by Cathy Gaitan
“What? Julia would never cheat on you,” Mercy exclaims making me want to heave the nerd across the room. Pink grabs her by the shoulders and shoves her back behind him. He obviously knows what I was thinking.
“Go get dressed, Mercy,” Pink suggests. It’s only then I realize all she’s wearing is one of Pinks t-shirts.
“Fine. I’m also going to call Julia,” she mutters as turns to leave. Pink jumps in front of me before I can grab her.
“Quit saying her name!” I sound insane which is great because that’s exactly how I feel.
“Sit down, Titus,” Pink grabs me by the arm and gives me a little shove to get me moving. It’s more a suggestion since he has zero hope of budging me on his own. I decided to be cooperative and take my seat. “Let me get something for your head.”
“Just bring the bottle,” I advise him.
“I meant a towel to wipe up the blood,” Pink explains. “You’re still bleeding.”
I shrug because who cares? “It won’t kill me. I’d rather have the bottle.”
Pink sighs. “Fine, but at least take off your shirt. You’re going to get blood all over my couch.”
“Yeah? So what! You and your romantic bullshit is what got me into this mess in the first place.” Awesome. I spoke the crazy out loud.
Pink eyes me skeptically, “How do you figure that?”
I shake my head trying to swallow the words but they spill out anyway. “All those things you do for Mercy got back to Julia. She wanted romance. She wanted me to be more like you.”
Pink, the heartless bastard, starts to laugh. “She wanted you to be like me so she messed with Oz? Did you already down a bottle?”
I grin bitterly then lean back and rub my blood soaked head against the cushions of his couch. The jackass can just think of me each time he sees this ugly couch.
He huffs out an aggravated breath. “Perfect. Gee, I can’t imagine why Julia would want to ditch your ass.”
I lie back onto the armrest and rub more blood into it. Childish? Maybe, but right this minute I don’t give a damn. “I can’t help but notice you haven’t brought my bottle of oblivion yet.”
Pink rolls his eyes but heads toward the kitchen. I pull Julia’s shirt back out and hold it to my face. Damn Pink for being so slow bringing the booze. This would look way less sappy if I was wasted.
“Julia says she didn’t cheat on you,” Mercy says from somewhere above my head.
I reach back and grab the bottom of her t-shirt yanking hard until she’s gripping the back of the couch to keep from landing on my head. “Mercy, if you don’t quit saying her name I am going to kill you!” I wouldn’t but I really need her to believe it right now. For the preservation of the little bit of sanity I still possess.
Pink drops a bottle of something amber onto my stomach making me wince and causing me to release Mercy’s t-shirt. “Titus, you need to get a freaking grip.”
“That’s not gonna happen,” I tell him as I pry open the bottle and take a huge gulp. “But maybe by the time I get to the bottom of this thing I’ll find it.”
“She didn’t cheat on you, Titus,” Mercy whispers next to my ear. Pink grabs my free hand before I can use it to grab that mess of a hair-do and make her see the way of things.
“Your woman’s trying to ruin my happy,” I mutter to Pink.
“What happy? You’re so miserable you’re bringing us all down,” he replies.
“Aw, is my misery putting a crimp in your romance? Well, too bad,” I tilt the bottle and gulp until I can’t breathe. “My woman’s off playing hide the wand with the magician. At this point happy is a foreign concept.” Damn it! I so didn’t need that imagery in my head. Oz needs to die!!
“She’s not doing that,” Mercy insists. “She said it was the Witch.”
“The Witch? Good idea,” I pull out my phone and send off a text. It takes longer than usual because the letters are blurring.
Mercy grabs the phone from my hand and looks at the sent message. “What did you do?” I’m pretty sure she knows what I did.
“Julia is going to kill you,” she yells. I dive for her throat and end up face down on the floor.
“It’s none of her business what I do,” I mumble into the carpet. I’m pretty sure I have cat hair stuck to my tongue.
“It’s a hundred percent her business,” she persists. “She loves you. You love her. The Dragon Lady created this whole mess.”
