Those three little words.
But we’d only been together a few weeks.
And I’d accused her of being crazy.
All I knew was that in my whole two years with Callie it had never felt like this.
Maybe it was lust?
Maybe…
Ebony
It was so difficult not to say anything when I called into Jax’s for my usual early morning coffee.
“Ebony! God I’ve missed seeing your face.” She came over and flung her arms around me. “How have you been?”
“Good. Hopefully I’m back now and can get on with selling my clothes. How’s business anyway?”
The coffee shop was busy with only one table spare. “Yeah, it's going well. I still haven’t found anyone yet though. I think I’m being too picky. Perhaps instead of trying to entice customers I’m trying to do a Withernsea Dating and set myself up?”
I smiled. “Don’t look too hard. I’m sure you’ll meet someone in good time. Speaking of matchmaking. How are the terrible twosome doing?”
“Seriously. They’re doing really well. Working dead hard. I’ve never seen either of them like this before, Ebs.”
I sat back in my chair. “Something’s going on with those two. I think I’ll pay them a visit before I open up.”
After finishing my drink, I made my way out of the shop and up the back entrance of the dating agency. I still owned the building and I had a key so I let myself in.
“That client was mine. I opened the email first.” Lucy was shouting.
“He’s a supe. So he’s mine. You’re covering humans.” Kim yelled back.
“He’s a centaur so he’s mostly an animal. Which of us covers animals because Shelley didn’t specify?”
I walked into Kim’s office where Lucy stood, hands on hips in front of Kim’s desk. “Well, well. I hear you are both working extremely hard and indeed it’s to the point where you are arguing for even more leads?”
They both looked at me guiltily.
“You might as well confess all because I’ve already seen it in a vision.”
“You have? So does Shelley come back? Does she get rid of one of us? Or does she stay with Charlie and make me Manager? Plus who gets the bonus payment?” Kim blabbed.
“Oh my God, Kim. She’s not had a vision. You are such a sucker… and a blabbermouth.” Lucy looked at me. “Excuse me, Ebony. I have work to do.” She left the room.
“Ebony! Did you not have a vision?”
“Nope. Just thought I’d get you to tell me what was going on.”
“Damn it. I squealed like a pig.”
“So you’re both working hard in case Shelley decides to stay home with Charlie and to get a bonus?”
“Yes, because I should have the Managers position in the bag but Lucy is doing really well at bringing new clients in. You know how competitive we both are.”
“Well, I’ve had a vision about Charlie which means I doubt you have to worry. I think Shelley will be back and all will return to as normal as it gets around here. I’ve no idea about the bonus though.”
“She called me earlier. Told me about what went down with the faerie. It’s really shaken her up.”
“I know, but in a way it’s been good because she handled it, and it also showed her that she’s not invulnerable. There’s always going to be a chance for the bad guys to misbehave. It's just about being as prepared as possible.”
Kim nodded. “I think it’s good she’s having a christening for Charlie K. I don’t know why she didn’t do that in the first place instead of having to be polite to everyone separately. She can get this gig done in a day and go back to being a mum. Your vicar is performing the ceremony by the way. The one who you saw in a vision with his chorister. After a little bit of persuasion, they allowed Lucy to set them up. They’ve been dating ever since.”
“Thank goodness that sometimes my visions do good, rather than cause chaos and confusion.” I huffed.
“They brought me my husband. For which I am very, very, grateful. Although it did come after a lot of chaos and confusion.”
“Only because you decided to date a rival shifter.”
Kim stuck her tongue out at me. “Anyway, what about your piece of hot stuff? How’s that going?”
I couldn’t help it. A massive smile came over my face.
“Oh my God. Look at you. You’re in love!”
I looked back at her shocked. “No I’m not. It’s going well, but it’s far too early for love.”
“Tell that to me and Darius when we eventually got together. To Shelley and Theo. To Frankie and Lucy. Things happen fast in Withernsea.”
“Yes, well, I’ve always been the most sensible of all of you, so I think I’ll take a little longer.”
“If you say so.” Kim gave me a look as if she didn’t believe a word I was saying.
I wasn’t sure I believed a word I was saying either.
At just after five Henry came into the shop.
“You’re early.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t wait to see you.” He came up to me behind the counter and wrapped me in a passionate embrace. “Come on. Let’s get this visit to my sister over with and then you can come to mine and see my etchings.”
I giggled. “Okay then, let’s go.”
We walked into Jax’s together hand in hand and watched as Jax’s jaw hit her ankle boots. “You said you had a lovely new girlfriend. You didn’t say it was one of my besties. Oh my God.” She squealed and jumped up and down. Then she punched her brother in the arm. “You screw her over, Henry, and I’ll kill you.”
“Sorry already screwed her over… a chair, the bathroom sink…”
“Henry!” Jax and I shouted at the same time.
“Just no.” I told him. “We invoke the best friend and sister code. You cannot talk about sex while we are both here. Ever.”
“Now tell me everything.” Jax said. Then she paused. “You know what I mean. Everything about how you met.”
We told her. We were like excited children.
Jax sat with her elbow resting on the table. Her chin was in her hand and her head tilted towards us. “Oh guys. I am so happy for you and so jealous. I need some love in my life.”
