Page 53 of Charmed, I’m Sure (Witches of Bellevue #1)

I’ll turn him into a toad

Magnolia

“Mags, baby. I need you to wake up for me.”

The soft, soothing cadence of Taylor’s voice lured me from my subconscious, and I groaned.

I had no idea what time it was or how long I’d been asleep, but with the persistent throbbing in my head, it couldn’t have been long.

Either that, or this migraine had every intention of lingering far past its welcome.

“What time is it?” I croaked, my throat and mouth feeling drier than the Sahara.

“It’s about nine. You’ve been out for around an hour and a half.”

Warm fingers traced along my face, gently sweeping sweat-slicked hair from my brow.

“Can you sit up for me?”

With a shaky nod, I cracked my eyes open—then immediately regretted it.

It wasn’t bright, but it also wasn’t the pitch black I craved when it felt like my head was about to explode.

A halo of buttery light cast one half of Taylor’s face in shadow, highlighting his sharp features and the stubble along his jaw.

Mother above, the man was gorgeous. But there was no way I was going to be able to sit up.

The smallest movement sent pain pulsing through my temples.

“There you are,” he whispered, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “How are you feeling?”

I crinkled my nose, closing one eye so half the tiny fireflies dancing in my vision disappeared.

“Like an elephant is sitting on my face and a vice grip is squeezing my brain.”

“That was… vivid,” he said with a light chuckle. “I brought you a Coke and your meds. Think you can sit up?”

“You found everything okay?” I asked, pinching the pressure point between my thumb and forefinger. Sometimes acupressure helped, sometimes it didn’t. At the very least, it eased the nausea for a little while.

“I had some help.” A bemused smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he shook his head. “Those cats are something else.”

Seeming to realize I wasn’t in any hurry to move, Taylor slipped a hand behind my shoulders and helped me upright. Even with his support, the room spun, and I dropped my head forward into my hands.

“Take it slow, baby. I’m right here.”

“I don’t deserve you,” I groaned, pressing my fingers into my temples as I willed the fluorescent squiggles from my vision.

“I disagree, but we can argue about that later. Here.”

Lifting my head, I rolled my neck in a weak attempt to relieve the tension that always built there when a migraine hit. With a deep breath, I finally allowed myself to fully open my eyes.

“Hey, beautiful.”

Taylor held out a hand, a green capsule nestled in his palm, and passed me the drink he held in the other.

“Bottoms up.”

The bubbles tickled my tongue as I took a long pull from the straw, then dropped the pill into my mouth. After a few more sips, I handed the cup back to Taylor with a sigh.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Mags.”

“Yes, I do. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Maybe, but I wanted to. I don’t like seeing you in pain. Now come on, you need to eat.”

I groaned, my stomach souring at the mere mention of food.

“You’ll be more nauseous if you don’t.”

“I know.” I scrubbed my hands down my face before letting my head fall back between my shoulders. “You’re bossy as a doctor.”

“Yeah, well. You’re bossy in general, so it all balances out,” he teased before pressing a kiss to my brow and slipping from the bed. “I have a Snickers or plain potato chips. Your fries from earlier are cold, but I can throw them in the oven if you want those instead.”

“Chips, please… Wait, no. Snickers… Both? Yeah, let’s go with both.”

Taylor’s chuckle mixed with the crinkle of the plastic bag on his dresser, and I couldn’t help but smile. Adjusting in the bed, I scooted back against the pillows and crossed my legs beneath me as he brought over the food.

I’d spent so much of my life taking care of others—my sisters, my friends, people in our coven and the witch community—it was nice to have someone looking after me for once.

We fell into easy conversation while I ate.

Taylor told me about what happened with Meowfoy, how Hermeownie had helped him find everything I needed.

I explained what a familiar was, watching his eyes widen with each word.

When I finished, he muttered something about how he knew they understood him, and how unfair it was that he couldn’t understand them back.

And though it made my head throb worse, I couldn’t help but laugh.

I swear, the more that man learned about witches and the craft, the more his mind got blown.

