He waited for me to agree. Maybe he thought I would fall into his arms full of happiness I wasn’t sure. But I wasn’t so sure it was that easy.
“I can’t believe that is possible,” I said. “You pissed off an entire coven. You escaped from the Cherry Police, I can’t imagine they aren’t looking for you right now.”
Slade shook his head. “It’s been taken care. That’s what I was doing the whole time I was gone. And we both know how easy it is to make a deal with the mayor.”
I didn’t know how to feel. I didn’t even know what that even meant. Or if he would even tell me what it was he did to buy his forgiveness.
“There’s always something else with you. Nothing ever works out the way we want it to. And I am fine with that, I think I’m finally fine with it,” I said.
“You’re pissing me off,” Slade said.
“Well good,” I said back. “You pissed me off over and over again and you never seemed to care. Why should I care?”
“Because I care about you,” Slade snapped.
I rolled my eyes. “You have an awful way of showing it.”
“What do you want me to do or say?” Slade stared me down. “How the hell do I fix this? Because you’re the only person I would do anything for. You’re the only person I can’t run away from.”
The words of my dad sprung forth in my mind. “I think you’re bad for me.”
“I am.” Slade told me, a small hint of a smile playing on his lips. He toyed with his lip ring making me melt.
“You’re never going to be my knight in shining armor,” I pointed out. He wasn’t the warm and fuzzy kind of guy.
“That’s because I’m too busy,” Slade said.
I raised an eyebrow. “With what?”
“Being a bad ass in black,” he said leaning over until he was pressed into me. I smiled, and he was happy to see it. He trailed a finger across my heart. “At one time you liked how I was.”
I took his hand. “I thought I did. But now I don’t understand you.” Maybe he was a phase.
“What are you thinking?” Slade said. He squeezed my hand.
“I’m thinking I’ve grown up.” I touched his face. “And I’m scared that I’ll never know what is right to do. Is it you, I don’t know.” I didn’t know what love was, I knew what kind of love I wanted.
Slade kissed my shoulder. “You’re confused and I get that. I wasn’t a big help. But I think I can fix that.”
I touched his face. “If it was only that easy, Slade.”
“It is,” he insisted. I touched his lip ring, smiling as he kissed my fingertips; he squeezed my fingers and brought them down to his chest. “All I have to do is make you fall in love with me. I refuse to let this relationship be one sided and have to sit here and watch you run around with that arrogant giant.”
“One sided huh?” I wanted to hear more.
Slade nodded. “I’m the guy in love with a girl who doesn’t know what the fuck she wants.”
I held back the laugh. “What if it’s Hutch that I am meant to be with?” I knew it was harsh to say that but I wanted to be honest. I didn’t know what I was meant to do.
“Not going to happen, as long as I’m alive there will never be a Hope and Hutch.” He pushed into me. “You were meant to come to Cherry and be with me.”
I pushed him back. “Well, now I know the real reason my mom ruined her marriage; it was to bring me to you.”
“I’m glad you get that,” he said with a smile. “See I can be laidback, I’m not always broody.”
I agreed. “When all your female admirers are dead it makes it easier for you I see.”
“You’re the only one I want,” he moved in. I took him by the chin; I wanted to kiss him more than anything in the world. I sighed, closed my eyes and went for it.
We broke apart. Slade wrapped an arm around me. “Come home with me and leave that asshole on the beach.”
I groaned. “It can’t be this easy. You’re going to have to prove you’re here for real this time.”
“And in the meantime you’re going to run around with that guy?” He asked. “I don’t like that guy. Or the one he’s with. There’s something off about him.”
I agreed with that much. “His name is K. And Hutch says he’s supernatural.”
Slade watched Hutch and K listening to me explain.
“He says K came all the way here for his help. That he wants something from him.” I bit my lip. “But beyond that neither one of them will explain it anymore.”
“Of course they wouldn’t, anyone hiding something is never going to let the world know what they have planned.” Slade stood up.
“What are you doing?” I said. I jumped to my feet and started after Slade. “Slade you’re supposed to be proving things are different, not pounding Hutch’s face in.”
