As we made our way down the hallway, Miranda avoided all of the closed doors. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the exact same moment she glanced over her shoulder back at me. She’d been so thorough downstairs with her house tour, but up here she was ignoring the vast majority of space.
“These are locked,” she said, answering my unasked question. “Have been the entire time I’ve lived here. No idea why or what’s inside… or where the damn key is.” Then she turned away and continued down the hallway.
Key? She shouldn’t need one and these weren’t likely locked with a key anyway. I had my suspicions as to why they were locked and what was inside. But this was why I’d come here. For her to learn about herself.
As she turned away from me, I stepped up to the first one, grabbed the handle, and twisted. The lock released with ease.
Miranda should’ve been able to do what I’d just done. Unless, of course, Serena had blocked that, too. Probably should’ve told her I got the door open. Instead, I released the knob and pretended that I hadn’t done what I’d just done.
Chapter Five
Miranda
Luken paused at one of the locked doors with curiosity. I’d done that a million times myself so I couldn’t really blame him. But I’d explained about needing the key and kept on moving to his room. He’d spent an extra second or two at the locked door but then he followed me down the hall to his room.
He only had the one small bag with him and once he was settled, I returned to my own room to change into some regular clothes—jean shorts and a T-shirt. Then I wondered what the hell I was going to do with the rest of my day. Turned out I didn’t need to wonder. After I curled up on my bed to stare at the wall, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier until the room around me went black.
In the morning, I woke up slowly, almost in a fog, as I rolled over to discover that yesterday afternoon and evening had passed me by. I hadn’t slept well in days, but for some reason, yesterday I’d felt more relaxed than I probably ever had. I’d slept in my shorts and T-shirt, so that couldn’t have been the most comfortable way to do it, but clearly, I hadn’t cared. I’d needed the sleep.
But I’d also ignored my new house guest.
I jumped out of bed and made a first stop at the restroom. I wasn’t about to face Luken with bad breath. Then I headed down to the kitchen to see if there was something I could scrounge up for breakfast. On the way down the stairs, I considered whether I should change my clothes or not and decided against it. I’d just put those on before I’d fallen asleep anyway.
“Oh.” I stopped short when I entered the kitchen and Luken was already there cooking breakfast. With what food, I had no idea but damn the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. “Good morning.”
He glanced back at me over his broad shoulder. “Morning. I went out and grabbed some food this morning to make breakfast. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“I don’t mind,” I said. “Especially if I get to eat some of it.”
He chuckled, then said, “Of course.”
I dropped into a chair at the table, feeling like a thousand pounds had been lifted from my shoulders. “I don’t think I’ve eaten a thing in days.”
Silence hung in the air between us as the spatula scraped against the pan. Then he turned toward me with a plate in each hand before setting one in front of me. Bacon. I hadn’t had bacon in forever and the smell alone had my mouth watering. It tasted as delicious as it smelled.
“It’s a stupid question, but how are you doing?” he asked.
That was a harder question to answer than any other I’d ever heard. I decided to go with being honest, even if it made me feel like a piece of trash. “Well, I want to say I’m doing all right, but then I’d feel like a garbage human. My grandma died. I should still feel awful. And I’m still sad, of course, but I don’t feel like it’s crushing me. Up until yesterday, it was crushing me.”
“That doesn’t make you a garbage human. It makes you human. Wallowing isn’t required.”
His reassurance made me smile. “I’ve never been much of a wallower.”
“So what are you doing today?” he asked before shoving an entire piece of bacon in his mouth.
“I… I don’t know. I work at the flower shop in town, but they told me to take some time off. Seemed relieved actually.”
“Why would they be relieved?”
I shouldn’t have said that. Now I had to explain. “Well, Grandma and I aren’t exactly beloved with the town. So they hired me, but I never got the impression that they enjoyed having me there.”
He shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense.”
Well, I couldn’t make him believe me. “So I guess instead, I’ll get some groceries. Figure out what I’m going to do now that she’s gone. I’ll have to clean out her things.”
“I’ll help you with whatever you need while I’m here,” he offered.
“Why?” I asked because in my world strangers didn’t just offer to help. There had to be a reason.
“Why what?”
“Why are you offering to help me? Why are you here in town? I probably should’ve asked that before I let you stay here.” He’s not a serial killer, I said in my head over and over. If he was, he probably would’ve killed me by now. Plus, this was Warwick. We didn’t exactly attract the attention of… well, of anyone.
Luken took a drink of his coffee but didn’t take his eyes off me. Somehow, I could feel the weight of his gaze on me. He swallowed, his throat moved gracefully with the movement, and honestly, that wasn’t something I should’ve noticed so much. “I’m offering to help because I’m staying here and that’s what people do.”
“Not in my world,” I muttered.
He cocked his head to the side as if trying to figure me out and sighed. “And I’m here to take care of some things for work.”
“But you’re not going to give me any other details about your work are you?”
He shrugged. “It’s not important.”
