by ERIN BEDFORD
"When has that ever stopped you before?" I cocked a brow at him. Aidan didn’t answer like I expected, and I stopped at the end of the line to pay. The cashier looked at my tray and then at my head, her eyes widening.
“What’s that?” she pointed a finger at me.
I glanced around my head confused and then remembered that the ball of light stalking me to no end was of my own creation. I lifted a finger and giggled, “Oh this. It’s my guardian light. Aris.”
“Does it eat?” she seemed far too interested in the ball.
“Hmm.” I stared up at it curiously. “That’s a good question. No idea.”
“Well, I better not see it picking off your plate or I’ll have to charge extra.”
I gaped at the woman before clamping my mouth shut and paying her. Leaving the line, I headed toward an empty table but paused, remembering Aidan.
I glanced over my shoulder, expecting him to follow me. Aidan stood there for a moment as if a fish out of the water, not sure what to do. I jerked my head toward the tables. "Come on."
Thankfully, he didn't need much more persuasion than that and followed me. Sitting down, I grabbed the ketchup bottle from the middle of the table. I fought with the lid for a moment until a large hand reached over and took it from me. My eyes watched Aidan's hands as he easily twisted the cap off and handed the bottle back to me.
"Thanks." I beamed at him, pouring a copious amount onto my plate. I liked Aidan, not just for what he could do to my body but the quiet simplicity of his company. He didn't push conversation on me or feel the need to fill the silence. He was happy just to sit there with me. However, his current behavior was worrying.
Swirling a fry in my ketchup, I munched on it. "So, what's up?"
Aidan put his fork down from the spaghetti on his plate and turned his gaze to me. Another thing I loved. He stopped everything to give me his complete attention. "Lunch?"
I lifted a fry up to Aris. She didn’t so much as flinch. Frowning, I shoved the fry into my mouth. Maybe she doesn’t like French fries? If so, we were gonna have a problem. I turned my attention back to Aidan.
"No, I mean..." I picked up another fry and waved at him. "This. You never used to worry about bothering me. If I do recall, you sought me out more than half the time."
I knew my words were affecting him. His shoulders bunched up, and his eyes darted back to his plate. Trying to lighten the mood, I bumped his shoulder with mine, which did absolutely nothing except to bounce me back off of him. He really was built like an ox.
"I was afraid."
Those three little words from him made my heart stutter. "You were afraid? Why?"
He shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the question. Someone as big as him probably wasn’t afraid often. Especially, with his foresight. When you know what was coming, it was hard to be scared of it.
"You got hurt, and I didn't see it." The gruffness to his voice caused me to lean into him, wrapping my arms around his midsection, well as much as I could manage.
"Aw, Aidan. You can't blame yourself for that. No one could have predicted I'd pass out like that."
"I should have." His eyes tightened, and his lower lip poked out slightly. Oh. My. God. He was pouting. This big lug of a man was pouting. I wanted to pet him and call him a pretty boy, but I had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate that. Instead, I reached up and turned his chin toward me.
"Aidan," I softly murmured, keeping my eyes locked with his. "I don't blame you. I blame myself for getting in over my head, but in any case, I saved someone, so I'm not sorry, and you shouldn't be either."
"But..."
"No." I shook my head, putting my finger against his lips. "I appreciate you worrying for me, but I'm a big girl, I make my own decisions good or bad. You can't hold yourself accountable for those, or you're never going to be happy. Alright?"
Aidan's eyes searched mine before he let out a long breath. "Very well."
"Good." I grinned and then pulled his head down to mine. Pressing my lips to his, I gave him a quick but thorough kiss that had even my head spinning before returning to my own seat. "Now, eat. You'll need the strength for later." I waggled my eyebrows at him suggestively.
A deep chuckle released from his chest and his eyes darkened, so they were a stormy blue. My libido jumped about a foot, and I shimmed in my seat. Down, girl.
