Page 38 of Unhinged Magic (Cutters Cove Witches #2)

Upstairs, I veered right, past the door of the spare room, slipping silently into Mom and Dad’s instead.

My chest tightened as I eyed the wooden box sitting on top of her set of drawers.

I hated being in her personal space, and a twinge of guilt wrapped around my heart at my invasion of her privacy.

Staring at the inconspicuous box, I couldn’t believe it was still there.

After all this time, it sat where it always had, a shrine disguised as something that looked as if it held jewelry.

Pacing over to it, I lifted the lid, its contents stilling me for a quiet moment.

A small green t-shirt covered in dinosaurs lay, neatly folded.

I didn’t remember it, but it must have been his favorite for Mom to keep it.

I carefully moved around a few photos, picking up one of us both.

We were identical, to the point I struggled to tell us apart, until I noticed a stuffed bear with two buttons as eyes tucked underneath Landon’s hand.

His free arm was around me, mine clutching my favorite toy truck.

We smiled at the camera, all teeth and wide, green eyes.

Even at that age, which was possibly four at the most, I bet those smiles got us out of a lot of trouble.

Us. How could one word screw with my head so much?

Placing the photo back in the box, I spied exactly what I was looking for.

Landon’s death notice. The moment my fingers touched the small square of newsprint, my vision morphed, a memory so clear it chilled my very bones to the marrow: a child’s scream sliced through my senses like a knife through my heart.

I doubled back, gripping the edge of the drawers as it dissipated just as suddenly, the real world coming into focus again.

Fuck.

I shoved the paper clipping into my jacket pocket, hanging my head low, unable to comprehend what I had just seen.

It had to be real. A memory. Realization hit me like a sledgehammer to the back of my knees, and I almost buckled under the weight of what I assumed I’d blocked out my entire life.

My fingers paled, expanding with each tremor that tore through them.

I stared at them numbly, disbelief crippling me.

I lifted my gaze to a mirror in front of me. A stranger stared back.

Impaled with despair, the reflection told a haunted tale of its own. One I wasn’t sure I could live with.

Ripping my focus from the mirror, I left the bedroom, sliding the wardrobe in the spare room open and grabbing the first photo album I laid my hands on.

I didn’t bother to check its contents before hastily making my way downstairs again.

At the base of the stairwell, soft voices turned my attention to the living room.

I paused, listening as my mom spoke to Skye.

“You know, Wesley has never brought a girl home before. You must be very special.”

For fuck’s sake , Mom.

I entered the room, their attention turning to me.

Mom’s demeanor stiffened. “Wesley, you look pale. Are you not feeling well?”

“Yeah,” I croaked. “I mean, no.” I turned to Skye, who watched me closely. “Do you mind if we go? I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me.”

“Ah, sure.” She turned to Mom, knowing full well we hadn’t eaten this morning, having made plans to head to Coffee Cove for breakfast afterwards. “Maybe I could stop by another time?”

Mom placed her tea beside her on a nearby table. “Of course. You’re welcome here anytime. Nice to see you, Wesley. Keep in touch.”

“You too Mom.”

We exchanged hugs before I fled for the front door, swinging it open and heading for the street.

Skye’s voice came from behind me, her quick footsteps rushing to keep up. “Wes, slow down. Are you ok? Did you find it?”

Her delicate hand clutched mine, halting my movements.

I steeled myself for whatever the fuck came next.

The part where I told her everything. I couldn’t face her right now, my every instinct causing me to pull my hand from hers.

Once she knew, she would never look at me the same. How could my mother not hate me?

Skye moved into my line of vision, and I turned away from her, pacing the pavement.

Her voice called out to me, desperation edging her tone. “Wes, what is it? What happened in there?”

I felt her fear tear down the seam of our mate bond, the bond I thought we could fix. A strangled laugh left me at the thought; what a fucking mess we were. Any ideas I had of us ever being together had just been ripped from me.

I fisted my hair, elbows spearing the sky as I tried to find the right words. She needed to know the truth. I couldn’t lie to her. Pacing back to Skye’s Mini Coop, I swung the door open, grunting as my knees hit the dashboard.

Skye jumped into the driver’s seat, her tone soft. “Wes, talk to me.”

My head fell back against the rest, my eyes sliding shut. I went to fist my hands into my jacket pocket, stopping before I remembered its contents. The death notice that should have been mine.

I heaved a sigh. “It’s in my pocket.”

Skye remained silent, staring at the raindrops on the windscreen currently blurring our vision from the outside world. She summoned a deep breath, turning to me. “Tell me what happened in there.”

I avoided her gaze, only to find the glass beside me fogging up from our body heat. I swiped at it, peering outside to where three young boys jumped from one puddle to the next.

Skye pressed on, her voice a whisper. “Wes.”

I turned my head to find warmth and kindness in her fine features. She was beautiful, her long brown hair naturally tousled in a way that made her look like she’d planned it that way.

My heart caught in my throat at the words I needed to speak. My voice leaving me as barely a whisper. “I killed him.” The words kick-started a torrent of emotions within me, my voice crumbling. “Landon died trying to save me.”

The vision of his face above me as he gripped my arm, keeping me from falling into the well would haunt me forever. His screams as I used him for leverage as I scrambled onto the damp ground again. But his eyes as he fell in moments after, would curse my soul for a lifetime.

Tears blurred my vision, one sliding down my cheek until I swiped it away.

Skye’s hand grasped my face, turning my head to her. “This is not your fault,” she affirmed, with purpose.

A shudder wracked my body, and I gave in to it, letting the devastation take me limb by limb. “That death notice should be mine. Landon should be here instead of me.” I stared at her with disbelief, unable to believe she still sat here beside me after what I had just admitted.

Had she not heard me correctly?

I should be sitting on the pavement on my ass, having been booted from the car, not held in the warmth of Skye’s palms.

Had I been wrong? Was this something we could work through together?

She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, her warm breath hitting my neck. “That’s not true. Accidents happen, some brutal. But you cannot blame yourself for this.”

Was she for real? Did she really believe that? “I don’t know how to live with this,” I whispered into her hair, my fingers tangling against her scalp. “With all of it.”

She pulled away, pushing hair from my forehead. “We take it one day at a time, and I will be here every step of the way to support you.”

I couldn’t grasp the words coming from her. She was incredible, so strong . I had put her through enough already, now this.

“I don’t deserve you,” I murmured.

“Yes, you do, and fate seems to think so, too.” She smiled, that cute as fuck dimple pinching her cheek again. “But you need to promise me one thing.”

Anything.

“What’s that?” I asked, ready to promise the world if she asked for it.

She continued, her tone serious now. “ Never shut me out.” Her request lingered between us, a silent yet potent promise.

“Done,” I agreed, and I meant it.

We drove in silence as we made our way to Coffee Cove, a comfort I rarely welcomed, but right now I desperately needed. We had so much to work through, but, as she said, we would take it one day at a time and work through it together. I was the luckiest man alive.