Witch Ever After: A Sweet & Quirky Paranormal Romance

by Kallie Khan

  “I’ll say.” He laughed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry this is such a mess,” he repeated.

  “It’s fine,” she said, waving off his concerns. “Really. You’re family’s really nice. It’s a lot better than hanging out with my family. Or at least my mom’s side of the family. You’d like my dad and my sister...My mom, probably not so much.”

  “Well, I’m glad you liked my folks. They like you too. And my dad really liked you,” he said. “It’s not that he doesn’t like people...but he usually takes a lot more to warm up to people.”

  “I liked him too,” she said. She looked like she wanted to say more, but Kaiden didn’t quite know what to say or how to say it—because really, how do you ask someone, “Hey, what ineffable quality allows you to carry a conversation with the man that gave life to me, because even just a few pointers might get me going?”—and then the expression was gone from her face anyway, so Kaiden let it drop out of his immediate consciousness.

  But he was deeply glad anyway that his dad had liked Tobie so much, and the thought buoyed him as he set about putting together a makeshift pallet on the floor.

  “What are you doing?” Tobie asked.

  “Getting ready for bed,” he said, pointing at a pillow he’d just tossed on the floor.

  She rolled her eyes. “Just get in the bed,” she said.

  He kept his expression carefully neutral, because his heart was doing such wild palpitations that he thought may need medical attention if they were to keep up their irregular thump, and his stomach was doing somersaults in his abdomen. “No, really, I can—”

  “We’re both adults, right?”

  “Yes…”

  “I promise I won’t take advantage of you,” she said, hands up in surrender. “Look, I’ll sleep way over on this side, or this side, whichever, and you’ll sleep way over on the opposite side, and it’ll be fine. It’s just way more economical than all this,” she said, gesturing at the half-constructed pallet with a lopsided half-grin.

  She made good sense, he realized. And it was going to get cold tonight—far colder than a synthetic comforter and some blankets would alleviate. So he got into the bed, taking care to stay as close to the edge of his chosen side (left, when sitting in the bed).

  Tobie crawling into the right side once he was settled. “That wasn’t so bad.”

  He smiled back, trying to keep the nerves from his expression. “Not so bad,” he echoed in agreement.

  They each reached over and turned the bedside lamps out.

  Five minutes later, as Kaiden was attempting to convince himself he was tired and not enamored of the girl in the bed next to him, he heard a cry and a muffled WHUMP.

  “Tobie?! Are you okay?”

  “Sorry,” came her muffled reply from somewhere on the floor.

  “What happened?” he asked, flicking on the light.

  “I rolled over. There was no more bed to roll over to, though,” she said, clamoring up and into the bed. Her hair was mussed and half of it was sticking up in wispy dishevelment.

  “If you laugh, I will murder you in your sleep,” she said, just as Kaiden felt his lips start to twitch.

  A snort escaped.

  She glared.

  He clapped a mortified hand over his mouth. “I’m so sorry,” he said through his fingers.

  She rolled her eyes. “I won’t actually kill you. But you got lucky. I’m in a good mood tonight.”

  “You can come closer, you know.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He patted the general area of the bed that bordered on his own space. “There’s a ton of room. Or, okay, not a ton. But still.” The bed was a roomy full, which, compared to his queen bed at home was a little cramped for even one. But she was small and he would do his best to stay to his side and not move.

  He told her so.

  “You’re going to get a cramp if you stay in one position all night,” she said matter of factly.

  “Indeed?” he asked, putting on a decidedly British accent.

  “Very indeed,” she said back, half testily, with a smirk.

  She settled back into the bed, and he realized just how close they were. He could feel the heat from her body radiating next to him, sinking into the sheets and warming the bed.

  He wanted to reach out to her, sneak his leg over to rest against hers. But he just grinned. “See? I’ll just stay here.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Look, if your foot touches mine or something, it’s fine.”

  He looked at her for a moment, both their faces horizontal on their pillows.

  “I won’t touch you if I can help it.”

  Tobie let out a series of muffled, snorting laughs. “Am I that hideous?” she gasped between bouts of laughter.

  He laughed too. “You know very well that’s not what I meant!” he said, indignant but quietly, so as not to wake anyone.

  “Uh-huh.” She grinned her lopsided grin, the one that made his heart beat faster, his muscles go taut. Even sideways as they were, she was beautiful, her intelligent eyes boring into him.

  She had no idea what effect she had on him, did she?

  He drew a breath.

  She blinked, her smile fading. “What’s wrong?”

  Then a smile spread across his lips, and he gave a soft chuckle. “There’s a pretty girl in bed with me, so I’d say pretty much zero things are wrong.”

  “Oh yeah?” she said, matching his smile. A bloom of delicate pink formed on her cheeks.

  “And,” he continued with a small shake of his head, grin widening, “I feel like a totally shy schoolboy about it. This is actually awesome, hanging out with you like this.”

  She rubbed at one of her cheeks, blush fading a touch, smile widening. “At your parents’ house? In their guest bed? Because your little sister said we were more than just friends?”

  “Couldn’t have orchestrated it better if I’d tried,” he said.