We finished our meal in relative silence. I stood to put my tray away, but Aidan took it for me. I smiled at him and took his hand. His large fingers engulfed mine as we walked out of the cafeteria. "Where are you off to?"
"The basement."
"Oh?" I quirked a brow. Aidan and Ian were both part of the Dark Arts major which meant they all worked in the basement level of the campus. I had yet to figure out why. Maybe I could now. "Why can't you work up here? You know, with the living."
"Because our work isn't meant for the light." Aidan started us down the hallway directing us toward my next class. I didn't need to ask him how he knew where I was going. He'd either seen it or memorized my schedule. It didn't bother me either way. It was convenient actually.
I chewed on my bottom lip, contemplating his words. "So, what exactly do the Dark Arts mean? Like hoodoo?"
Aidan's lip quirked up at the edge. "No. Hoodoo is more for the religious types, not what we do."
"And what is it you do?" I leaned against his arm, placing my head on his bicep.
"Death magic. Things that require sacrifices, blood, and darkness." He stopped before my classroom, taking my hand to whirl me to stand before him. "Things that are too dangerous for one such as you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I huffed, trying to pull my hands back from him but he held tight.
My eyes slid sideways to the ball of light by my head. Aris floated like nothing was happening. Apparently, Aidan wasn’t a threat. Not that I thought he was in any case, but it was good to know for sure.
Not at all bothered by my outrage, Aidan drew me closer. "You are the light and all things good. You should not be down in the dark lest it decide to keep you." My shoulders sagged at his words, and I tipped my head back as he leaned down to brush his lips against mine.
I blinked and stepped back before I could let myself get too into it. "Then why do you do it, if it is so bad?"
"It's not bad." Aidan straightened, his hands releasing mine. "It's just... complicated."
"Explain it to me then."
Aidan shook his head. "Not here. Later. I promise."
Pursing my lips, I gave a curt nod. "Fine, but don't think I'll forget." I wagged a finger at him playfully.
"I won't." He smiled and then urged me toward the door. "Go, before you are late."
I moved toward the door, but he called out to me.
"What? I'm going."
"Every other answer is C."
I frowned at him for a moment, not understanding what he was saying. Then my eyes widened as it dawned on me. Giving him a thumbs up, I rushed into my next class. Sometimes it was good to have a boyfriend as a seer.
Regardless of Aidan's heads up, my Charms class was brutal. I had a feeling I got most of them wrong except the ones that Aidan had told me. Really, who made every other answer C? It was like they were trying to trick you. There should be a law against it.
I had hoped that Aidan would be waiting for me outside of my classroom, but I was sadly disappointed. Must have been in his own class still. Not letting his absence put me down any further than I already was, I headed toward my dorm room.
“Come on, Aris.” I waved a hand at Aris as if that would make any difference in what the guardian light did. If there was a way to get rid of the ball of light, I didn’t know it. If it got really annoying, I guess, I could look it up.
With a sigh, I walked down the hallway. I had one day of finals done and only one left. I might not get valedictorian like in high school, but I wouldn't be getting the dunce cap any time soon either.
When I got to my dorm room, I reached for the door kno
b, not really paying much mind. I started to open the door but paused when I saw a hair tie around the handle. Brows crunched together, I tried to figure out what exactly it meant until I heard a giggle then a moan from inside. My eyebrows shot to my forehead, and I backed away with a grin. Trina must be in there with Libby.
“We need to redefine what you think I need warning of,” I told Aris with a wry grin. The ball of light just hovered there, the cheeky bitch.
Huffing out a sigh, I backed away from the door. While I was glad they were doing well, I really wanted to collapse in my bed and brood for a bit about my day. However, I wasn't about to rain all over their parade with my grumpiness. So, like any good roommate, I turned around and headed for the quad. Maybe a day in the sun would help me out of my funk.