Once I was done, he tossed the trash and handed me the bag from my house. He dimmed the lights in his bathroom so I could brush my teeth, then helped me back into bed, bringing my cold cap along with him.

I sighed in relief as the bitter chill seeped into my skull, dulling the ache. The meds had kicked in, and eating had helped, but nothing worked quite like being enveloped in ice packs.

Once he’d gotten me tucked in—something that was quickly becoming my favorite little quirk of his—he pressed a kiss to my brow.

“Get some sleep, sunshine. I’ll be on the couch if you need me.”

Panic gripped my chest at the thought of being alone.

So much had happened.

And now that my mind was clearing from the pain, I could feel the ache in my chest. Cracks and fissures spread with every breath, the terror I felt when I got that phone call crashing back in.

I’d had flashbacks to my parents’ accident. Memories of our nanny crying as she held Maddie and me, Meredith sleeping soundly down the hall, as she explained we were now orphans.

Black lace dresses and tights.

Tear-stained cheeks.

Countless condolences.

Saying goodbye to the only life I knew.

It all came slamming back into me with resounding clarity. I hadn’t been able to breathe until I’d seen the rise and fall of my aunt’s chest in that hospital bed.

I didn’t know what I would have done if I’d lost Aunt Evie.

I didn’t know what I would have done if Taylor hadn’t shown up in that hallway when he had.

I’d never felt more alone in my life than I had in that moment. And just seeing him had saved me.

Slipping my hand from beneath the covers, I latched onto his before he could walk away.

I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks.

Mother above, I’m so tired of crying.

“Stay. Please,” I managed around a suppressed sob. “I… I know I haven’t been the best girlfriend, and you deserve so much more, but could you just… hold me? Just for a little while, at least.”

Taylor dropped to his knees beside the bed, lacing our fingers together with one hand while gently sweeping away my tears with the other.

And sweet baby cheeses, the way that man looked at me—like the sun rose and set with every beat of my heart—was intoxicating. It was addicting in the best way. He may not have said it, but he’d shown me love in every other way I could imagine.

“Baby, I’ll stay as long as you need me to. I just didn’t want to… overstep. You asked for space—”

“I don’t want it. Not anymore. I didn’t really want it in the first place, I just… I didn’t know how to process everything. I’m sorry.”

Taylor’s lips were soft against mine, his touch grounding me in a way nothing else could.

I was completely gone for this man.

And there was no turning back.

Not that I wanted to.

It didn’t take long for him to join me in bed, his strong arm draping across my middle and pulling me until I was nestled against his body. “Goodnight, sunshine.”

“Goodnight, cowboy.”

“You’re here early,” Aunt Evie whispered, wincing as she adjusted in the hospital bed.

“I got a ride with Taylor this morning since he had to work.” I grabbed her uninjured hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a car,” she joked, her lips tugging into a wry smile.

I glared at her.

She let out a small laugh. “Too soon?”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Yeah, well, one of us has to have a sense of humor about this or we’d both be a mess. How’re your sisters?”

“Maddie’s on her flight home, and I’ll call Meredith after her last final.” I hesitated before adding, “How are you feeling about surgery? It’s this afternoon, right?”

When we arrived at the hospital this morning, Taylor had gotten the rundown from Dr. Fredmont.

Miraculously, Aunt Evie only had a mild concussion—not that I was surprised, given the amount of protective charms she wore on a daily basis.

But she also had a displaced fracture in her left arm that needed surgery, meaning at least one more night in the hospital.

Aunt Evie shrugged. “I’m not worried about it. Did I hear you say that Taylor dropped you off this morning?”

“You did, but we’re talking about you right now.”

“No, we’re talking about that hunky doctor who looks at you like you hung the moon and all the stars.”

“Aunt Evie—”

“No, Magpie.” Her voice softened. “I don’t want to talk about me. And I need you to hear me when I say this, okay? I’m here. I’m safe. I’m… relatively unharmed. But, babygirl, I’m fine.”