“That’s funny. You fall in love and suddenly you’re the expert in all things love related. Blah. You don’t know everything,” I roll onto my back so I can glare at her. “That woman carved a hole into my chest. You, of all people, should be able to relate.”
“You’re not listening! Julia didn’t do that. The Dragon Lady used her body to make a move on Oz but nothing happened. She says Oz figured out what was going on. Nothing happened!” She’s acting as though I broke up with her. This sisterhood thing is weird.
“Why are you getting so worked up about this,” I laugh because it’s kind of funny.
“Because you’re not listening to me. The Dragon Lady hijacked Julia’s body,” Mercy is gripping my hand as though trying to physically force me to accept her words. “She did the same thing to me a couple of weeks ago.”
That gets my attention and Pink’s too apparently. “What? You didn’t tell me that.”
She shrugs. “I didn’t want to upset you.”
I snort out a laugh. “She’s got a point. Knowing she was playing in Oz’s magic kingdom might just ‘upset’ you.”
Pink looked like he was about to blow his lid. “You and Oz?”
Mercy glares at me. “No!” She slaps me in the head making my vision blur for a moment. She’s a mean, that one. “It was that first morning you brought me hot chocolate and I didn’t open the door. She wouldn’t let me. She changed my hair. That’s why it’s like this. I tried to fix it.”
“You failed,” I point out what’s obvious.
Pink elbows me in the side. I guess he likes the crazy hair. “How long was she with you,” he asks. What he really wants to know is what else she made Mercy do.
“Not long. Just that morning. I think she was working toward something but when I thought of you I was able to pull down that curtain like you did with Oz that day,” she explains. Most of it is gibberish to me but Pink seems to understand.
“So you’re saying she did the same thing to Julia,” Pinkerton says her name and I want to punch him.
“Yes, but this time she tried to make Julia hook up with Oz. I think the Dragon Lady wanted to tap into his powers but Oz was onto her. Julia says they had kind of a shoot-out. Oz took a lightning bolt in the side which is why Julia was touching him when he opened the door for Titus.”
“Yes,” she looks at me expectantly. Forget it. I’m not falling for that.
“Great for you,” I lift my bottle and Mercy yanks it out of my hands.
“You need to believe her,” she demands.
“That’s where you’re wrong. What I need is to drink until I can’t see,” I correct her. I try to grab the bottle from her but she tosses it across the room making it smash against the wall.
“Your woman is a menace,” I complain to Pink.
“I have pictures,” Mercy says. “Of the damage to Oz’s house and his side.”
I pause because I want to believe. I want this all to be some massive misunderstanding. I want it all to just go away. When she shoves her phone in front of me I scroll through the pictures. “They could have done this afterward,” I argue.
“Why would they do that,” Pink asks.
“Guilt,” I say but it doesn’t ring true.
“You broke Oz’s nose. Even I know he wouldn’t go to the effort to ease your pain if it wasn’t true. He would have rubbed your nose in it,” Mercy announces.
That does ring true. I can feel hope trying to worm its way in. “Maybe I’ll talk to her. Tomorrow.” Tomorrow seems safer than today. It allows hope to hang around
for a while. You know, in case it all ends up being a lie.
“Today,” Julia says from the doorway. I feel the heart that wasn’t there a while ago begin to pound in my chest.
She changed out of her dress and back into camouflage. Her purple hair is in braids again. The lipstick is nowhere to be seen. “What are you doing here,” I ask, drinking in the sight of her in case it’s the last time.
“I’m here because you’re here,” she tells me. “You belong with me.”
“What about Oz?” I need to be sure.
“He only wants Bibidee Bea,” she walks over and kneels in front of me. “You’re the only one who doesn’t seem to know that,” she says with a crooked smile.
I grab her by the braid and lean in to take a sniff. Pure Julia. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. “Don’t you ever do that to me again,” I whisper against her neck. If I shed a few tears, it’s nobody’s business but my own. “Never again.”