With a goal in mind, I made quick work of the hallway. Before long, I was out in the sun and air. I lifted my hands up above my head and let out a big sigh. Already more relaxed, I searched out a good spot to chill out. The grass outside was already pretty full of students doing exactly the same thing I was planning on doing, unwinding after a long day of finals. I knew most of them tonight and tomorrow night would be unwinding with a drink or two. I hoped I was one of them.
Finding an empty spot, I didn't hesitate to lay back on the grass, my arms out to either side. I let the sun warm me as I pictured myself sinking into the cool ground beneath me. After a few moments, my eyes began to droop. I didn't fight it and let myself snooze. I'd only been out for a few minutes before two bodies took up residence next to me. I smiled as a familiar scent filled my nose, and a hand brushed my hair away from my face.
“I see your potion worked?” Paul’s voice came from my left, his arm pressing against my own.
Sighing, I licked my lips. “Yep. I have my very own Tinkerbell now. She’s pretty useless actually.”
"Tough day?"
I blinked my eyes opened and smiled up at his big brown eyes. "Torturous. How about you?"
"It was alright. Nothing I can't handle." He moved his body closer to mine, and a part of me flushed. Lying next to me, his shirt was pulled tight and showed the lines of his abs beneath. If his proximity wasn't enough to give me flashbacks to our time together, then the hint of what I knew lay beneath his clothing definitely did.
"I bet." My lashes fluttered, and my voice came out breathy. A movement on my other side barely called my attention away from Paul.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" A partially offended voice jerked my eyes from Paul to his brother, Ian. A lopsided grin on his lips, Ian's hazel eyes twinkled with amusement but had an underlying hurt in it.
Well, I knew how to fix that.
Sliding my leg over his, I grabbed the front of his shirt and jerked his mouth to my own. Not caring who was looking, I slipped my tongue between his lips and tangled it with his own. Pulling the appendage into my mouth to suck on it a moment, I didn't stop until Ian let out a heady moan.
Releasing his mouth, I wiped the edges of my lips with the pad of my thumb and smirked. "Better?"
Clearing his throat and adjusting himself, Ian chuckled. "Yeah, but now I have a hard-on."
I couldn't stop my eyes from drifting down to his lap where a prominent bulge showed beneath his jeans, and I licked my lips.
Ian groaned and buried his face in my shoulder. "Please, stop. You're killing me."
Paul's hand trailed up the back of my neck and tugged on my ponytail. "Maybe you'd like to head back to your room?"
I gasped at the implications but then sighed. "I'd love to, but Trina's currently having her own alone time in there."
"We could go back to my room," Paul suggested, his fingers curling along my hip, his front pushed up against my ass, letting me know he was just as excited to see me as his brother.
"As much as I'd love to join in this weird threesome, I have to get back." Ian stood before I could protest. Brushing the grass off his jeans, he squatted next to me, his fingers cupping my chin. "I'll text you later, k?"
Nodding but frowning, I watched Ian walk back toward the school. When he was out of sight, I turned to Paul. "What's going on with him?"
Paul shrugged slightly, his mouth going to trail along the shell of my ear. "How should I know?"
"You're his brother, duh."
"So?" Paul lifted his head, his brows scrunched between his eyes. "He doesn't talk to me like that. You're better off pumping Aidan for information than me." He paused for a second as I arched a brow at him. "Actually, you're right. If you are going to pump anyone, it should be me."
I threw my head back and laughed, shoving him away a bit. "You're such a perv. I'm not pumping anyone for information. I just want to know why Ian's acting like he has better things to do than spend time with me." My lips curved down and heaved a sigh.
"He's not. Trust me." Paul rolled me over to face him, his eyes soft. "If he could, he'd be here with you right now, even if it was to have a threesome with his brother."
I smiled despite myself. "You know, that's kind of a fetish."
"What is?"
"Brothers."
The smile on Paul's face spread wide. "Oh, really now? You want a brother sandwich?"
I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. "Even better if they're twins."
"Someone has been watching too much porn." Paul poked my forehead with his finger and moved back. Standing, he offered me a hand. "Come on, I have just enough time to rock your world before I have to go help grade papers."
