Chapter 7 - Gabriella
I was sitting on the couch when I heard footsteps coming down the hallway.
They were too light to be Westley’s, so I knew that they were Hazel’s.
I turned from my book and spotted her as she came around the corner.
She had her hair up in a fancy bun, with a few strands falling free.
She was wearing a pair of nice jeans and a red, fluffy sweater.
I raised an eyebrow, a little surprised at her attire.
“Where are you headed?” I asked as I sat up a little straighter.
“I’m going to help the healers again.”
Hazel saw a poster at work that the healers were looking for extra hands at the healing center. She figured it would give her something to do in her off time and maybe help build friendships. She explained that now that they had a decent place to stay, maybe the pack was worth getting to know.
She’d been going out during her spare time, and over the past few weeks, I’d seen her less and less. I was happy for her. This is what I wanted. I wanted Hazel to have friends and feel like she belonged here. I just hadn’t expected it to happen as quickly as it did since moving in with Westley.
I was a little jealous of how easy it seemed for her.
She left one afternoon to meet the healers and see if she was even interested in helping, and came home bouncing.
She’d gone on and on about how cool they were and how eager she was to learn from them.
They shared an interest in music and all thought the same things. She felt like she belonged.
“When are you thinking you’re going to be home?” I asked, setting my book aside.
She shrugged. “No idea. They were going to teach me how to do stitches today. Don’t wait up. I’ll figure out something for dinner, so don’t worry about making me something.”
I frowned, and I listened to the door shut behind her. I looked around the space, taking in the quiet. I chewed on my lip, wondering what I was going to do. With Hazel out of the house, and me having avoided Westley, my world seemed so small.
I shook my head and told myself everything was fine. I shouldn’t let this bother me. It wasn’t like I didn’t have friends or a life. I did.
I grabbed my book, which I had finished the other night, and decided I should make a trip to the library.
I drove across town and headed inside, soaking in the quiet that came with it.
The sound of a low whisper, and pages turning in a book.
The soft hum came from Marium as she pushed her book cart around, putting books away.
I dropped my book off on the desk and headed for the history section. I read all kinds of genres and liked to mix them up. I had just finished reading a romance and decided I needed something a little darker, something brutal and fresh.
I ran my fingers across the shelves as I moved, reading the authors’ names, seeing if one would catch my attention. I paused as I read a title, knowing it wasn’t supposed to be in here. I reached for the book, ready to bring it to Marium and let her know it had been placed in the wrong place.
But I felt a spark go up my fingers as I grabbed the book. The feeling trailed through my entire body, and I felt like someone had just run electricity right through me. I dropped the book, pulling my hand back and staring at it with wide eyes.
What just happened? What was that?
I looked down at the book. It fell face down with the spine open. I felt my blood pumping as I bent down, reaching for it again. The spark was softer this time, and my hands shook as I pulled the book up.
I read the title again. The magic beneath.
I stared at the book, my mind racing a mile a minute. Why was I feeling anything from this book? Could I be feeling magic? Sure, I was a witch, but I didn’t have any magic. Not even a little.
“What did you find?” Marium said, popping her head around the corner. “Something good?”
I looked at Marium, ready to tell her this had been placed in the wrong spot, but I couldn’t. I looked back at the book, taking in the way it looked. It had wear and tear, as it had been through many hands.
“Gabriella?” Marium tilted her head as she looked at me. “Did you hear me?”
“Here,” I said, quickly pulling myself together as I pulled the book up. “This is in the wrong area.” I pushed the book into her hands, the spark suddenly disappearing the instant I took my hands away. I felt my heart sink at it, but tried to shake it off.
“Are you okay? You look sick, darling. Are you feeling okay?” Marium asked as I moved past her.
“I’m fine. I have to go.”
I didn’t even give Marium a moment to say anything more before I was hurrying out of the library. I hurried down the sidewalk, trying to shake the feeling off. I stared at my hands, still feeling the spark.
“That’s insane,” I whispered to myself, wondering how it was even possible. It wasn’t.
I headed into the woods, letting my body go where it felt it needed. I just needed to get away and clear my head. Force the feeling away because it wasn’t real. It was just the idea, the thought that maybe I could be.
I froze when I heard footsteps. I scanned the space ahead of me, knowing that I wasn’t that far in the woods, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be in danger. I swallowed as I took a few more steps ahead of me and looked from behind a tree.
I spotted Westley just a few feet ahead of me.
He had his back to me and was moving in different training positions.
I knew better than to watch, but I couldn’t help but be shocked at how perfect his movements were.
They were calculated like he’d done them a thousand times and didn’t even need to try. His body just knew.
I chewed on my lip as he rolled his shoulders back, making muscles in his back flex. I remembered how his shoulders would brush against mine in the library and how I always thought they were soft, a gentle place to rest my head. But looking at them now, they looked like pure muscle.
His biceps tightened as he held his hands up, and I felt my heart leap. I was mesmerized.