I would’ve liked to disagree with that but instead let it go. “OK, well, do you want to go to the store with me? I know you already went once but if you come with me you can get whatever it is you like to eat. I have to put something in the cupboards especially now that you’re here.”
He nodded, then took the empty plates to the sink and dropped them in. “Let’s go.”
I grabbed my purse and keys because there was no way to bring groceries back on his bike if I was on it. A few things, sure, but not the amount I needed to buy. But damn, I wanted to get on that bike one day.
He didn’t try to insist on driving us, instead he went right for the passenger seat which worked out for me. The idea of letting him drive my car made me uneasy. As if having control somehow made me feel more at ease.
Being in a confined area with Luken had my hormones racing. It was ridiculous. Sure, I had pretty limited experience with boys, but I shouldn’t turn into an uncontrollable nymph just because a hot guy came around. Especially after everything I’d been through recently. Though maybe it was because of everything I’d gone through. Who knew?
“So you lived with just your grandma?” he asked.
“Yes. I came to live with her after my parents died.”
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
I shrugged and kept my eyes on the road. “It was a long time ago.” Then I quickly wet ran my tongue over my bottom lip. “What about you?”
“It’s just me,” he said.
How frustrating. We were chatting the way strangers did when they didn’t want to tell each other anything of importance. He wasn’t offering any details and I was guarded as well. Yet I desperately wanted to get to know the guy.
There was… something about him that I couldn’t put my finger on. Something familiar or at least something that put me at ease.
My curiosity ran wild. I wanted to know why he was hiding basic information from me. Whether it was because he didn’t know me or because he had something
to hide. I didn’t share much because I didn’t know him and talking took a lot of effort for me at this point.
I pulled into a parking spot at the store. Luken followed me out and grabbed a shopping cart on our way in. It was as we began walking up and down the aisles, I decided to get a little bolder. When in my life would I have a cute guy with me to talk to? Hell, with Grandma gone, when would I have a chance to talk to someone again? It wasn’t like I had friends hanging around.
“So when you said it’s just you… ” I set a load of bread in the front carrier part of the cart so it wouldn’t get squished.
“I meant it’s just me.” He paused for a moment. “I have friends. I have people around me but as far as family goes the closest thing I have is my best friend Miller.”
“Did you grow up with him?” The idea of a best friend was intriguing. I hadn’t had one. I’d barely had friends in school.
“No. I’ve only known him a few years. Met him after my mom died.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He gave me a nod to acknowledge what I’d said.
I only allowed myself small glances at him as we walked. He was far too handsome to be spending this kind of time with me but I’d take advantage and look until I didn’t want to anymore. But I didn’t think that point would ever come. His dark hair was still messy but not in the way guys in high school had worn it. As if they didn’t care but the look took them forever to achieve. Oh no. Luken’s hair looked more naturally untamed. As if it’d refused to be controlled.
“And your dad?” I asked because why not?
He shook his head. “No idea who that is.”
“Seriously?”
“Mom never said.” Then his eyes fully settled on me. “What about your parents?”
“I don’t have any real memories of them. I do remember coming to live with Grandma and she told me about them over the years. That they died in a plane crash but anything actually about them is too foggy.”
“You were young?” he asked.
“Three but you’d think I’d remember something.”
His jaw tightened as if something about what I’d said made him angry. Not sure why it would though. He didn’t know me well enough to care about my sad story. Yet here he was seeming to care.
“How old were you?” I asked him when we stopped in front of the yogurt. He grabbed several containers of different kinds before answering.
“Fifteen,” he said, me not having to explain what I was asking.
“And you were on your own then?”
“Not exactly. Some… friends of the family took me in.”
I nodded because the thought of him on his own at fifteen didn’t sit well with me. I at least had my grandma and was happy to hear he’d had people as well. The world could be ugly. Uglier if you were alone.
We kept the conversation light after that. Though I learned he really liked yogurt while I really liked pizza rolls. That was probably why he looked the way he did and I looked the way I did. He was fit, in shape, hot, the Taylor twins would’ve said. I did too.
But I was more… in between. Not fit or shredded, as they said. No one would find a defined muscle on my body but I also didn’t have any extra weight on me. I chalked that up to Grandma keeping very little food in the house due to us not having the money. I didn’t go hungry but there weren’t many treats.
“Were you a troublemaker when you were a teenager?” I asked him once we were back in the parking lot, dropping another bag into the trunk of my car. Today was a lot brighter than the last few days and I didn’t just mean my mood. The sun was shining and probably there’d be bird singing somewhere against the pale blue sky or some other Disney movie type bullshit. Not a rain cloud in the sky.
“A little. Why do you ask?” He loaded up another bag.
“You look like you’d be a troublemaker.” I pulled the trunk shut and began walking to the driver’s side of my older Chevy Cruze that Grandma got me a good deal on a year ago. It’d taken a lot of hours of work for me to be able to buy it but it was mine.
Luken chuckled. “I look like a troublemaker?”
