Page 37 of Unhinged Magic (Cutters Cove Witches #2)

Wesley

Daylight infiltrated the dark space behind my eyelids as they flickered slightly.

“Good morning,” whispered a familiar voice that instantly roused my dick.

I turned my head to find Skye staring at me.

No, absorbing would be a better term. Her irises shone bright, sliding over my skin in a way that did not help my morning boner at all.

During the night, the bedcovers had settled at my waist, and I dragged them back up, moving onto my side, pulling her close.

“Hey beautiful.” Without thinking, I kissed her deeply, and for a moment I thought I had fucked up.

I hadn’t meant to turn me staying the night into anything more than it had been.

A night where I held her close, something I wasn’t sure I would ever have the privilege of doing again.

I’d barely slept. As I lay with her in my arms the entire night, I couldn’t bring myself to shut my eyes for hours, relishing in the overload of her in my senses.

Her warm skin had molded to mine, a dash of pomegranate filtering from her hair and soaring into my nostrils.

Her light breathing had lifted and caved her chest ever so slightly, my hand riding the wave of air pulling then releasing from her lungs as I held her close.

I don’t recall moving from that position all night.

But here we were, my lips craving hers like a drug. The withdrawal of not having her near for so long causing me to act without thinking. To my surprise, Skye returned the kiss, her lips parting and finding my tongue. It was slow, cautious, and tender all at once.

Reluctantly breaking away, I ignored my insistent boner between us. “My one priority from here on in is to fix our bond. Find out why you can’t feel it like I do,” I said, whisking a stray hair behind her ear.

She nodded, running her hand over my chest and up my neck. “I may have done a little homework on that while you were gone.”

I lifted onto my elbow with interest. “Yeah?”

Skye pulled herself upright, adjusting the pillows behind her, and I did the same. “Scar and I came up with a few theories to run with.”

I waited patiently for her to continue.

She drew in a breath, fiddling with the edge of the sheet. “She thinks there may be something more to the photo that appeared at the house. That maybe this is all linked somehow.”

Confusion wrinkled my nose. “That’s some theory,” I murmured, struggling to see how this could all be more than a coincidence. “I guess it’s worth looking into, though.”

“Yeah. She’s taken the photo to see if there’s anything she can find out about it.”

“That’s really kind of her. What’s the other idea?”

“Something Scar mentioned about a death notice to help Landon pass over.” She looked down to where she rolled her ring around her thumb, as if she weren’t sure she should say his name. “I guess we need to go back to the library and track down the old newspaper records to find it.”

Landon’s death notice? I didn’t see how a paper clipping could help a ghost pass on, but I wasn’t the expert in that department, so kept my thoughts to myself.

I straightened, realizing this would be simpler than she thought. “I can help with that. The death notice, I mean; I might know where it is.”

Skye shook her head, not understanding. “It needs to be the original. Don’t ask me why, but apparently a copy and paste version won’t cut it.”

I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to recall the last time I’d seen what I needed to find. “Yeah, I think I can help.” I turned to look at Skye, who stared at me with interest. “Mom had this box. I haven’t seen it in years, but I’m sure it can’t be too hard to find.”

Her brows lifted. “You really think you could find it?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.” I rested my hand on her knee over the top of the covers. “Would you come with me?”

I didn’t know what possessed me to ask that question, taking her to the house I grew up in as a child, introducing her to my mother as my girlfriend. It all seemed too much too fast, but so right all at the same time.

“It’s been years since I’ve seen your mom,” she mused.

A warm feeling spread through my chest, imagining the look on Mom’s face when Skye stepped inside her house beside me.

She had no idea how much I wanted to introduce her to my mother as my partner.

To the entire world. Nerves skated through me, unsure if I was asking too much.

If so, I would forget it. The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable.

“You don’t have to.” My thumb hooked into my fist, and I fought the urge to release the tension in my knuckles. “If it’s too much, I can go on my own.”

I hoped she would say yes but never expected the words to fall from her lips.