I suddenly found myself missing what we had. The closeness we shared, and I hated how it was all different now. I wished I knew what happened, why it suddenly changed. I had thought about asking Westley, but I was afraid of the answer I would get.
I shook my head, knowing I needed to keep moving and quit watching him.
I was getting ready to turn when he pulled off his shirt, and my eyes widened at the sight of his bare back.
Each muscle moved, and I couldn’t look away.
Westley had a dark tan, and as he reached for the sky, I felt my stomach bottom out.
He was perfect, like a woman had carved him out herself. My insides flipped, and I internally screamed at the sight of him.
He took a few steps closer to the water next to him. I stood frozen like a statue, unable to look away. He reached down, pulling at his boxers and shimmying them down. I knew this was my last chance to turn around. There was no returning from seeing this. But I couldn’t.
Westley had a nice ass. A very fit, muscular ass. That was the only way to describe it.
My eyes stared as he walked completely naked toward the water. I frowned, confused why he would even think about going into the water when it was cold out. Was he trying to get himself sick? It was winter, and only someone insane would go into the freezing cold water.
He walked into it, showing no reaction to even feeling the cold. I imagined it felt like ice. He kept walking, going from his feet to his thighs into the water. And then he jumped in, diving under.
I stared as I waited for him to come back up, but he didn’t. So, I waited five seconds, then ten. Fifteen seconds went by, then half a minute.
I moved out of my spot, looking for him. I scanned the water, watching the bubbles for a moment before they disappeared, too. My heart was beating quickly in my chest, my eyes going over the water frantically trying to see him.
Was he trying to swim from one end to the other? Was he doing a cold plunge after a workout? The seconds ticked by, but he didn’t come up for air.
A minute. And counting.
I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. “Westley…” I whispered his name, chewing on my cheek. “Come on… come up for air… what are you doing?”
A minute must have gone by, maybe even two. I wasn’t sure. Everything seemed to blend together. The seconds felt like an eternity.
I moved closer to the water. “Westley! Come up,” I practically yelled at him. I looked over the water, still nothing. No bubbles. No ripples. Just stillness.
I felt my body shaking as I shoved my shoes off. I should have stripped down, but I didn’t have time. What if he hit his head? What if he was stuck on something? What if he wasn’t able to come up, and I was just standing here watching him drown?
I moved, rushing into the water, and dove down underneath. Cold hit me like a train, and my entire body tensed up at the contact. It was like diving right into an ice bath.
I swam, looking for him. I quickly found him just a few feet under, floating. I felt my panic grow and swam to him quickly, grabbing at his arms.
His eyes snapped open, and they widened as he spotted me. His mouth opened, and I watched a few bubbles flow out. But I didn’t have the air to say anything, or the time. My lungs were burning.
I tugged, and we both shoved up until we broke through the water. I coughed as I gasped for air, my lungs felt like they were on fire, and my skin felt like it was frozen. I think the cold air was even worse than the cold water.
“What… the hell are you doing?” I asked, my voice sounding broken.
“What do you mean?” he asked, not even looking flustered. He wasn’t even out of breath. He was calm, almost too calm.
“You could have drowned!” I yelled at him, throwing my arm into his chest. His muscles were strong against my palms. I hit him two more times, my entire body shaking.
Westley’s eyebrows went up, and he looked at me, genuinely surprised. “Is that what you think I was doing? Trying to drown myself?”
“I don’t know!” I screamed, still trying to pull air into my lungs.
I couldn’t swim out here while I was trying to hold onto him.
Westley moved closer, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me up higher.
The wind hit my back, and I didn’t feel the need to tread since he was holding me up, so I could finally breathe.
I placed my hands on his shoulders, trying to slow my breathing. Westley smiled at me. His eyes zoned down on me as he whispered. “This is part of my training, Ella. It’s underwater training. I’m trying to strengthen my lungs. I also enjoy a cold plunge after a workout.”
I looked at him, taking in the soft gaze and the charming smile. “Oh…” Of course. He was a special ops. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Why did I get so worried instead of reacting calmly?
“I think the better question is how did you even know I was out here?”
I shook my head. “I was walking the path from the library, and I saw you.”
He smirked. “And you watched?”
I felt my face grow red knowing I would have to admit I watched him undress or that I watched him go into the water naked.
“I was just surprised to see you go into the water when it’s this cold out.”
“And it had nothing to do with the fact I’m naked?” he said, his voice coming out like honey.
I felt my entire body heat up, realizing that I was pressed against him and he was wearing nothing. The only thing between us was my clothes, which were sopping wet. I knew I should pull away, I should get out because I was wrong, but I couldn’t.
I wanted to act like I didn’t care, but I did. I couldn’t just forget all those hours he and I had spent together. All those laughs we shared. I was angry at him, hurt that he treated me terribly at the end, but I didn’t want him dead.
“Well, it would look bad if you died.”
He chuckled, leaning his face closer. “So, what I’m hearing is you care about my safety?”