Chapter Twenty One
Maggie
I wake up the next morning, my eyes landing on the beautiful brunette beside me. Fuck. Last night was amazing. I expected her to bolt like most straight women do when they get theirs. She didn’t, though. Instead, she begged for more, wanted to give me more. It was easily one of the best nights I’ve had in a long fucking time.
Her eyes slowly open, a soft, timid smile spreading across her face.
“Hi,” she whispers.
“Morning.” I smile.
“Did you sleep okay?” she asks.
I can’t help but laugh. Morning after small talk is hands down the worst part of it all. We all do it, though. Why do we suddenly get shy and have no idea what to say to the person who had our genitals in their mouth less than eight hours ago? To be fair, hers were only in my mouth, but same difference.
“I did. You?”
She nods. “You’re really comfy,” she says, wiggling into me.
I let out a chuckle and press a kiss to her forehead. “I’m a cuddler. You hungry?” I ask as I roll out of bed, my oversized shirt coming down past my ass.
“Sure. You want to order something?”
Walking over to my fridge, I assess what I have before grabbing out the eggs, cheese and some cooked bacon.
“Omelet?” I offer.
She nods, sitting up and exposing her beautifully naked body. My eyes skate over her and I turn my head to the side, grabbing a baggy shirt and tossing it in her direction.
“Put that on.”
“Why?” she asks.
“Because if you don’t, I won’t be eating an omelet for breakfast.”
Excitement sparks in her eyes and I laugh as I close the distance between us, tipping her chin up to face me.
“Get dressed, sweetness.”
She rolls her eyes with a smile but slips on the oversized tee.
It takes me virtually no time to whip up a couple omelets before I throw on a random movie on the TV.
“Shut up, I love this one,” Maryia says.
“You like horror movies?” I ask.
“They’re my favorite. The cheesier the better.” She laughs.
I smile at that. Bridgette hated horror movies. She put up with them for me, but she always ended up rolling her eyes at the dumb ones or burying herself into my neck for the scary ones. So obviously, I turned them on at every chance?—
Shit. No. We are not going down that road. We are not going to reminisce about her when I have a beautiful half naked woman in my bed.
“Me too.” I smile as I take a bite of my food.
Maryia does the same, her eyes going wide with shock.
“Holy fuck!”
“What?” I frown.
“This is amazing! Are you kidding me? You just made this? My god, you can hand out orgasms like it’s nothing and cook? I think I’m in love.” She laughs.
I snicker and shrug, brushing imaginary dust off my shoulder as we fall into a comfortable silence.
“So, tell me something,” Maryia says.
“Like what?”
She shrugs. “Anything.”
“Well, I’m a Gemini, so that should tell you everything you need to know about me.” I laugh.
“Yeah? I’m a Pisces!”
I’m not overly into the zodiac, but I know enough to know that Pisces can be a…complex sign.
“What else?” She smiles.
“I don’t know. What is there about me that you don’t already know?” I laugh. “No blood siblings, two stepsiblings. Mom’s a bitch, dad is dead. I make candles in my spare time, love horror movies. Uhm, yeah.” I shrug.
She gives me a sympathetic look.
“I’m sorry about your dad. That was recent, right?”
I wince and nod. “Not even a year.”
She reaches a hand out, resting her hand on my thigh sympathetically.
“That must have been so hard. Then for your mom to move on so quickly…”
Scoffing, I shake my head. “Yeah, she’s nothing if not opportunistic.”
“Did he leave anything behind for you?” she asks.
I tilt my head to the side as she explains.
“When my grandpa passed, he left me a few letters. They are my most prized possessions. When I miss him, I read them and I feel like I’m close to him.”
“I love that you have that.” I smile sadly. “No, though. He died of a heart attack in his sleep. It was very unexpected. I don’t have much left of him,” I say, wincing in memory of the tie my mother burned. “Just an inheritance I have no intention of touching.” I laugh bitterly.
Maryia nods sympathetically. “I get that. Like if you did, it’s like you’re monetizing his death.”
“Yeah, exactly,” I say, feeling truly seen for the first time in a long time.
I’m suddenly feeling so raw, so exposed, and she can clearly tell. Taking pity on me, she changes the subject and begins telling me all about her twin brothers, who are seven and apparently absolute hellions.
After we finish breakfast, we end up staying in bed watching the entire movie before moving on to the sequel. We don’t fuck around at all, which is a little surprising at first, but actually kinda nice. It’s nice just to be here with her, hanging out, and that she clearly doesn’t just want something from me. The whole thing just has me feeling…good, and I haven’t felt good in so long. She’s like a little ray of sunshine I didn’t know I needed.
* * *
Maryia and I have been texting almost nonstop since the bonfire. Skyla was pissed at me for ditching her, but she got over it. I do feel like shit, though. Apparently, Bridgette lured her out to the cemetery and Asher shoved her into an empty grave. She sat out there for over a half an hour until Vincent Griggs, of all people, helped her out. See what I mean? He’s a creepy fucker. Who just hangs out in a haunted graveyard filled with the bodies of the tried witches from the trials? Psycho creepy eliminators, that’s who.
Tonight, everyone is gathered at Putnam Manor for Skyla and Asher’s engagement party. Sky didn’t talk about it at all. I think she’s dissociating or something, which considering how her piece of shit fiancé has been treating her, I can’t say I blame her.
My mother dressed me up in the most disgusting Pepto Bismol colored dress to ever exist. Yeah, it even rivals the bridesmaid dress she forced on me at her wedding. She has been watching me like a hawk, probably to make sure I don’t take off like the last time. You know, the time where I found the girl I was falling for choking on Putnam’s cock.