“I would love to,” she whispered, twirling her ring around her thumb. A cautious smile brightened her face, causing the dimple I hadn’t seen in a long while to indent her left cheek.

Climbing off the bed, she disappeared into the ensuite to shower.

I wished I could join her, wash her hair, soak her skin.

I knew this wouldn’t be easy, that I would need to earn her trust again.

But small steps in the right direction were something.

And right now, something was better than nothing.

Even if it took years to earn her love again, I would be here, waiting for that day.

***

A mid-morning wind stirred up the leaves at our ankles, seconds before lifting off into the air again.

Skye’s hand wrapped around mine, gripping it tighter as we walked up the footpath leading to the home that held many childhood memories for me.

Nerves rushed through me as we stood hand-in-hand on the front step of the single-story house I had called home for years, knowing what was ahead of me.

Mom would be pissed after I disappeared so suddenly.

I had flicked her a message before coming to the house.

I owed her that at least so she could prepare herself.

The front door swung wide in haste, causing the wind chimes hanging off to the side to chime louder.

“Wesley.” Her dark hair sat cropped to the shoulders in her usual bob, her normally friendly eyes filled with fury. When she noticed Skye at my side, her gaze dropped to our hands, and she straightened suddenly, her expression instantly masking her earlier disgruntlement.

“Hi Mom,” I quipped.

She looked between the two of us before extending her hand to Skye. “Hello dear, I’m Faye.”

I quirked a brow. Dear? I had never heard her address anyone with the word dear in my life.

Skye offered her a smile, capturing Mom’s hand in hers. “Hi Faye, it’s nice to see you again, it’s me, Skye”

Mom turned her head to mine, question marks embedded in her features. “Skye? Why, I haven’t seen you since you were this high.” Her hand hovered to her shoulders, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. “Oh my, the years have been kind to you.”

Skye pressed her lips together before speaking. “Thank you, and to you.”

An awkward silence fell between the three of us. Skye cast me a sidelong glance as Mom smoothed over the apron she wore over the top of her pants.

As if finally realizing her rudeness, she bristled. “Oh!” she motioned inside, please come in.”

We followed her into the house that seemed much too large for her now that Dad had passed, but she refused to leave the place that held the memories closest to her heart.

I noted the photos on the mantle above the fire as she led us into the living area, my gaze lingering on one of my parents.

They looked happy, him and Mom staring straight at the camera, their smiles wide, with not a care in the world.

I realized the photo was taken before Landon and I were born. Before it all changed.

Mom’s voice broke my thoughts. “It’s nice to see you two have been,” she arched a brow, “reacquainted after all these years.”

I turned away from the mantlepiece, facing the room again. “Girlfriend.” I cleared my throat, shoving my hands in my pockets. “Skye’s my girlfriend, Mom.”

She glanced between us both, a hand lingering on her chest. “Oh, how lovely.” She turned to Skye once more. “Can I get you some tea, dear?”

Fucking hell.

Skye buried her hands in the pockets of the long coat she wore. “That would be lovely, thank you.”

As Mom turned to the kitchen, she stole a glance in my direction, giving me the discrete 'look.' I ignored it, unable to entertain her thoughts right now. I had to find Landon’s death notice.

Leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen, I noted the same brown cabinets wrapping around the original tiled counter. The place hadn’t changed one bit since I left.

Mom pulled two teacups from the cabinet above her, motioning to one. “Would you like some?”

I shook my head. “No thanks, I’m good.”

Placing the teacups on the counter, she eyed me suspiciously. “Wesley, what are you up to?”

I motioned upstairs. “I’m looking for an old photo album. Are they still in the spare room?”

Mom’s brows furrowed. “Same place as always, in the wardrobe.”

That didn’t surprise me in the least.

Shrugging, I kept my expression blank. “I wanted to find some photos of Skye and me when we were younger is all.”

Mom seemed convinced by my answer. A quick bob of her head and she started filling the cups with tea.

Ducking my head around the corner to the lounge again, I found Skye nestled in an armchair, her fingers running over its dated fabric. I silently motioned upstairs, and she nodded back.