Slade shook his head. “I�
��m proving that I will protect you no matter what. I’m not going to let this guy manipulate you and use you.”
I tugged at his t-shirt trying to keep him from getting closer to Hutch. “He is not using me. He has helped me all this time. I am a big girl, I can handle things.”
“I turned you into a witch; you’ve proven you can’t handle anything.” Slade told me. “Let me deal with this.”
I held on to his shirt. “What are you going to do?”
Slade stopped; he ran a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m going to punch him in the mouth. And then I am going to threaten his life.”
“No you’re not,” I argued. “He’s not afraid of you.”
Slade touched my hair. “Then come back to the RV and let me show you how much I missed you.”
My insides fluttered at the thought of it. “That’s blackmail.”
“The best kind,” he gave me one final look. “So yes or no?”
I released his t-shirt. “I told you, you’re going to have to prove yourself to me. And if you think fighting Hutch is doing that think again.”
Slade kissed me on the cheek and finished his descent across the sand. Hutch was waiting for him. I hurried to catch up.
“Did you try your best?” Hutch said. “I bet you laid it on thick. Whatever it takes to win her over right?”
Slade stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I promised her I wouldn’t hit you.”
Hutch smirked. “How very noble of you.”
“But I want to point out one thing,” Slade said looking over at K. “If you’re planning anything that involves Hope you better think again.”
Hutch stepped forward. “Isn’t that your main objective?”
He was right I thought to myself, I kept quiet.
“Hope, did Slade ever let you in on the big secret? That there are more than just witches running around Cherry?” K asked, taking a spot next to Hutch. He stared Slade down not at all afraid of him.
I shook my head.
Hutch nodded watching Slade’s expression. “Hope came to the Greenhouse the other night. She got to see the finer things in life. I was afraid she didn’t know the whole truth, that there are other things out there besides people like us. Now she knows.”
K agreed. “Lots of other kinds.”
I wished he would say it already. He dangled his anonymity in front of us all like it was a piece of meat and we were hungry dogs.
“And whatever it is you are you need the help of magic; otherwise you wouldn’t even be here.” Slade said. “Doesn’t take a whole lot to figure that out.”
K clapped his hands. “Very observant, I’m just waiting for the realization that you know me.”
Slade was confused. K lifted his shirt revealing a barrage of scars. He pointed to one in particular on his chest. “Does this ring a bell?”
“You got to be kidding me,” Slade said.
Now I was the one who was confused. “What?” What could a scar have to do with anything?
K dropped his shirt. “That’s right. It’s me.”
Slade shook his head in disbelief. “This guy showed up years ago looking for someone to cast a spell for him. He was trying to kill his own father.”
“Why would you want to kill your own father?” I asked.
“Go on, seems you got a good memory,” K said to Slade.
“He was trying to take over. He wanted control over his family’s business. Only problem with his plan was I wasn’t stupid enough to help him out,” Slade said. “That scar, was from me.”
K agreed. “This little fucker stabbed me. And if it wasn’t for the black magic bullshit I’d have dropped him dead.”
I wished I grasped what was going on but I was clueless.
Chapter 21
Waking up to flowers was supposed to be a happy moment in a girl’s life. So imagine the horror coming downstairs to a giant display of roses on my grandmother’s dining room table, and everyone staring at me.
“What?” I asked as I stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
“Someone delivered these for you today,” Nona spoke up as she sifted through the stack of mail in her hands. This was the first time she talked to me in weeks.
I plucked the card from the leaves and tore at the envelope while everyone waited. I knew they weren’t going to back off until they knew where the flowers came from.
“I woke up wishing you were here….” Elliot read over my shoulder. “Who would want to look at you in the morning?”
I slapped him. “Someone obviously.” And that someone was Slade. I knew his writing anywhere. It was the first cute thing he ever did and I ate it up like a starving cheerleader.
“Well who sent them?” Dad asked sipping at his coffee.
Everyone stood silent and waited for me to tell them so they could go about their day. Dad was running late for work. Nona from the looks of her was about to take a morning jog. The boys wore board shorts with towels slung over their shoulders.