Rolling my eyes, I took his hand. "Such a romantic gesture. A quickie between classes."
Paul winked. "You know me, all about the romance."
Remembering the way he had made love to me in the Potions lab caused my core to warm. Oh, yes, he knew romance. If only he didn't get jealous of the other guys so easily. The fact that he hadn't said anything yet today about it was a miracle in itself.
Instead of going back through the quad, Paul directed me toward the front of the school. We began to cross the circular driveway they had for picking up and dropping off people when Aris started to freak out. I paused to look up at her when a white Jeep came zooming around the corner, stopping right in front of us. I jumped back, holding onto Paul's arm.
"What's your problem?" Paul shouted at the driver, his arm in front of me protectively. When a familiar blonde head popped out of the side of the car, I knew why my Guardian Light was on high alert.
"Jesus fucking Christ, Sabrina, did all that bleach finally go to your brain?" I snarled at her still behind the steering wheel as I moved Paul's arm out of my way. "You could have hit us."
"Sorry," she said in a sing-song voice, a bit of a bite to her words. I thought that was the end of it, but Sabrina didn't get out or anything. She just stared at me.
"What? Do I have something on my face?"
Sabrina sighed dramatically, tapping her perfectly manicured nails on the jeep. "Are you going to get in or what? I don't have all day."
Paul and I turned to each other at the same time, our faces both relaying a ‘what the fuck’ message. Turning back to Sabrina, I shook my head. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Oh, come on. Be a grown-up." She scoffed and shook her head. "I don't want to do this any more than you. Just get in the damn car."
"I seriously have no idea what you are talking about." Just then my phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I read the caller ID before answering. What were the chances? "Grandmother, hello."
"Maxine, darling. I meant to call you earlier but was held up with other matters. How are you?" My grandmother, Mistress Mancaster, sounded just as dignified and put together on the phone as she did in real life. She'd make the President's wife cry of envy with how easily she handled everything that was thrown at her. Well, everything except my harem of wizards. That one I got an earful for.
"I'm alright." I shifted from one foot to the other, my eyes going to Paul. He still had a confused expression, and I shrugged. "I'm trying to figure out why Sabrina Craftsman is d
emanding I get in her car. So, if she kidnaps me, this is my notice for you to call the authorities."
I was joking. Kind of. For all I knew Sabrina would kidnap me one of these days, torturing me for daring to defy her.
My grandmother made a startled noise. "My apologies. I had hoped to get a hold of you before Ms. Craftsman approached you. That is entirely my fault."
"So, you know about this?" I arched a brow at Paul, who seemed to be catching on a whole of a lot faster than me.
"Yes, of course. I arranged it."
I made a rude sound through my nose. "Why the ever loving he... ck would you do that?" I caught myself before I started to curse up a storm. Grandmother already thought I was an uncouth hoodlum no need to add to it.
"It's customary for you to have a senior witch help you through the steps of your coming out,” she continued. “I thought since Ms. Craftsman is in the same year as you, the two of you might have something in common. Besides, her family is one of the most prestigious in the area. You couldn't ask for a better sister witch to assist you."
Fucking A. I wasn't going to be able to get out of this.
"Are you sure this is necessary?" I asked her as Sabrina honked the horn, causing Paul and me to wince. I flipped her off as I plugged my other ear. "I think I can manage this all on my own."
"Nonsense. Ms. Craftsman is a lovely young lady, and you should strive to follow her example." I forced back the snort at her words. The day I followed Sabrina's example would be the day I wore my panties on my head and squawked like a bird. "Now, I hope to hear good reports on what you decide. Bye."
She hung up before I could get another word in edgewise. Scowling down at the phone, I shoved it into my pocket before I chunked it across the lawn.
"I'm guessing we're not going to my room then?" Paul asked, a dejected expression on his face.
Frowning, I took his hands in mine. "Sorry, apparently Sabrina has been selected as my torturer for the coming out party. I wasn't given the option to decline."