We each slid into the car and I pulled out of the parking spot to head back to my house. “Well, probably not now, but when you were younger.”
“Why’s that?”
“The good-looking ones usually are.”
His smile grew. “So you think I’m hot.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t say that. I said good-looking and obviously you are. Why are you being weird about this?”
“I’m not being weird. You’re being weird.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “But I’m actually weird. Don’t try to appropriate my culture.”
His loud laughter filled the car as I drove through the streets of town on our way back home. Luken reached out and turned the radio up before beginning to sing out loud. I couldn’t help but smile at how easy he made me feel. I hadn’t had playful banter in… ever. I’d never had playful banter with anyone but Grandma. I’m surprised I knew how with someone else.
His voice rose and cracked as he hit a bad note making me burst out with another laugh as I brought the car to a stop back at my house. It was nice to be laughing with someone. Felt like I hadn’t laughed in forever. We unloaded the car and headed inside.
“So what’d you do?” I asked him while we were unpacking. “What made you a troublemaker when you were younger.”
“Normal things,” he said. “Broke curfew. Did things I shouldn’t have with friends… and girls. Whatever. I was young. What about you?”
I stopped and gave him a look as if he’d just asked the most stupid question imaginable, which he had, in my opinion. “You remember the part where I told you that Warwick isn’t exactly welcoming, right? I didn’t do anything but go to school.”
“Do you think you’ll stay here?” he asked.
I shrugged because that was something I couldn’t answer. Did I want to stay in Warwick? No. Did I have any clue where else I could go? No. Would I be able to afford anywhere else now that Grandma was gone? Probably not. Would I be able to afford this place now that Grandma was gone? Who knew?
“I guess I should go get started on Grandma’s room.” I pushed off the counter I’d been leaning on. “No time like the present.”
“You know you don’t have to do it right away.” He followed as I walked down the hall and headed up the stairs.
“Yeah. I know, but what else am I going to do? Sit here and stare at the wall?”
“I’ll help.”
I wanted to tell him he didn’t need to. Going through an old woman’s things couldn’t have been at the top of his to-do list. But I said nothing. Being a little selfish, I decided to take the company while I did the job.
Chapter Six
Luken
“What if you didn’t get started on your grandma’s things tonight?” I asked before she could get out of the kitchen. She clearly needed a break. Some fun. “Do something else instead.”
Miranda turned back slowly to face me with wide, curious eyes. “Like what?” she asked.
Realistically, I should’ve just let her go on with her own plans. Get started going through her grandmother’s belongings and hopefully find some clues as to her heritage. To being a witch. Then I could have segued into showing her that all those locked rooms weren’t locked at all. But I was a selfish man. I wanted time with her, to ease some of her sadness. The way I was drawn to those big blue eyes should’ve scared the shit out of me but instead, I wanted even closer.
“The options are endless. What do you like to do for fun around here?”
She rolled her eyes dramatically which caused me to chuckle quietly. “You’ve literally seen the entire town. I don’t know what other people do around here for fun. My guess is ritualistic sacrifices, but I don’t do anything but work at the flower shop and work here. Or read. I can read two books a day if I’m dedicated.” Then she cocked her head to the side and asked, “What do you do for fun? At home?”
“I don’t think you’re ready for those stories,” I said, hoping that the humor I’d intended came through all right. “But I’m from the city. This is a different world.” She didn’t know that I wasn’t talking about Echo Valley where I’d just come from. I meant where I’d grown up with my mom.
Miranda worked her bottom lip through her teeth while I seemed to lose her to her own thoughts. Until finally her eyes lit up with an idea.
“There is a Farmer’s Market in Pineville, which isn’t far. I could spend hours there. So many vendor’s but if we leave now, we could get lunch.”
“So like raw vegetables and fruit. I’m not against that but is that lunch?”
She reached out, put her hand on my upper arm, and gave me a shove. The first contact her skin made with mine sent a jolt of electricity through me and I began to hope, through her.
“No. Not just raw fruit and veggies. They have a few stalls that have delicious Mexican food or another that sells Gyros. There are options.”
“You had me at tacos. Let’s go.”
Miranda gave me this great smile that I honestly wished I’d been able to capture on my phone, but I’d have to settle with the memory of it. Because it was the first full, real smile she’d given me and the first time her sadness had retreated to the corners.
“I’ll grab my purse.”
Then another thought occurred to me. “Also, put on some jeans.”
“Why? It’s warm outside.”
I nodded. “It is. But you need jeans if we’re taking my bike.”
This time her smile showed more of a cross between excitement and nervousness. I’d seen the way she looked at my motorcycle when we’d left for the store and knew she wanted on it. I would’ve taken it then but groceries on a motorcycle didn’t usually work out so well.
“Be right back,” she said before jogging out of the room and it took everything I had not to watch her ass as she left.
Miller’s prediction about what I’d find when I got here had been spot on. Damn it.
Witch of Warwick (Dark Coven Book 1) Page 4