  She gave a soft laugh. “Well, ahem. I’m glad you aren’t uncomfortable, at least. And you can get closer.”

  “Say that again?” he asked, pretending to have not quite heard, but he couldn’t keep the knowing smile out of his words.

  “Closer,” she said, and while blush had utterly faded, there was warmth in her eyes that more than overtook the heat that had been in her cheeks.

  He reached out, hesitant at first, to run a thumb over the curve of her cheek. He tucked an errant piece of hair behind her ear. Then he traced her jawline, and she shivered. “That feels nice,” she said.

  They spent the night much more closely than he’d dreamed, wrapped in each other’s arms, keeping cold at bay. He listened to her heartbeat, the soft, steady cadence of her breath as she drifted into a deep sleep.

  And he couldn’t help but think he was the luckiest man in the world.

  Chapter 21

  TOBIE

  She woke to something cold on her cheek, and realized with a horrified start that it was drool. She’d been drooling all down the side of her face. And onto her pillow.

  And on Kaiden’s hand.

  She scrubbed at it frantically. He mumbled in his sleep and then, to her horror, opened his eyes.

  “Whaddyadoin?” he asked sleepily.

  “Um, uh, just…”

  He looked down at his hand, then at her pillow. The sleep in his eyes faded and the scene seemed to click in his expression. He gave a full-bellied laugh and touched his thumb to her nose.

  “Well, I’m glad you’re amused,” she said dryly.

  “Very,” he said, sitting up next to her.

  She liked the way he slid close to her. More than liked, in fact. He was warm and he smelled clean and like sweet citrus fruit. She leaned against him.

  She’d been too excited to sleep last night, curled in his arms. Nothing had happened-happened (as Mystia would press to know), but he’d held her and breathed into her hair, and once, very gently, had pressed his lips against her temple and forehead.

  Then Kaiden�
�s phone gave a short ding. He groaned and made a grand show of reaching for it laboriously, completely with a groan. “It’s Flora. Pancakes or waffles?”

  “Whichever you’re having.”

  “Flora makes some mean waffles. I mean, it’s just pouring the batter in the waffle iron, but she lets them cook just right. You’ll love them,” he said, grinning.

  She grinned back, then realized with mortification that she must have some incredible morning breath. So she leapt up and murmured (slightly out of his direct line-of-sight) that she had to get ready for the morning.

  She brushed her teeth furiously, took a quick shower, and then bemoaned the fact that Mystia wasn’t there to reapply her makeup.

  Then she was mad at herself for caring what Kaiden or his family (but mainly Kaiden) thought about her makeupless face.

  But still she cared.

  Deeply.

  Annoyingly.

  “Sorry about my face,” she said, by way of getting it out into the open so at least he knew that she knew she looked an utter exhausted mess without the beauty ministrations of her sister.

  He scoffed. “Sorry about what? You’re beautiful.”

  The way he said the word—beautiful—caught in her heart like a butterfly. It sent shivers through her, happy shivers that set her alight. He said it so matter-of-factly, like there was never any doubt. Like it wasn’t even news because it was so set.

  You’re beautiful.

  “You think I’m beautiful?” she asked softly. Her hair was still wet from the shower, her nose probably dripping, but he swept over to her in a few long steps.

  “You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” he said.

  “I drooled on you this morning.”

  He nodded, grinning. “The most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen drooled on me this morning, and I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Would you be happier if I kissed you?” she said, and if she’d said anymore, the words would’ve caught in her throat. But as it was, only her breath hitched—at exactly the same time Kaiden’s breath hitched too—and the sudden heat in his eyes nearly overwhelmed her.

  “I very much would,” he said, and his voice was lower, huskier. A kind of dark, warm balm.

  She felt the heat in his eyes and the warmth of his skin engulf her, and as their lips touched and the sweetness of his kiss bloomed against her mouth, sparks flew out of her.

  Literal magical sparks—little golden radials spinning out of her hair and her fingertips. Her eyes sparkled a golden ochre, tiny stars shimmering out of her irises, none which she could see, of course, but she could feel in the way she felt the magic spiraling out of her in a celebratory dance.

  When Kaiden finally lifted his lips away from hers and noticed the magic floating around her, he gaped. His eyes caught on a few tendrils of magic, and then he looked at her, wide-eyed and speechless.

  After a moment, he said, “You really are magic.”

  And then he fainted.

  Tobie slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh, Goddess.”

  Tobie was able to bring George to help Kaiden without too much awkwardness. “I may’ve accidentally manifested some sparkles,” she said, embarrassed.

  “Not to worry, Tobie. He’s just a sensitive soul. With chronically low blood sugar,” he added, shaking his head. Using his preternatural werewolf strength, hoisted Kaiden as though he were nothing into the air and gently onto the bed.

  “I know I’ve thanked you already,” said George, “but I can’t thank you enough for getting Kaiden to come see me. It’s...not easy being a parent. We make mistakes. Sometimes our mistakes are so big that…” His voice faded away.

