At the sound of the doorbell ringing, I hurtled out of the bathroom and down the stairs, nearly tripping over my bare feet in the process. After tonight's events, I was beaming at the thought of having midnight snacks with Lucy. When I got home five minutes ago, I shot her a text to tell her to come over.
"Haagen-Daas or Pringles?" she had asked, and I sent her a devil emoji with the accompanying text, "Both. Duh."
I hadn't changed out of my cocktail dress because I wasn't expecting Lucy so soon. Lucy must've used a broomstick otherwise she would've reached my place the morning after, given her driving skills was equal to that of an eighty-year old lady.
When I yanked the door open, my childish grin fell, along with my heart.
"Did you ghost me as payback?" Magnus' silky voice shot straight down to my belly.
See, I knew letting him know where I lived would come to bite me in the ass one day.
This was that day.
My mouth fell open, but I couldn't think of a proper reply.
Amusement danced in his icy grey eyes, a half-smile etched on those damn lips.
He was in a navy cable-knit sweater and jeans, and the sight was enough to cause a tsunami of wrath to consume my entire being. The emotion was so overwhelming, my body began trembling on its' own. Magnus picked up on it, his features turning serious.
"It was a joke, wee—"
The slap came out of nowhere. It was as if I had an out-of-body experience, momentarily losing control of my right hand, and then regaining it the second my palm connected with the side of his face, just below the hard cheekbone.
Magnus' expression changed from shocked to stony upon realising I struck him, but I stood my ground, glaring at him through tear-soaked eyes.
"Leonora," he spoke my name fully, and it took all my willpower not to flee. Everything in Magnus' original nature, in what he was, meant he could make swift work of me if he wanted.
And I just gave him a valid reason to.
Magnus raised his powerful arms and I shut my eyes, steeling myself for the impact.
But it never came.
Instead, he pulled me against his chest, his arms circling me tightly, as if he was scared of me falling away. Magnus' long, hard body was flushed against my front, and I could feel his muscles tense at our closeness.
His embrace was just shy of suffocating, and when my chest rose against his, all I could smell was his familiar masculine scent. I didn't even know I was crying until the cold night breeze caressed my wet cheeks.
"Whatever it is I did to hurt you," Magnus murmured hoarsely, "I apologise."
I pushed away from him with the strength of a butterfly and Magnus complied, releasing his hold on me just enough so our eyes could meet.
"You're engaged," I said pathetically between sobs.
His icy grey eyes swirled with realisation, and his arms fell to his sides. "How much did you hear?"
I sobered instantly, staggering back to lean against my kitchen island for strength.
"I heard enough. You wanted to keep me in the dark," I snapped, mustering a flash of courage. "You wanted to play your little games, keep me on a string until the Ball, then go off and marry somebody else!'
YOU ARE READING
BEWITCHED & BOTHERED
Paranormal☆ 2022 WATTYS SHORTLIST ☆ Leonora 'Lena' Winterhaven is a witch on a dry spell. Somehow, she is the only one left in her coven (and possibly all of New York!) to still have her virtue intact at the age of twenty-nine. This would be fine and dandy, i...