“Slade.” I changed the subject. “Has anyone checked on Blue?” I still remembered Blue although it was awhile since I saw him. Nona refused to let him stay in her home. He was going through a horrible chewing phase and she refused to replace all her nice things for the likes of him or any wild animal—her words.
Nona dropped her head and clutched the table. “I thought that boy was on the run for breaking out of custody. How in the world did he send you flowers?”
“He took care of it,” I said back. I tucked the card into my jeans and smelled the flowers. “For a crazed lunatic he is rather thoughtful.”
Dad muttered something under his breath. Nona lifted her keys and painted on a smile as she headed out the door.
“You might want to check on Blue sometime today. Elliot and Easton have been doing the brunt of the work with your dog. I think he misses you. I think we all do.” Dad gave me a look; he tried to break through the awkwardness that was us ever since he flat out told me to kill my boyfriend.
“Maybe once everyone starts acting normal it won’t be so hard to come around,” I said. “Have a great day at work.”
I shut the door behind me, and walked onto the porch. I was glad to be out of that house and away from all of them. Anymore they were thorns in my side. Thorns that did nothing but aggravate me and make me want to claw someone’s eyes out.
“I like the shirt,” Slade said, a cute grin on his face. I was happy to see him waiting for me.
I touched my black tank top that K bought me and smiled. “Of course you would.” I headed down the stairs.
“Where you heading?” He asked.
I touched my hair as the air kicked up. “I was going to see my dog, maybe take him for a walk and then go see my so called best friend.”
“Did you like the flowers?”
I smiled. “Of course, it was sweet of you. Nothing you have ever done before.”
“Am I any closer?” he asked taking my hand as we walked down the boardwalk toward my houses.
“To what?” I gave Slade a confused look. “Grating my nerves?”
He stared at the ground as we walked. “To making you fall in love with me.”
My cheeks warmed. “I don’t think that’s how it happens.”
“I don’t think so either. But I like picking on you,” he admitted, squeezing my hand tighter.
“I do like that you’re trying,” I told him. We stopped walking. I stared up at him, my fingers slipping up his tattooed covered arms to his amazing biceps. “It makes me feel good.”
He nipped at my lip. “I know other ways to do that.”
“I haven’t seen my dog in weeks; could you keep it in your pants for a little while longer?” I pressed my forehead against his chest.
“Let’s go see your dog,” Slade said slipping an arm around my shoulder.
Chapter 22
“This is your mom right?” Slade asked looking through a photo album that I didn’t know was lying around our house. He made himself at home on our co
uch and sifted through parts of my life I wanted to forget about.
I sat down next to him. “My mother and my little brother.” I smiled at the thought of my little brother, but looking at my mom I couldn’t produce an ounce of happiness towards her.
Slade was watching me. “What?”
He shook his head and flipped the page. “You’re different when you talk about your family. I can see it in your eyes.”
I focused on the next photo. “That was Christmas; my parents loved family photos once upon a time.”
Slade touched my smiling face. “You were happy. And young.”
I rolled my eyes. “So much for that right?” I tried to keep it together.
“You look like her,” he said.
I swallowed. “That’s what I’ve always heard. Who do you look like?”
Slade stopped what he was doing. “Definitely my dad.”
“What was his name?”
“Charles Andrews,” he said lost in thought. “I still remember the first time he heard me sing.”
Slade closed the book.
“I bet he was amazed,” I said with a smile, I was happy to reminisce with him as long as we weren’t talking about me.
“He was worried,” Slade said. “Music was his life; he knew how much of an asshole I was already. He thought music would ruin me.”
I laughed. Slade raised an eyebrow at me. “Are you laughing at me? I’m being serious and you think it’s funny?”
I laughed more once he smirked. “I like this side of you.”
He moved in ready to steal a kiss. “I like every side of you.”
I wrapped my hands around his neck and accepted his soft kiss. He pulled away.
“What’s the matter?” I asked him.
“I wanted to finish my story.” He leaned back on the couch and pulled me close. “When I first started singing I became just that, an asshole. I was hell on wheels.”
I rested my head against his chest. “How so?”
Slade ran a hand through his hair. “I got kicked out of Ashwilder; just about every girl at that school was pissed off at me for one reason or another. And I partied with people three times my age.”
