Page 44 of Charmed, I’m Sure (Witches of Bellevue #1)

Truth hurts, witchling.

Magnolia

The late afternoon sun painted the Spanish moss draping from the old oak trees in a warm, peachy glow as Taylor drove me back to Bellevue Manor.

I stared out the window, unable to suppress the smile on my lips even if I tried.

All things considered, the day had been blissfully perfect.

Yes, I had inadvertently given him a glimpse into a world he didn’t know actually existed, but he had taken it in stride—a lot better than I had expected, if I was being honest. It was, for lack of a better word, magical—more than I could have ever hoped for.

Now, I just had to hope Aunt Evie and my sisters understood.

My smile faltered for only a second, but it was long enough for Taylor to notice. He always noticed.

His hand tightened around mine where they were interlaced over the center console, then he brought my knuckles to his lips, drawing my attention to him.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked, his eyes flicking to mine before returning to the road ahead.

“Hmm? Oh, it’s nothing, really.”

“Cher, I thought we agreed you wouldn’t hide from me anymore.”

Blowing out a raspberry, I met his gaze as he rolled to a stop at the lone traffic light in town.

“I have to tell my aunt and sisters, and if I’m being one-hundred percent transparent, I’m scared shitless.

I have no idea how they’re going to react.

” The words tumbled out at the speed of a freight train.

I sucked in a ragged breath and blew it back out.

“You don’t think they’ll be happy for us?” he asked tentatively, worry lacing his voice.

Oh, sweet baby cheeses, this beautiful, beautiful man. “Honey, I’m never going to hear the end of it when I tell them we’re officially dating.”

“Honey?”

“No? You don’t like it?”

“Sunshine, you could call me Mary Poppins and I’d come running, as long as you call me yours.”

“Did you leave any cheese for the rest of us after that line?” I teased with a chuckle.

Taylor’s eyes narrowed, his expression turning mock-serious, which only made my chuckle spiral into full-blown laughter. He was adorable when he pretended to be mad.

By the time we made it to my driveway, I had managed to calm myself, but as soon as he made that turn, my anxiety shifted from nervous flutters into a full-blown, Mother-damned T-Rex rampaging in my stomach.

My lungs ached with every breath, sharp pain ripping through my sternum as my heart pounded like a drum in my chest.

“Mags, baby, what’s wrong?” There was no panic in his voice, but his wide eyes told another story as they frantically searched my face.

I hadn’t even realized we’d parked until he cursed under his breath, jumped out, and threw open my door in seconds.

Ripping off my seatbelt, Taylor turned me in my seat and pulled me into his arms. “Magnolia, I need you to breathe for me, okay? Just focus on my voice and try to match my breathing.”

“I—I can’t,” I managed between the needling breaths I was able to take.

“Baby, you’re talking, which means you’re breathing. That’s good. Just close your eyes and focus for me, okay? In…” He inhaled deeply, pressing a steadying hand down my spine to straighten my back as I mirrored him. “Out.”

I felt his exhale brush the top of my head, and with every rise and fall of his chest, my own breathing began to even out, my thundering heart slowing to a more bearable pace.

“Good. Keep going,” he whispered, his hand tracing soothing lines up and down my back.

When I was calm enough for him to let go, Taylor pulled back and tilted my face toward his. I hadn’t realized I was crying until his thumb swept across my cheeks, whisking away the tears.

Fucking panic attacks.

I hadn’t had one in about a year, but when I did, they hit with the force of a meteor crashing to Earth. If I had to have one, though, at least I was in the presence of a hot doctor. Silver linings, I guess.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his beautiful blue eyes flicking between mine now that my breathing had steadied.

“Oh, you know, just wanted to show you another facet of my amazingness.” I tried for lighthearted, but it came out more self-deprecating, and I winced when he let out a heavy sigh.

“Don’t do that. Panic attacks are no joke. I’m just glad I was here to help you regulate. Was it because you’re scared to tell them about us?”

“God, no!” I framed his face in my hands. “Taylor, no. I’m not scared to tell them about us. I’m scared to tell them that you know. No one knows. We’ve never told anyone… well, other than others in the coven, obviously.”

