Amy Redwood M

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

46
Midsummer Charm
Why so defensive?
Maya drew in a deep breath, held it for ten seconds and hoped her heart rate would
slow down. You know, don t you? That I ve been with him.
The question is why I didn t know sooner.
It s over, Nell, Maya said, and to her shame, tears burned at the back of her eyes.
Nothing to tell. It was, it was& Struggling for words, she rubbed the palm of her
hand across her forehead. It was for sex, and now it s over.
Nell was quiet at the other end of the phone.
Don t give me the silent treatment, Maya said, forcing a laugh.
I worry about you, Nell said. Ever since you dumped that asshole Richard, you
haven t been quite yourself.
He dumped me, Nell.
Bullshit, honey. You intimidated him and you stopped putting up with his crap
and that s why he buggered off.
We ve been through this too many times. Fact is, I don t get along with normal
guys and they don t with me. That s why Sinclair is perfect for little old moi.
Witch and warlock, Nell said. Isn t that a clich�?
A clich� that holds true. David would have run like Richard if he d ever found out
I m a witch. They all leave, and most sooner rather than later. Richard followed the
established pattern. She hadn t meant to sound bitter, but bitter she was.
I see, Nell said.
I highly doubt that.
You re still not over Richard.
He called me a fucking crazy bitch, she said, and hiccupped. Sooner or later, they
all call me that. The tears no longer burned in her eyes. They were flowing freely.
Nell was silent on the other end of the line, giving her time to collect herself. I ve
stopped caring for him a long, long time ago, Maya said, meaning every word. She d
47
Amy Redwood
stopped caring about him even before the door had hit him in the ass. And she d
stopped thinking about him when she d spotted David. In his arms, time had stopped.
She d stopped at nothing to get to sleep almost each night for three months straight in
David s bed. David was only the rebound guy. She winced because it sounded so
lousy. And heartless.
You never told him?
Maya snorted. What, that I m a witch?
Yes.
And wait for him to call me a crazy bitch? Maya hiccupped again, grasping the
shell she wore around her neck. No, I didn t tell him. I wanted him to stick around for
a while before telling him about the witch thing. Guess what, he left me before I spilled
my secret. But with Sinclair, there are no more secrets, she said, crossing her arms,
wedging the phone between shoulder and ear. We understand each other.
Everyone has secrets. David might not mind your witchcraft at all.
Yeah right.
Ah, honey, I m sorry he hurt you, Nell said, sounding tired. It s my hubby s
fault you met him in the first place. He set you up with him, right?
Tim gave me a call that night, Maya said, closing her eyes. He said he was busy
at work and already late for the anniversary dinner you had planned, and if I would
pretty please do him a favor and pick up his cousin from the airport and give him a ride
home.
Goddess, Nell said, I remember he came home late that evening, I was so
furious. But he also brought a bunch of sunflowers and lemon sorbet for dessert, and he
went out of his way that night& Nell let the sentence trail off, and Maya practically
saw her smiling.
Good for you, Maya said dryly.
48
Midsummer Charm
Nell made a humming sound. So, and what happened then. David hit on you, the
sly& fox? Nell giggled.
What s so funny?
Nothing, Nell answered quickly. But I want to know every dirty detail now.
Maya sighed. Well, I didn t know who I was looking for at the airport, so I let them
call out his name over the speakers. We met. Then I drove him home. We talked. We
had sex. We repeated the last part over several weeks.
Wow, girl, easy here, don t give me the juicy stuff all at once.
That s my story and I ll stick to it, sorry, Maya answered, working her hand up
and down her arms to smooth down her gooseflesh.
Why not give him a second chance?
He fucking left me! Maya slapped her hand over her mouth, sending the phone
clattering to the floor.
When she picked it up again, Nell said, No need to yell. So you going tonight?
Maya leaned her forehead against the fridge. Typical of Nell to ask the question of
all questions. No, she said, but thought Yes. No. Maybe.
Come on, it s summer solstice. Just imagine the starlit night, music, dancing
Yeah, yeah, I know. It was an open secret among all witches in a five-hundred-
mile radius that the best way to celebrate Litha in style, to honor the sun and the
goddess, to honor one s own living, breathing body, was to make sure to attend
Midsummer in the Park.
The last sliver of ice melted between her fingertips, tiny cold water droplets
covering her arm. If Sinclair were with her, he would lick them off. Which would be
pleasant, but it wouldn t set her heart racing. With my luck, I ll not sprain my ankle
but break a leg or something this year. She sighed. As lame excuses went, this one had
to take the cake.
49
Amy Redwood
Hush, Nell said, you shouldn t say stuff like that. It will be different. The bonfire
is going to be huge, the music is live and there is Sinclair waiting to pled
Don t say it. She hardly needed a reminder of what awaited her when she met
him tonight. If she only had more time to think& She pressed her hand against her
forehead. Maybe I ll stay in and bake a few midsummer cookies to celebrate? Maya
said, grasping her last excuse, but heard Nell s instant laughter ringing in her ear.
The laughter rubbed her the wrong way, so she quenched it by saying, I ll accept
his pledge.
The laughter died a sudden death. For a few moments, she feared she had stunned
Nell into silence, but then she said, Wow.
I m doing the right thing, right? Maya asked, and even she heard the self-doubt
reflected in her voice. Forget I asked, she added. I m nervous.
Remember the book I got you for your birthday? Nell asked. Give it a try. Might
get you in the right mindset. Might help you make the right decision. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Linki