“It's coming, Jax. Not yet a while, but it’s coming.”
“It is?” She sat up. “Did you have a vision?”
“No. Ebony is just saying it’s bound to happen sooner rather than later, right Ebs?”
Huh?
I turned to Henry. “No, that's not right.” I said sternly. “Yes, I had a vision. But your hair was longer, Jax. In a bob, so it’s not yet.”
“Oooh, and did you see who it is?”
“I did but his face was in shadow which means I’m not allowed to tell you.”
“Oh as long as I know he’s coming. I was thinking about growing my hair. Now I definitely will. Thank you, Ebs.” She looked at the counter. “Do you want any of the leftovers to take home either of you? I’ll go bag some goodies up. I know Henry will want all the vanilla slices.”
“Why did you do that?” Henry’s voice had undertones of frustration and irritation.
“Do what?”
“Tell her you saw her with someone.”
“Because I did.”
“Yeah, but Jax doesn’t know about the supernatural shit, so why get her into predictions and stuff? You should just keep her out of all that.”
I sat up very straight in my chair.
“Out of all the ‘supernatural shit’. Is that how you see it, Henry? As total and utter ‘shit’?”
“You’re taking it all out of context. All I’m saying is she doesn’t know about any of this. I’m trying to protect her.”
“Protect her from what? Weirdos like me?”
“Don’t be stupid. You’re putting words in my mouth that I haven’t said.”
Jax came over. “What’s going on? Is everything all right?”
“It’s fine, Jax. We’re just squabbling about
him taking all the vanilla slices.”
“Ah.” Jax visibly relaxed. “Well that’s okay because I put one in your box anyway.” She placed two cardboard cake boxes on the table. “Now I’d better get the place locked up. It was fantastic to see you both and I’m so happy for you. My brother and one of my besties.” She smiled and re-hugged us both and then we left.
Henry moved closer and went to put an arm around me but I shrugged him off. “I’m going to go back to my own house actually, Henry. I’m not in the mood tonight.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake. Just because I asked you to be careful around my sister.”
“Your sister is going to end up with Tristan. You know, Tristan who you had the fight with? The pixie. So you might want to let her get used to the world of the supernaturals because it’s coming to Jax’s life soon.”
He backed away and folded his arms across his chest. “No way is he going anywhere near my sister.”
“The visions said so.”
“Well this time your visions are wrong.”
“They’re never wrong.”
“This time they are. You’d better think up a new one, because that ‘shit’ isn’t happening on my watch.”
“I don’t ‘think visions up’, you moron. They appear. She’ll be happy with him so don’t you do anything to ruin it, you selfish bastard.”
“She’ll be happy? With that knob? If your brain saw Tristan as a good bloke then you are definitely as cuckoo as I always thought.”
I froze in place.
“Ebs. I didn’t mean it like that.”
I held my hand up. “Leave me alone, Henry. Just leave me the hell alone.”
Shelley
“I’ve called this emergency meeting because both Ebs and my brother are as miserable as sin, but they’re both too stubborn to apologise.” Jax said. “It’s been a week now. I don’t know what to do. Neither of them will say what caused it. They argued in here about vanilla slices but it can’t be that.”
“I’ll go and have a word with her.” I reassured Jax. “Let me try to get to the bottom of it.”
“Let me know if she’s back on the market because Dmitri, the Hellhound footballer, hasn’t found a match yet.” Kim blurted.
“Desperate.” Lucy snarked. “Totally and utterly desperate, Kim.”
“The christening is in two days' time. If when I’ve talked to Ebony, I think they both just need their heads banging together, then we try to get them to talk to each other there. Hopefully they’ll come to their senses.”
“How’s everything at home now?” Jax asked me.
“Fine. Henry is back now doing the decorating. We’ve improved our security and we now have a scanner on entry that warns if anyone is trying to bring anything untoward into our home. We’re okay now. We’ve got over the shock and we’re being realistic. There are going to be other crises come up. I birthed the badass baby of Withernsea. We just have to relax the best we can and get on with things. So, I’ll see you all at the christening. Now I’ll go and find out what’s happening with Ebony.” I said my goodbyes and walked next door.
“Shelley! Where’s the baby?” Ebony was packing clothes up at her counter and dropped them as I walked in.
“At home with Daddy. Theo was up by three today so I thought I’d head over here and check on things. What’s going on with you and Henry? And do not try to bullshit me.”
Ebony sighed. “I saw Jax in a vision. She is going to fall in love with a supe. I told her, and Henry said I shouldn’t be going on about my visions if she’s to be kept out of the supe loop. When I told him who she’s going to end up with—bearing in mind I confided in him as Jax can’t know—he told me it was never going to happen. He’s going to try to interfere with my visions which could cause who knows what trouble. I should never have trusted him.”
“Who was it?”
She huffed. “Tristan.”
I almost choked. “Jax… and Tristan?”
“Yes. I know it seems strange but Jax is really tiny and her and Tristan will be the perfect fit.”
“But he’s an asshole!”
