Page 15 of Bewitched By the Siren (The Bewitching Hour #1)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Brendan

My heartrate returns to normal as I sit on my porch, waiting for Hali to return from her swim. God, I was terrified.

I don’t know why I decided to follow her when I saw her through my window.

Maybe it was because she was headed toward the beach, obviously wearing a bathing suit beneath the towel she had wrapped around her, instead of being dressed up for a night on the town, like I’d expected when she said she had plans . I was intrigued.

By the time I got down there and spotted her, all I got was a quick glimpse of her bare ass before she dove beneath the waves. So…her big plan tonight was to go skinny dipping, alone and in the dark after telling me this morning the water is too cold to swim this time of year?

I watched the water without blinking, waiting for her to resurface, but as the seconds ticked by, I became more and more worried. I had my phone in my hand, my thumbs ready to dial nine-one-one. I barely managed to stop myself from calling.

I just kept telling myself Hali knows what she’s doing.

That she lives here and swims in this ocean all the time.

That it’s dark out here, and I simply missed it when she came up for air.

That she’s an excellent swimmer, and just swam farther underwater than I expected, and I was looking in the wrong place.

After thirty minutes, I started to imagine having to explain to the police why I waited so long to call. I pictured myself being questioned as the main suspect in her “disappearance.”

Fuck, I watch too many true crime documentaries.

Just before the hour mark, I saw movement in the water in the distance. I gazed intently in that direction, and a few beats later, a head and shoulders popped up out of the water much closer to shore––so close, Hali would see me spying on her if she looked in my direction.

I turned and hauled ass back to my deck, praying she didn’t spot my retreating form. I went inside and considered staying there and pretending I never saw her, but in the end, I decided to give her some privacy to get dressed before coming back out.

It will give me a chance to talk to her. To see if she wants to hang out now that she’s finished with her “plans.”

After about ten minutes, I step back out onto the deck.

My eyes find her immediately, picking her way across the sand, and a beat later, her own eyes find me.

Her steps stutter to a stop, and her eyes go wide, almost like a kid getting caught with her hand in a cookie jar.

Shit. The last thing I want to do is make her uncomfortable.

“Hey,” I call out when she slowly starts to move forward again. “Have a nice swim?”

She nods, stopping at the bottom of the stairs that lead to her own porch. “It was a bit cold, but refreshing.”

“I saw you head out earlier, and I was surprised.” Her entire body stiffens visibly, and I grit my teeth with a silent curse before adding, “I meant because of our conversation this morning.”

“Oh. Yeah,” she says, relaxing slightly. “That’s why I decided to go out. I couldn’t stop thinking about a swim after that conversation.”

So, why did she wait until it was dark? So she could swim naked?

I don’t ask the questions aloud, of course. I already feel like I’m skating on thin ice, here.

“It’s a nice night. Want to join me for a beer?” I ask.

She stares at me for a long moment, then slowly nods. “Sure. Just give me a few minutes to rinse off and change, first.”

“Of course,” I say, watching as she skips up the steps and disappears inside her house.

As soon as the door closes behind her, I push myself away from the deck’s railing and head inside. Grabbing a small cooler I found in the pantry, I grab four beers from the fridge and slide them into it before pouring in some ice from the freezer.

Popping into the bathroom to relieve myself, I wash my hands and check my hair before flipping off the light and walking back into the kitchen to grab the cooler.

Pausing, I turn toward the pantry and grab a bag of chips I bought earlier before opening the fridge to pull out the cheese dip I got to go with them.

Setting the goodies on the counter next to the cooler, I hurry into the living room to turn on the stereo, setting the volume just loud enough to be heard out on the deck through an open window.

Then I gather up the refreshments and head out to my favorite chair to wait for Hali.

It’s not lost on me that I’ve set up a semi-romantic atmosphere for us, here.

I know it’s wrong. My interactions with Hali are supposed to be strictly business.

But we’ve sort of become friends over the last few days, and there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?

That was my goal, wasn’t it? To get closer to her and get her to trust me?

And friends hang out. They drink beer and eat junk food together on nice nights like this.

Who am I kidding? Sure, all of that is true, but it’s also true that I just want to spend time with her. I like her. I want her to like me .

I don’t know why it’s so important to me. It’s not like I live here. We can’t pursue a friendship, much less something more. Not when I live on the opposite side of the country.

My internal debate dissipates when her back door opens and the woman, herself, steps outside.

She’s wearing a pair of comfy-looking joggers and a cropped hoodie, and her long strawberry-blonde hair is still damp and hanging down her back, looking redder under her porch light than it does when it’s dry.

She picks her way down her steps, then up mine, meeting my eyes nervously as she says, “Hey.”

“Hey,” I say, motioning her into the chair next to mine before pulling two beers from the cooler and twisting off the top before holding it toward her.