“Never again,” she agrees. “I promise,” she tells me. “Now grab your things and let’s go home. It’s just not the same without you there.” She runs her fingers over my beard and kisses my lips. “I missed you Titus Remington.”
“I missed you too,” I reply as I rise up off the floor and collect my bag. “Besides, the hospitality here sucks.”
Chapter Sixteen
Hey, Witchy Bea!
In case you haven’t heard.
Julia and I are done.
Wanna have some fun?
- Titus Remington’s drunken text
Are you talking a little slap and tickle?
Or leather and chains?
‘Cuz I could go either way.
-Bibidee Bea’s immediate response
Titus is back off the market.
But I’m sure Oz would be happy to play
50 shades of strange with you.
—Julia (aka Titus’ woman)
-Julia Caesar’s text via Titus’ phone
Bibidee Bea
From the bottom to the top
I was so close to finally living the dream. Titus was mine for the taking for like 30 seconds. Damn that Julia Caesar! Will she never loosen her grip on him?
Honestly I had pretty much given up any hope of having Titus as my own. I’d made peace with the fact that he was with Julia apparently for the long haul. Then he teased me with that text. He gave me hope then left it to Julia to rip it away. I mean, I knew he was twisted but that was just too much even for Titus.
That’s okay though, I sniff, wiping a stray tear away. I’m strong. This won’t break me. Hell, I went head to head with the wickedest Witch in the land! A broken heart is nothing in comparison. Sure it stings a little but then so does a paper cut.
I sigh and return my floral patterned leather outfit to the back of my closet. What? You thought I was joking. Well, I wasn’t. And if you tell anyone please make sure Titus is included. It wouldn’t hurt to keep him guessing. Just in case. What can I say? Hope springs eternal.
When my phone rings I snatch it up immediately, my heart pounding excitedly in my chest. I frown in disappointment when I see it’s Oz. The ring tone should have given it away but my mind was still on Titus.
“Why are you calling me,” not a nice greeting but damn him for not being the twisted Zombie.
“I need to see you,” Oz doesn’t even reprimand me for my greeting.
I roll my eyes. “Look, I don’t know how else to tell you. You’re a very pretty Warlock but you’re not my type.” He’s so hung up on me. “Why don’t you just conjure up one of those blow up dolls and pretend she’s me. I promise I won’t be offended.” Much. Barf.
“Get over yourself, Witch! Women line up to be with me,” he growls.
“I hate to break it to you but that’s probably the line for the restroom,” I gently explain because I don’t want to hurt his feelings.
“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m a catch! I have magic in my bones,” he insists. I’m a little embarrassed for him. I’m tempted to hang up and pretend I didn’t hear him.
“Do yourself a favor and never speak of your magic bone again,” I advise him because somebody needs to say it.
He takes a deep breath and I smile imagining him flustered and agitated. Sometimes you’ve got to take your joy where you find it. “I need to see you in person,” he grits. I think I can actually hear his teeth clenching. “This has to do with the Dragon Lady not your inflated ego.”
“I don’t know. I’m kind of busy,” I lie as I dust lint off my floral skirt.
He snorts. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“Stay out of my head,” I shout as I drop poppy covered curtains over my mind. I must be slipping. I didn’t even feel him there.
“Just get over here,” he replies.
Sure, because orders always work on me. Not! “Sorry, I just remembered a thing I have to do. Gotta go.”
“I’ll give you the dirt on Titus and Julia’s little tiff,” he dangles the information like a carrot.
See, it’s those little things that make him drop from a 10 to a 4. He looks oh so pretty but then he opens his mouth and says things like ‘tiff’ and ‘magic bones’. “Fine, I guess I can squeeze you in but I won’t be able to stay for long.”
“That’s fine. It’s not like I’m asking you to move in,” Oz responds with a giant gulp.
“Hmm, too bad. I might have said yes,” I tell him because I feel like it. “See you soon.”
“Wait, what do…,” I hang up before he can finish his sentence. It’s good to keep a man guessing. Even Oz.