I swallowed hard, nodding as she squeezed my hand, blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay.

“Now,” she continued, her expression shifting back to something far too knowing, “tell me why Taylor brought you this morning. I thought y’all took a break—or whatever it is y’all call it?”

I sighed. “I maaay have stayed at his house last night.”

“Uh-huh, go on.”

I groaned and dropped my head onto the thin mattress. “I don’t know, Aunt Evie.”

“Yes, you do. You just need to have the courage to say it out loud.”

“But what if—”

“Don’t even let that thought finish forming in your mind, Magnolia Lynn.

” Her grip on my hand tightened. “You and I both know that man is in love with you. But after everything you’ve been through since y’all started seeing each other, and everything you’ve endured at the hands of that silly little town we call home, he’s probably scared shitless to say it. ”

“But what if he doesn’t?”

“Doesn’t what? Love you?” She let out an exasperated sigh. “Magpie, there is a greater chance of twenty feet of snow in the middle of June than there is that he doesn’t think the sun shines out your ass.”

“But… there’s still a chance.”

“Well, if you wanna be a negative Nancy about it, then yes, there’s still a chance. And if—and that’s a big if—he doesn’t, then I’ll turn him into a toad.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “So, you’re saying I should tell him?”

If there was ever a picture in the dictionary next to the word deadpan, it would be of the look my aunt gave me in response.

“Alright, alright. You win.”

“Magpie, I didn’t win anything. You did, when you decided to give that boy an actual chance.” Her voice softened. “I couldn’t imagine a better man for you to be with.”

“You barely know him, Aunt Evie.”

“I don’t need to know him. I know you. And I have never seen you light up about anyone like you do for Taylor. I’ve seen you smile more in the last few months than I have in years—even when you claimed to hate him.”

My cheeks burned, and tears pricked at my eyes, but she just held onto my hand tighter.

“You deserve to be happy, Magpie,” she said. “You just have to let yourself.”

I stayed at the hospital until the nurses came in to prep Aunt Evie for surgery. Before I left, I whispered a quiet prayer of protection and healing over her, then promised to come back when she was out of recovery—to which she promptly and emphatically told me no.

Feeling lighter as I made my way toward the elevator, I pulled out my phone and fired off a quick text.

Magnolia

Aunt Evie is getting prepped for surgery, so I’m going to go home for a bit.

I must have caught him between patients, because almost immediately, three little dots appeared.

Taylor

Swing by the ER lobby and I’ll give you the car keys.

Magnolia

I can call ZydeGeaux and get a ride.

Taylor

You can also take the Bronco.

Where are you right now?

Magnolia

Just stepped off the elevator in the lobby.

Taylor

Don’t move.

I paused just outside the elevator, glancing around the main lobby before shifting toward the sitting area in the center.

“Mags!”

Taylor’s voice rang through the space, and I turned just in time to see him jogging down the hall, his shoes squeaking against the polished linoleum.

“What are you doing?” I asked, laughing as he came to a stop in front of me.

His mouth quirked at the corners, and my heart flipped.

He was in green scrubs, his hair slightly mussed from his sprint down the hallway, and worst of all—he was wearing those godforsaken glasses today. Every single inch of him called to every cell in my body.

“Bringing you these.” He pulled his keyring from his pocket and held it out. “You going to the house, or back to the manor?”

The house.

Never, ever, his house.

Was now the time to tell him?

Once again, it was on the tip of my tongue, but before I could get the words out, the overhead speaker crackled to life.

“Doctor Hallows, you’re needed in the ER. Doctor Hallows to the ER.”

“Shoot. Sorry, baby, I gotta run. Text me, okay?”

He pressed the keys into my hand, tugging me into his arms for a quick hug. Then, with a soft kiss to my cheek, he turned and jogged back down the hall.

But before he got too far, the words tumbled from my lips.

“The house.”

He turned mid-step, his smile spreading slow and wide, and my knees damn near buckled.

Then, with a wave and a wink, he disappeared around the corner.