Page 4 of Brave Spirit (Bound Spirit #6)
I’m elated when she releases me to cross her arms over her chest, blood circulation finally returning to my fingers. Her straight, black brows furrow, and she flashes him a challenging look. “I didn’t say yes.”
“You didn’t say no either,” Rand counters with the eagerness of a golden retriever. “Come on, say yes. We both have to get to school, so why not do it together?”
She squints at him. “I’m not on the way.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to get up a little earlier.” There’s a telling twinkle in his eyes. “It’s what friends do, and we’re friends, right?”
Mei’s lips pull into a pout, as if she’s been neatly snared in his verbal trap. How? I have no idea. This whole exchange is bizarre as hell.
Assuming she needs saving, I stutter out, “I can take her to school. I’m pretty sure I know how to drive stick now.”
Rand’s disappointment drags across his features, his whole body deflating like a wounded puppy.
Mei sighs. “No, it’s fine.” Her expression shifts to amused teasing. “I’ve seen your driving. Grandmas honk at you for going too slow.”
“Hey, it’s hard to shift down,” I defend weakly, “so I just…”
“Don’t go fast enough to have to shift from first gear?” She laughs, which earns her a squinty glare.
Seemingly eager not to give Mei a chance to change her mind about my granny driving, Rand announces, “I’ll pick you up at seven. I know you like to get to school early.” He races into the forest, almost instantly disappearing into the wild growth.
“What the hell was that all about?” I hiss with my fists on my hips. “I’ve never seen you act that way before.”
Mei buries her face in her hands and groans. “He sort of kind of asked me out without actually asking me out.”
“What?” I squeal loud enough to disturb the local wildlife, startled birds flapping away to find more tranquil trees. “When? Where? How?”
“He came to see me at my house before I left with my moms for San Francisco,” she answers, her words muffled by her palms.
“That was in June!” Gripping her shoulders, I shake her with a mixture of shock and excitement. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Her head bobbles back and forth with each of my exaggerated motions. “You were busy with the whole saving Nolan from dying thing.”
Letting go of her shoulders, I peel her hands from her face. “That’s ridiculous. This is huge, and I saved Nolan weeks ago.”
She shuffles her feet and looks away. “Okay, so I sort of, also, maybe, pretended that it didn’t really happen, because clearly he was out of his mind and would eventually return to his senses.”
“He obviously likes you, and for good reason. You’re amazing.
Anyone would be lucky to date you,” I insist, giving her one of my no-nonsense looks that usually has the guys quickly backpedaling on whatever dumb thing they said.
“And what do you mean he asked you out without asking you out? He either did or didn’t. ”
“He’s stubborn and crafty,” Mei complains, and then she blows flyaway hairs out of her face.
They fall right back into place. “I clearly explained to him how it would be a bad idea for us to date, because the ace thing would eventually be too much and the friend package is much better—all the good parts, none of the drama.” She tries to push the wild strands behind her ears, but there’s a bit of a breeze, and they refuse to stay put.
I do my best not to laugh as she grows more and more annoyed. “I take it he didn’t agree.”
Ripping her ponytail out, she aggressively pulls all her hair back. “All that idiot caught was that I liked dudes and thought he was cute. He missed all of the other important stuff.”
“Or, for argument’s sake, let’s just say,” I begin, dropping my hands casually on my hips, “he did hear everything you said, and with all that information, still recognizes what an awesome person you are, and he wants to date you.”
Mei shakes her head once her ponytail is back in place. “Such an idiot.”
“Do you want to date him?” I ask, my voice dropping to something gentler. “You don’t have to just because he wants to.”
Mei waves her arms as she starts to pace in front of me.
“No, I do, but he’s… him , and I’m… me. If we start to date, I’ll get more attached, so attached that maybe I’ll even fall in love with the big dufus, but he’ll have urges that are perfectly normal to have toward a girlfriend, except I’m not a normal girlfriend, and I’m basically asking him to just sacrifice that side of him to be with me.
” She stops in her tracks, tears welling in her dark eyes.
“Then one day it’ll be too much. He’ll resent me, and it will… It will break my heart.”
Rushing to her side, I pull her into an embrace, holding her as tightly as I can.
“That’s fear talking. Every relationship, regardless of gender or sexuality, is a gamble.
Heck, when I first moved here, I was scared to make friends, let alone be anything more, but then I met the guys, and I realized that it was worth it.
We risk our hearts because the possibility of pain is outweighed by all the joy they bring into our lives. ”
“I don’t want him to hate me,” she whispers against my neck, her voice catching under the weight of her tears.
I rub soothing lines up and down her back. “Then keep talking to him. Keep telling him how you feel and do your best to listen without judgment. Lies and secrets are what will eventually kill any love you share.”
“I didn’t say I loved him,” she grumbles, reaching between us to wipe her eyes.
“He’s such a dork, but also really sweet…
and cute… and he makes me laugh without trying.
” She drops her head onto my shoulder. “Crap, I think I might love him, but, like, only a little bit. Don’t tell him. He’ll get such a big head about it.”
“I’ll leave that for you to tell him when you’re ready.” I give her a final squeeze before releasing her. “It’s your choice, and whatever path you choose, I’ve got your back. Also, if he does break your heart, I’ve gotten really good at burning shit to the ground.”
Mei releases a watery laugh. “Thanks, bestie.”
“Ride or die. Always.” I grin, looping my arm through hers. “Now, let’s get back to the cars. I’m sure your parents and my grandmothers are wondering what happened to us.”
It’s a quick trip, just long enough for Mei to return to her more chipper self, although her eyes are still a little red.
She quickly waves off her moms’ concerns with exaggerated complaints of getting dirt in her eyes, and how next time she’s doing earth magic, she’s going to have goggles on hand.
It’s not long before they have all climbed into their old, purple van emblazoned with “Mei’s Garden” on the side.
With goodbye waves through the windows, they drive away, a trailer filled with empty plastic buckets from the saplings following behind.
When I approach my grandmothers, each standing next to their own car, I notice that Mr. Mischief is already curled up on the back seat of my nan’s black Mercedes. I answer their questioning looks with a shrug. “Mei needed some girl talk.”
Mildred smiles softly at me, always pleased with the fact that I have at least one friend outside of the guys, while Carlotta muses out loud, “She’s a bit of a strange girl, but I like her. Strong witch. She’s a good companion for you.”
“Uh, thanks?” I reply with a raised brow. “Glad you approve.”
Her lips droop in a sad frown, and her eyes grow glassy. She walks over to me and takes my hands in hers. “I’m proud of you. You’ve grown into a powerful witch with a good head on your shoulders. I wish I could say I had a hand in that.”
“You’re here now,” I offer, feeling moved by her sincerity.
She squeezes my hands. “I wish I could stay, but if Mildred and I are both gone, then the council will begin to wonder why. I was meant to bring you home, but you already are.” Pulling me into a hug, she rocks me side to side, her spicy perfume a stark contrast from Mildred’s classic rose oil.
“I will do my best to protect your time here, but I hope you will consider joining witch society once you’ve graduated high school.
We have a wonderful university that can teach you so much about our history and your magic.
” As if she can feel my reluctance, she quickly adds, “You deserve time to be your authentic self. No more hiding who you are.”
I know that’s not fully true based on what my nan has said.
If the council realizes what I am, she’s sure that something bad will happen to me, just like my mother, but it doesn’t extinguish the hope that what Carlotta says could be true.
Maybe I could even learn more about spirit witches beyond what little information the journals offer.
I could learn to control my magic and be normal.
“I’ll think about it,” I promise.