I straighten my clothes, fix my hair and swipe on some lipstick. I slide on a stack of bangle bracelets and dab on a touch of perfume. I know what you’re thinking but this isn’t for Oz. It’s for me. The near miss with Titus has me feeling down. At times like this I find a pick-me up works wonders. When you look good you feel good. When you feel good it leaves no room to feel bad.
It doesn’t have to make sense to you. It makes sense to me. In my world that’s all that matters.
Boom Hildie is in the living room when I come downstairs. “Whoo-hoo! Bea’s got all her nets in the water. Who’s the catch of the day,” she asks me.
“Nobody. I’m just going to see Oz for a little bit,” I explain. Not that it’s any of her business.
“Really? Oz,” she looks at me with sympathy. “Hard times, huh?”
“I’m not gonna hook up with him,” I protest. “He just wants to talk.” It’s the truth but for some reason it sounds lame even to my own ears.
“Sure,” Hildie winks at me. “We all need to ‘talk’ every once in a while.” She makes air quotes around the word ‘talk’.
I growl and flip her the bird because sometimes words are just not sufficient.
When I arrive at Oz’s house I pause on the sidewalk to inspect the huge blood stain. What happened here? Maybe Oz tripped over his magic bone I chortle to myself.
I knock tentatively. To be honest I’m kind of hoping he doesn’t hear it. I’m starting to think coming here might have been a mistake. Damn him and his bat like hearing. He answers on the second knock.
I look at him and blink. His perfect face is, well, not so perfect. That arrow straight nose is swollen and tilting slightly to the left. There’s bruising under both eyes. His hair is a tangled mess. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so disheveled.
Oz tries to grin when he sees me but it comes out as a grimace. For some reason my heart stutters in my chest. What the hell is that about?
“What happened to your face,” I gasp breathlessly. Really! Breathlessly. I don’t know what is going on with me right now but I’m laying the blame at Titus Remington’s door. He obviously broke something.
He shrugs. “I got into a fight with Titus earlier today.”
“You got into a physical fight with Titus,” I squeak. I look him over. He’s still standing which is no small feat. Titus is a big guy. Oz isn’t small but he’s also not Titus.
He s
miles crookedly, a dimple winking in his right cheek. Still pretty but not at all perfect. He looks a little like a boxer. I fan myself a little because it feels it a little warm in here for some reason. “I held my own. Last time I saw Titus his head was dripping blood like a faucet.”
I tuck my hair behind my ear making my bangles jingle from the movement and sending a whiff of perfume into the space between us. “Your hurt him?” Why does the thought make my heart thump like a drum?
“Don’t worry. I’m sure he’s fine,” he assures me. For some reason I’m far less interested in the status of Titus’ injury than the fact that Oz inflicted it.
“Oh, well that’s important, I guess,” I mutter the last part under my breath. As far as I’m concerned that’s for Julia to worry about not me. “Were you injured anywhere else?”
He looks at me in confusion then says, “Yes. I took a blast to the side.” He lifts his shirt to show me the golf ball sized wound wincing when I reach out to run my fingers over it.
“This was done by magic,” I murmur. I glance up at him. “Did Titus do this also?”
“Nope. The Dragon Lady did that through Julia,” he answers grimly. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I think we might have a problem on our hands.” No kidding! The fact that he faced off with the battle axe gives me chills and not in the scared and anxious way. Is it possible I’m attracted to Oz? Say it ain’t so!
I grab him by the hem of his shirt and yank him with me down the hallway. “We need to get you cleaned up. You look like a mess,” I mutter. A hot mess. I kind of hate myself for thinking that but it’s true. He’s never looked better and that is truly disturbing. I need him to go back to pretty and perfect as quickly as possible.
He grabs me by the hand. “We have more important things to deal with right now.” He’s staring at me intently, strands of hair in his eyes. I let my eyes wander back to his broken nose and I feel that shiver course down my spine. This cannot be happening! I do not accept it!! “Bea, are you listening to me?”