“With us. He won’t be with her. She’ll not put up with it. I’m not saying they won’t have their moments, but I saw them together and they looked happy.”
“So at some point soon Jax will discover the truth about Withernsea?” I sighed. How was she going to feel when she found out we all knew and she didn’t?
“Not if her brother has anything to do with it.” Ebony raised her eyebrows.
“What are you doing here anyway? Are these online orders?” I picked up one of the dresses on her counter. That actually brought a smile to my friend’s face. “Yes! It’s working amazingly. I can’t thank Theo enough. One of these is going to all the way to France.”
“Ebony, that’s fabulous.”
“I’ve not had many visions the last week or so; it’s been nice to have something to keep me busy.”
“You’re missing Henry, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Ebony chewed on her bottom lip and she blinked her eyes a few times. “But he said I was as cuckoo as he first thought. So I think I can safely say we’re through.”
“Oh, Ebony.” I gave her a hug. I was going to be having words with Mr Marston when he came to paint tomorrow.
“You all ready for your very important role of Charlene’s godmother?”
“I am. I’m honoured. Hopefully Kim will let me get a look in with the baby.”
“Who knows what Kim’s going to be like? I don’t think Fate herself can predict her behaviour. If she gets out of control I promise to bind her in my webs. That’s all I can do.”
“Thanks for dropping by, Shelley.” Her gaze dropped to the floor.
“Hey, look at me.”
She did but she sighed.
“You have been there for me all through my meeting Theo, and through Charlie’s birth. It’s time I was there for you. I’m here, Ebs. Whenever you need me.”
“You were. You were there for me when my visions disappeared. That’s what friends are for. Thanks. Shelley. It’s appreciated, but I’ll be okay. If my visions are to be believed, my husband is still out there somewhere.” She clicked onto the screen in front of her.
“Oh my God!”
“What?”
She pointed to the screen and to a web page that said ‘new arrivals’. “This is one of the places I get my stock from. She’s showing the next seasons styles. These will be available to buy from August this year.”
“Oh, you were just getting excited about new stock. I thought it was something important.” My own idea of clothes shopping was a couple of pairs of jeans about every five years, waiting until they basically fell apart before I had to buy anything else, so unfortunately I didn’t share Ebony’s enthusiasm.
“It is important. Shelley, look at this dress.”
On screen she clicked through to a beautiful pale blue dress with capped sleeves, and a short ‘v’ neck. It came to just below the knee and was covered in the most delicate lace. It was vintage style and absolutely beautiful.
“Oh I have to say that is lovely. I think you’ll sell a lot of those.”
“It’s not for the shop, Shelley. They are the bridesmaid dresses in my vision. So my wedding can’t be that far away.”
Henry had left by the time I returned but he was back by the next morning. As he walked through the door, I wrapped a tendril of blue web around him that picked him up and dragged him into the living room where I sat cuddling my daughter.
“Oh my God, what the hell is happening? Arrrgh.” I dropped him in the chair opposite and then I bound his feet together and secured his waist to the chair.
Mary appeared. “Sorry, Shelley. I heard a commotion and thought I’d better check no one was trying to abduct my granddaughter. I didn’t realise you and Theo had an open relationship and that you were into kink. Guess it’s weird if the mother-in-law joins in with this part, right?”
“Ewwww, Mary. I’ve capture
d Henry because he has pissed my friend off and he isn’t leaving here until I get some answers.”
“Oh.” Mary said. “I’ll go back to what I was doing then, which was Alistair, by the way.”
“Mary!”
“I’m going. I’m going. Sorry I can’t show off because I have a boyfriend for the first time in a century.”
With Mary gone, I turned back to my captive.
“What is this I hear about you calling my friend cuckoo?” I narrowed my eyes on him. “And just remember you are answering a witch, vampire, and wyvern cross who currently rules the whole of Withernsea so you might want to be honest. Because I haven’t shown you even a thousandth of my powers.” I let my fangs descend and my eyes go red.
“I was a dick. Alright? She was telling my sister about her visions and she doesn’t know but Jax has had a really bad time with her lack of a love life. There have been occasions when I’ve had to drag her out of the flat because she’s been so low, convinced she’ll never meet anyone. I didn’t want Ebony giving her false hope. It would be cruel.” He scrubbed a hand through his beard. “And then she said it was bloody Tristan.”
“Yes, I have to admit I probably had a similar reaction to yours when she told me that.”
“After all she’s been through, I don’t want my sister to end up with an asshole.”
I let out a deep exhale.
“Look, Henry. I can tell you that what Ebony sees is either a warning or a prediction of love and she says Jax and Tristan will be together. Will love each other. No one could have told me that I’d end up married to a vampire. I was a human who had no idea of the supernaturals living here, just like you were and just like Jax is. It’s her future and she’ll work things out and get there. I can’t tell you it will be plain sailing because Ebony saw Kim’s happy ever after but then she also saw a potential pack war and Kim was held hostage before she and Darius eventually were able to get together.”
“Is this supposed to help me?”
“I’m just saying that none of this is straightforward. But is life easy anyway? Even without the supernatural element. Look at you and Callie. You had problems and she cheated on you. You don’t need a paranormal element for things to go awry.”
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