Good times.
My eyes meet Maryia’s for the tenth time tonight. She’s standing between her parents, wearing a soft blue dress that looks so beautiful. She gives me a small smile before pulling out her phone.
Maryia: Stop looking at me like that.
Me: Why, Bambi?
I look up to see her bite her lip and shake her head.
Maryia: Because it makes me want to kiss you.
I grin at that. I’ve been calling her Bambi ever since that first night. She has these big beautiful brown doe eyes, and she’s so timid. She’s like a baby deer I have to tread carefully with or risk spooking.
Me: We can arrange that. Meet me in the back of the house in two minutes.
I wait for her to read it before she looks up at me and nods. I smile and turn to face my mom.
“I have to use the bathroom.”
She gives me a narrowed look. “That’s what you said last time.”
I roll my eyes. “I said I was sorry. Do you want me to piss all over Christopher’s floor?”
A look of horror washes over her face as she shakes her head.
“God, you’re disgusting. Hurry back. Miles said he wanted to dance with you tonight.”
My eyes move to the man in question. He’s currently schmoozing with his parents when his eyes catch mine. He gives me a quick wink before facing the man talking to him. Gag. If I have to suffer another minute with that moronic jackass, I think I’ll puke all over his shoes.
From the minute we arrived, Harry and my mother practically shoved me into his arms. They gave us all twenty feet of ‘space’ while we got to know each other. You know what I got to know? He’s dumb, an asshole, and exceptionally obnoxious. He kept asking the weirdest questions, like what my favorite kind of cheese was, or if I considered Pluto a planet. He continued to smile, acting like we were having the best time while I was pretending I was literally anywhere but in front of him. It’s already too much that I’ll be forced to marry a man, but one that clearly can’t pick up social cues? So excited for that life.
When Skyla and Asher arrived, she sought me out almost immediately when I was talking to Miles. She shot me a confused look and seemed like she was going to intervene, to which I quickly shook my head. She has enough problems; she doesn’t need to get involved in mine.
Slipping past my mother, I head for the back of the house, passing the bathrooms before moving down a hallway. I find a little alcove and decide to wait for Maryia here. It takes a minute or so before she appears. She almost walks past me, but I quickly reach for her, yanking her over to me as I pin her against the wall.
My hand lifts to cup her face as I smile at her.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” Sbe blushes.
“So, what were you saying about wanting to kiss me?” I ask with a waggle of my eyebrows.
Her blush intensifies before she leans forward, pressing her lips against mine. I smile against her, my tongue wrapping around hers as I hold her tight. Her arms wrap around my waist, holding me to her as I continue moving my lips against hers.
“I missed you,” I say as I begin peppering her neck with kisses.
She lets out a breathy moan as she nods.
“I missed you. I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”
“Yeah?” I ask with a smirk. “While you touch yourself?”
Her face turns the color of a tomato, causing my eyes to widen and my jaw to drop.
“I was just kidding. That’s my dirty girl.” I smile before bringing my lips back to hers.
Maryia lets out a needy little whimper that has my pussy dripping when a deep voice forces us a part.
“What the fuck is going on?”
We spring apart, both staring up at a furious looking Harry. All words die on my tongue as I stare at him. His nostrils are flared, jaw clenched as he wraps his hand around my bicep, and yanks me away.
“We’re leaving. Now.”
Before I can say anything, he’s marching us down the hallway. I look over my shoulder to see a terrified looking Maryia watching in horror. Harry’s grip on me tightens and I wince.
“You’re hurting me,” I say.
“Good!” he sneers, his eyes like fire before he’s facing forward again.
Heads turn as he marches us through throngs of people, my mother quickly following after us. I catch a concerned looking Bridgette who is talking to that friend of Harry’s, Thomas Booth. Quickly, she excuses herself and also chases after us as Harry leads us out the front door. We move down the front steps of the mansion before veering to the right into the yard and away from prying eyes.
My stomach is in knots as fear wraps its ugly claws around me. When we are out of view, Harry pulls back his hand and slaps me across the face. My mother and Bridgette gasp in surprise as I attempt to blink the stars away.
“Harry! What’s going on?” my mother asks.
“Calista, you and Bridgette go back inside before people notice we’re gone.”
It doesn’t take much convincing, she happily turns her back on her daughter who was just struck by her husband. Figures. Bridgette is more hesitant. A helpless look is on her face as she looks between me and her dad.
“What happened?” she asks.
“NOW!” he roars, causing her to flinch, officially confirming that she has received this particular brand of treatment in her life.
Piece of fucking shit.
Slowly, she makes her way back inside, casting me concerned looks every few feet before she’s gone altogether. When she’s out of view, he slaps me again, this time so hard I fall to my knees in the wet, dewy grass.
“That was disgusting! And in our leader’s home, no less! Do you have any idea what that could have done to my reputation if someone had seen?” he barks.
“We were just kissing,” I say from the floor.
He reaches down, wrapping his hand around my throat as he lifts me to my feet. All of my air is blocked off, and I choke and gasp for an ounce of oxygen as he speaks.
“You were kissing a woman . It’s disgusting! It’s an abomination. It is detestable. Do you remember that? Remember reading that in the Bible, Margret? Detestable. Not only in the eyes of God, but the Brethren as well.”
He throws me to the ground once more and I gasp greedily, desperate for the relief that comes when I can breathe again.
“This is my fault,” he mutters. “Your mother told me about your…rebellious streak, and I didn’t act soon enough. No matter. We’ll start therapy. Tonight.”
“Therapy?” I question.
He nods, pulling out his phone and tapping away on it.
“Immediately.”