Shit. I should not have said that.

Taylor’s eyes flared with interest, and I could almost see the questions forming in his mind. But something on my face must have said now is not the time, because he blinked them away and returned to the matter at hand.

“Do you have to tell them? Right now, I mean?”

“They have a right to know.” Even if the thought made me want to vomit, they deserved honesty. I had screwed up, and it was time to face the music.

“Well, lucky for you, it doesn’t look like anyone is home at the moment. So you’ll have at least a little time to run through all the doomsday scenarios you’re thinking of right now.”

“Wha—I am not.”

He didn’t need to say a thing—his face did it for him. Lips tugged down at the corners, brows arched, head tilted slightly. Every inch of him screamed I don’t believe you for a second.

It was infuriating. And endearing. But mostly annoying. How dare he call my bluff? It didn’t matter that he was right—I should be allowed to live in my delusional la-la land for as long as I wanted.

With a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head, Taylor scooped me into his arms and set me on the ground in front of him. “Come on, cher. You’ve got a battle plan to make, and I have a sister to appease before she does something stupid like tell my mother.”

“Sounds like we both have battle plans to make.”

Taylor linked his fingers with mine and held my gaze as he brought my knuckles to his lips again. In that moment, I finally understood all those swoon-worthy historical romance scenes, as butterflies erupted in my stomach and heat rushed to my cheeks.

“I’ll never get tired of that,” he murmured, dropping our joined hands between us.

“Of what?” I asked, cheeks burning under the intensity of his stare.

“The way your body reacts to the simplest touch.” He waggled his brows, and I was certain I now resembled a red Christmas ornament.

With a playful smack to his shoulder, I said, “Come on, cowboy. Battles to plan, victories to procure.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He punctuated his words with a mock salute, and we both laughed as he followed me toward the door.

In the hour since Taylor dropped me off, I’d panic-cleaned nearly all of the downstairs, and I had to admit—Bellevue Manor had never looked so good.

The floors gleamed under the pendant lights, sconces, and chandeliers, the dust bunnies having met their untimely ends.

I’d loaded and run the dishwasher, tackled two loads of laundry, and scraped all the cat hair off the stair runner. Now, my arm was killing me.

Could I have done this with a little sprinkle of magic? Sure. But I always felt more accomplished when I did it with my own two hands. Besides, no amount of magic could quell the anxiety still churning in my stomach.

Plopping down on one of the barstools at the island, I paused my audiobook, pulled off my headphones, and chugged the last of my water.

I needed to get a grip before my aunt and sister got back.

Letting my head fall onto my crossed arms, I took deep, steadying breaths. Surely it wouldn’t be that bad… right?

A soft bell jingle pulled me upright as Hermeownie trotted into the kitchen, letting out a trill of greeting before stretching up on her hind legs, her paws resting against my thighs. The moment we touched, her thoughts brushed into my mind.

“Up, please.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a laugh, scooping her into my lap.

She circled twice before collapsing into a warm puddle of orange and white fur, her purrs vibrating against me. “Evie and Maddie just turned down the drive. Are you ready?”

“Ready?” I echoed, but Hermeownie only stared, her strong Maine Coon features on full display. “Am I that obvious?”

“You’ve been anxious since you stepped through the door. And you never clean like that unless you think you’re going to get into trouble for something.”

“Ouch!”

“Truth hurts, witchling. But I will stay with you if you’d like.”

“I think I would, actually. Thanks.”

Hermeownie gave a satisfied nod, then closed her eyes, settling in for the conversation I really didn’t want to have. I hadn’t even figured out how to start it before the front door swung open.

“Hiya, Magpie! I didn’t know you’d be home.” Aunt Evie’s smile felt like a sledgehammer to my heart.

This was going to suck.

“Did you clean?” Maddie’s voice pitched up an octave as she scanned the pristine room in disbelief.

“Magnolia, what’s—”

“Taylor knows I’m a witch.”

“Well, that was one way to do it, I guess,” Hermeownie’s sardonic tone wrapped around my mind.

“Shush,” I admonished in a whisper to the orange fluff ball teetering on the edge of getting dumped off my lap. She only purred in response, smug.

