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“Did I wake you up?”

Even though I knew he couldn’t see me, I shook my head. Noooo, you didn’t wake me up. The sexy neighbor who spent the night woke me up. Oh, and did I mention my body had been clinging to him with my girl bits pressed right up against him? I didn’t share this with him because I figured Mr. Cole wouldn’t appreciate the honesty.

“Uh,” I cleared my throat and my thoughts. “Yes.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. We just landed and I’m headed straight to the hospital while your mother checks into the hotel. I wanted to touch base with you before I left because my phone will be off while I’m with my brother and his family. The next chance I would have to call you’d be in class.”

I did not mind him calling and waking me up in the least bit. I told him as much. “Don’t worry about waking me up. You can call whenever you need to.”

“Thanks, sweetheart.” He murmured softly. “The car just pulled up at the hospital so I’ll have to let you go now. Send me a text when you get out of school and I’ll update you on Kurt’s condition.

Have a good day.”

He hung up without waiting for my response.

I could so fall in love with Mr. Cole. Not in a weird way, but in a ‘will you please be my dad for forever?’ kind of way.

“Everything okay?” Tyson asked.

I jumped at the sound of his voice. I’d forgotten he was still here.

“Yeah.”

“You want to get some fast food for breakfast before school? And some coffee?”

My stomach rumbled at the thought of food. I was beginning to think my stomach was turning into a bottomless pit.

A little voice in the back of my head tried to tell me to be careful, that I was getting too close, too fast. It told me to remember hearing their crazy talk when they didn’t know I was listening about magic and claiming me. Part of me wondered if it had been real at all. Maybe I had dreamed that part and only thought it was real because it felt real.

“How much time do you need to get ready?” Tyson asked.

“I need to take a shower this morning because I never got around to it last night. So… Twenty to twenty-five minutes.”

“Okay.” He sat the laptop on the empty side of the window seat and climbed out from under the blanket. He stood up and stretched his arms up over his head. His t-shirt rode up and I looked down at my hands in my lap.

He dropped his arms and walked up to the bed. “I’m driving today,” he told me in his still rough with sleep voice.

“Alright,” I quickly agreed. My eyes were still locked on my hands which is why I missed his head descending towards me. Soft lips hit my cheek and I jerked back in shock.

If he was offended by my jerking away from him he didn’t show it. He smirked at me and headed towards the door.

Tyson had kissed me.

I pressed my fingers to my cheek where his warm lips had caressed me. I wanted him to do it again. Then I wanted him to kiss me on the lips. And maybe put his tongue in my mouth.

Insistent beeping drifted up the stairs towards me. The alarm. Crap. I jumped off the bed and flew out of my room. I really did need to get a handle on the whole alarm thing before the cops showed up and I gave Mr. Cole a heart attack.

***

I knocked lightly on the door. I thought about ringing the doorbell but didn’t because I didn’t want to wake anybody up.

I looked down at my feet as I waited for Tyson to answer the door. Today I had picked black flip flops with red straps that had little black sparkling jewels on them. They were really pretty. I had black skinny jeans on with a red belt that matched the red color on my flip flops. I had a red tank top on underneath a thin black zip up hoodie. I’d left the hoodie unzipped and had the sleeves pushed up my forearms. Since red and black were the theme for the day I had my wet hair pushed back from my forehead with a wide red headband. My makeup was light, I’d stuck with mascara and lip gloss. I hadn’t had time for much else.

The door opened and I was greeted with a rough, “Morning.”

That voice.

Quinton, Tyson’s Uncle had answered the door. God, why couldn’t Tyson have been ready and waiting for me outside?