  Tobie watched him looking down at Kaiden, a wave of emotion going over her like some sort of baptism. She wasn’t sure what she felt as she looked at father and son, so alike in the face but also so different.

  Would her mother ever look at her like that?

  Even just contemplating the expression on her mother’s face stung her too much to continue. She shoved the thought away.

  Kaiden came to shortly thereafter, bashful and apologetic. He didn’t quite seem to remember what exactly had caused his fainting spell to begin with, but he did say he rather thought he needed to take his potassium supplement from now on.

  “Up you get, son,” said George, clasping his hand around Kaiden’s and hoisting him into an upright seated position on the bed. “Let me get you a banana.”

  George left, and Kaiden just looked up abashedly at Tobie.

  “Some man, I bet you’re thinking. Faints at the slightest thing, including kissing.” He rolled his eyes.

  “Some man, I’m thinking,” she said, nodding. “A man I’d like to kiss again.”

  His whole being brightened at her words, and he grabbed her, gentle but firm in his arms. “Mind if I take the lead this time?”

  She did not mind. Not at all.

  Chapter 22

  KAIDEN

  All the way home, he couldn’t help but think what a gloriously wonderful time he’d had with Tobie. He kept glancing at her, trying to keep the obvious smile out of his expression, lest he come across as lecherous and creepy, but he couldn’t help the way his hand gravitated toward where her arm was resting on the console between the seats, and then he really couldn’t help it when she clamored up to her knees at a stoplight so she could reach over and give him a kiss on the cheek.

  And the girl was magic.

  Chapter 23

  TOBIE

  Tobie was halfway inside the threshold when she realized something was deeply wrong. Mystia was sitting in the wrong chair in the living room, making a coded but clearly panicked face at her when she waved.

  She stopped mid-wave, and realized at the exact moment a head was turning around (like a possessed Reagan in The Exorcist, she thought uncharitably), that her mother was sitting in the place Mystia normally occupied.

  “Ah, there you are, October. Come sit.”

  Tobie came and Tobie sat as though under a spell, despite the fact that Isidora Takahama Moon hadn’t cast one.

  “Since you’ve been ignoring my texts and Alistair’s texts—”

  “Alistair?”

  “Yes. The young man you seemed to like quite a bit, but then left absolutely hanging despite his repeated polite attempts to contact you.”

  “What does Alistair have to do with anything?” she said, anger bleeding into her words.

  “I don’t think I like your tone, October. And don’t you move, Mystia,” she snapped.

  Mystia froze mid-escape from her chair, then sank back down, looking miserable.

  “I knew,” continued Isidora, “that something was gravely wrong when you ceased contact with Alistair.”

  “Mom, I’ve been busy is all—”

  She scoffed. “Oh, yes. Very busy. And by ‘busy,’ you mean you’ve been fraternizing with some mundane boy who works in computer support and spending the night with him.”

  Tobie shot a hard glance at Mystia.

  “I promise I—” Mystia began, but Isidora cut her off almost immediately.

  “Enough, Mystia. Now,” she continued choosing her words carefully as though laying out the rest of the order of Tobie’s life, “I’ll keep this quiet, and I’ll let you stay in your…” She glanced around the bare living room, the water-stained ceiling. “Your...house, with your sister and your apprenticeship. If you’re willing to see Alistair again.”

  “But that’s blackmail!” snapped Tobie. “You don’t even know the whole story—”

  “I don’t need to know any story,” said Isidora, and this time, there was a small silencing spell in her voice, so that Tobie temporarily couldn’t speak. “You’ve come dangerously close to disgracing our entire family name and reputation. You’re lucky I’ve—”

  “MOM! IT’S NOT FAIR,” she shouted, ripping through Isidora’s silencing enchantment.

  Her mother looked surprised for a fleeting moment, then blinked the composure back into her e
yes and smooth expression. “‘Fair’ is an ugly word when you use it like a weapon, October. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to have everything. I’ve engineered my reputation so that people will flock to you. So you’ll have all the very best in life. And you hate me for it.”

  A sliver of Isidora—the real Isidora that had read her storybooks and taught her magic tricks and spent long hours singing songs to her and zipping her around on a broomstick at Tobie’s incessant request—trickled through, and for a moment, Tobie saw a hurt, and very human, woman underneath the glossy, perfect veneer Isidora had constructed for herself.

  But then the glimpse of her mother was gone, and the icy facade back in place.

  “Mom, please—”

  “I let you do what you like. I let you study what you wanted in college. I even support you studying with Hettie and with Pepper Keeling. I want you to study with Pepper. But if you insist on going down this reckless path, I’ll have to insist to Hettie and Pepper that you’re not cut out to be a magical phytologist.”

  Tobie’s eyes stung with sudden tears, a rage boiling in her chest. “Mom, please—” she started again, but her voice cracked.

  “I expect you to resume contact with Alistair, and also our family dinners. The next one is scheduled for Friday, and you’ll be there.” She stood, snapped her fingers, and disappeared.

  Mystia rushed across the living room as soon as Isidora left and threw her arms around Tobie. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to tell her anything…”

  But Mystia’s words were like waves crashing on the shore when she was already at sea. Too little too late.