“Excuse me?!” Aunt Evie’s sharp voice yanked my attention back to where she and Maddie stood frozen in the doorway, grocery bags looped over their forearms, fingers going red from the weight.

“I, uh… Taylor caught me using magic at his house this morning.”

“Mother, Maiden, and Crone.” The words rushed out as Aunt Evie stalked toward the counter, dropping her bags. Maddie, meanwhile, had gone stark white, her feet seemingly rooted to the floor.

“Mads? You okay?” I asked hesitantly. My middle sister was usually the calm one, but when someone pushed the right button at the wrong time, she went off like a firecracker. And I had the distinctly unfortunate feeling I’d just jammed my finger into that button.

“Am I—You did not just ask me that asinine question.” Jarred from her stupor, she stormed across the kitchen and dropped her bags with a thud.

“Careful! One of those might have the eggs in it, Madison!” Evie snapped. Then, with a deep breath, she fixed her gaze on me. “Explain.”

It only took a few minutes to run through the events of the morning, but it felt like the longest minutes of my life.

Aunt Evie’s face shifted from irritation to something resembling understanding—though I wouldn’t go so far as to say she completely got it.

Maddie, on the other hand, was unimpressed, her brows knitting together in a way that looked permanent by the time I finished.

“Are you certain he won’t say anything?” my aunt asked.

“Of course he’s going to say something! He’s Taylor Hallows!” Maddie screeched.

“Hey!” I shot back.

“What? He tormented you in high school, didn’t he? Why wouldn’t he go blabbing this all over town?”

“Hold up—weren’t you one of the ones who pushed me to go out with him? Said we were adults now, and if I’d changed, why couldn’t he?”

“Oh, don’t you put this on me. You—”

“Ladies!” A tickle of magic brushed my skin as I tried to interject, but no sound came out.

Maddie suffered the same fate, her mouth opening and closing like a fish as she clutched her throat and glared at Aunt Evie.

“Blessed Mother, I haven’t had to do that in ages,” our aunt muttered.

“Now, that’s quite enough. If you two can behave, I’ll return your ability to speak. ”

Maddie met my glare with one of her own, but we both nodded. Within seconds, Aunt Evie’s magic fluttered over my skin again, and I let out an exasperated huff.

“Magnolia, obviously this isn’t ideal,” she said, rubbing her temples. “But if you believe he’ll keep our secret, then I see no reason to intervene. Should that change, however…” She trailed off, unspoken words hanging heavy in the air.

If Taylor spilled our secret, we’d have to take retroactive action with a memory spell. None of us liked doing them—unpredictable things, memory spells. Either they erased exactly what they were meant to, or they took more than intended.

Magic was finicky on its own. Add a mundane, and the results were even less certain.

“I can’t believe you’re letting this stand,” Maddie muttered, arms crossed, eyes downcast.

I understood her frustration. Truly, I did.

She’d been in an on-again, off-again relationship with someone who’d meant the world to her.

And the last time they’d broken up, it was because he thought she was keeping something from him.

And she had been—just not what he’d assumed.

So hearing that I’d spilled the family secret to someone I barely knew and was basically getting a pat on the wrist for it? Yeah, that probably stung.

“Maddie—”

“Magnolia, just stop.” With a sigh, she pushed away from the counter and turned for the door. “Let me know when dinner’s ready.”

And with that, she was gone.

Aunt Evie’s raspberry and the rustle of grocery bags redirected my attention. “Help me with these, would you?”

“Uh… sure.” Hermeownie let out a squeaky meow as I deposited her on another stool and stood, rounding the island to begin pulling items from the bags.

Silence reigned as we sorted the groceries into their places. When the last bag was shoved under the sink with the rest, Aunt Evie braced herself against the counter and blew out a breath.

“Magpie, I trust your judgment. But are you sure you can trust him with this?”

That question had rolled around and around in my brain all day, and every time, I landed on the same answer. “I am.”

With another heavy sigh, she nodded. “Well, then I hope you’re right. Now, let’s get to work on dinner, shall we? Fried chicken and biscuits sound good?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Good. And then we’ll call your other sister.”

Greeeat.