She’s a bit edgy as she sits and accepts my offering, then takes a too-long swallow like she’s hoping for some liquid courage. And since cheese makes everything better, I motion toward the chips and dip I set on the small table in front of us.

“Help yourself.”

“Thanks,” she murmurs, plucking a chip from the bag and coating it in a healthy amount of cheese dip before popping the whole thing into her mouth.

I want to ask her about her swim. To find out if she always swims at night. If she’s ever timed herself underwater, because damn, she must have Olympic-level skill, being out that long and not even looking winded when I saw her next.

But I have a feeling that would be a bad idea, so I search for another topic, finally saying, “I love this song.”

She cocks her head, listening to the music drifting through the window for a moment before nodding. “It’s a good one.”

“Have you ever sung this one on stage?” I ask, breathing a silent sigh of relief when she relaxes back into her chair a bit.

“No, but I might have to add it to the set list,” she says, then hums a little of the chorus.

Her voice is sweet and melodic, and I find myself relaxing, as well.

Now that Hali is no longer on edge, we can have a nice night.

We talk a while about music, songs we like, songs we hate, and everything in between.

Before I know it, four empty beer bottles line the table in front of us, and I’m heading into the house for two more, making me wish I’d bought more than a single six-pack.

“Last two,” I say as I step back out onto the porch.

Twisting the top off one, I hand it to Hali, and she accepts it with a grateful smile, saying, “It’s probably a good thing. I think I ate your whole bag of chips.”

“Oh, I helped,” I say with a chuckle, then pick up the bag and pour the last of the crumbs directly into my mouth.

Hali laughs, then takes a swig of her beer before growing serious.

I watch as she collects her thoughts, a nerve ticking in my jaw as dread pools in my gut.

I send up a silent plea that she’s not gearing up to tell me she doesn’t want to hang out with me like this.

That she’ll never sign with my agency, I’ll be going home soon, and there’s no point.

Solid reasoning, sure, but I’m not ready to stop this…whatever it is we’re doing. Not yet.

“I don’t really have any friends,” she says finally. “I’ve always been…introverted, I guess. I just want you to know, this is nice. Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, really,” I say quickly, then cock my head. “Are you sure you’re introverted? I mean, you perform on stage. Quite well, actually.”

“It’s an alter-ego. I assure you,” she says with a laugh.

“Like Jem?”

“Who?” she asks, her brow furrowing.

“Oh, my God. You’ve never seen Jem and the Holograms ?”

“Never heard of it. Is it a show?”

“Oh, my dear sweet Hali. Let me educate you,” I say in a faux-patronizing tone that makes her laugh.

Pulling my phone out, I search the old cartoon. Finding a clip of the opening credits, I hold the phone between us so Hali can watch it while I talk.

“It’s from the late eighties. The lead character’s real name is Jerrica and she uses this holographic computer called Synergy to transform in ‘Jem’ when she needs to perform.

Her band transforms, too, and there’s this rival band called ‘The Misfits’ that’s always causing trouble.

And Jerrica takes care of foster kids kind of like how you take care of sea turtles. ”

Hali nods as the video finishes, then meets my eyes. “And you like this show?”

“It’s iconic,” I say, pressing a palm to my chest to display how earnest I’m being.

Hali laughs. “Okay, then. I’ll have to check it out.”

Keeping her eyes locked on mine, she lifts her bottle and drains the last of her beer. I watch her throat work as she swallows, then she quickly lifts her other hand to cover her mouth as she yawns.

Setting her bottle next to the other empties, she sighs. “I should probably get going. It’s getting late, and I’m exhausted after my swim.”

“Okay,” I say, hoping my disappointment isn’t evident in my tone. “See you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow,” she says with conviction, then thanks me again as she stands.

I want to stand, too, to hug her or something, but I hold back.

This was a good night, and I don’t want to end it on a bad note if the physical contact were to make her uncomfortable.

She gives me a little wave, then hops down my steps before striding toward home.

I watch her until she disappears inside, then stand with a contented sigh and clean up our mess.

Hanging out with Hali tonight was really nice, and I can’t wait to do it again. I don’t know how long I’ll be here, and I’m determined to make the most of the time we have.

Because deep down, I’ve already come to terms with the fact that she’s not going to sign with me. She would never leave her mom. She loves this island, and wants to stay here, living her life the way she wants.

I’ll keep trying, of course. It’s my job. But my heart won’t be in it. And I know, when I get back to L.A., my life is going to change for the worse. Julius won’t be happy. If he doesn’t outright fire me, I’ll definitely be getting a demotion.

But right here, right now, with the sea breeze blowing my hair and my heart beating a happy rhythm after a great night with an awesome girl, I can’t find it within myself to give a damn.

Right now, I want to enjoy this for as long as it lasts.