Chapter 26 Jack
Jack
“Hey,” I say as I step into Meet Cute Magic. Rosie’s head pops up and she looks at me, her eyes wide and her smile glowing.
“Hey, you,” she says, setting the books she was organizing aside and moving my way immediately.
The glittering strands connecting us flare, as I’ve started to realize they do when her emotions change.
This time, it shifts from concentration to happiness as she steps toward me, closing the gap between us.
The bond in my chest settles as her arms wrap around my neck, and she presses a kiss to my lips. “You’re early.”
I shrug. “I was slow, figured I’d come see you.
” I don’t tell her that when the store got slow and my random tasks dried up, I couldn’t resist the pull of her any longer and closed up early to make my way across the street to her.
I find myself wondering how people manage this bond long term, or if, after some time, it starts to settle in with consistency and comfort.
I guess I’ll never find out.
A wash of joy replaces my momentary melancholy as she smiles at me, enjoying my hint of honesty.
Ever since we created the second bond, I’ve come to realize that it’s not just the need to be with her that I feel: I also feel her emotions, to a degree.
Not enough that, if we were apart, I could pinpoint them, but more like if we’re together and I can hear her voice or see her face, it’s easy for me to distinguish.
It’s also been much more manageable than the last time we did a kiss bond, though I think our constant time together and the sex have helped that greatly.
“Well, I’m glad. I’m about to close up anyway,” she says, tipping her head toward the door and moving that way before flipping the sign over to closed.
Then she steps to me, putting her arms around my neck and giving me a deeper kiss, her fingers tangling into my hair.
My entire body relaxes with her touch, as if to tell me this is exactly what I needed for that slow building tension to ease.
Rosie.
In my arms, her lips on mine.
I return the kiss, my hand going to her jaw to tip her head to where I want it. We kiss like that for long minutes before finally we break off, her panting breaths and her small smile making my already hard cock throb.
“Okay, so, now that I have you buttered up for me,” she says, her smile leaving begrudgingly. “I have a request.” I lift an eyebrow but smile at her, pushing a loose hair back behind her ear.
“Was that all part of your master plan? Kiss me senseless so I’ll do your bidding?”
She nods eagerly. “Oh yeah, definitely.”
“What do you need, Rosie?” I ask, trying to sound put off but knowing there isn’t much I’d say no to, not these days. She bites her lip, looking so sweetly nervous. I can’t help but smile, leaning down once more to press a soft kiss to her lips.
“Okay, so my sister called me today.” My brow furrows in confusion. “Poppy, I’m sure because they knew I’m much more easily guilted by Poppy than Vi. I’ve been…” She bites her lip and looks to the side, “avoiding them. They said I’ve abandoned them, but that’s just because they’re dramatic.”
“What? Why?” I know how important Rosie’s sisters are to her, so I can’t imagine why she’d be ditching them. But then another bright red blush burns on her cheeks, and I know. I have to fight a smile, as I guess. “To hang out with me?” She shrugs. “You know we don’t have to—”
“I know, I know,” she agrees. “But I want to. And you know, the full moon is in eleven days, so…” The unsaid words hang heavily between us, because we both know what that means.
This ends.
She shakes her head like she’s wiping thoughts out, then continues to speak. “Anyway, I have to spend tonight with them.”
“Oh, no problem. I can just—” I start, and despite my easy acceptance, disappointment floods me. But it disappears quickly.
“You can have dinner with us,” she suggests, then rolls her eyes and sighs.
“Actually, my sisters kind of insist. They, uh… Her lips roll between her teeth, and she bobs her head from left to right before settling on an explanation of sorts. “They want to give you the third degree.” When I look at her, still confused, she groans, her head falling forward onto my chest. I let out a laugh, and when she’s ready, she looks at me again, resignation on her face.
“They think we’re together because, you know, we’ve been spending so much time together and the kiss bond and showing up at Vi’s all the time.
” I nod, understanding. “And we’re close.
They’re my little sisters. We always insist on meeting the new boyfriend and asking him a bunch of questions.
It’s how my sisters vet my dates for me. ”
“Do they often approve of them?” I ask, suddenly nervous. Another cringe.
“No. Actually, they’ve never approved of a man I’ve dated, which probably says a lot, but it’s probably just because I’m their big sister and they’re protective, you know?
” I nod, then shrug, seeing that this is kind of unavoidable, especially if I want to stay on Violet’s good side.
I have no way of truly knowing if Vi is magically spiking my treats, especially if the bond has faded.
“That’s fine. Dinner tonight? I can make a reservation for… four?”
She stares at me for a moment, confusion written on her face, and moves through the bond. “You’re okay with it?”
“Well, yeah. You’re Rosie Mayfield. We’re… pseudo-dating. And if you don’t want your sisters asking a million questions or digging too deep, you probably need to act like this is normal.” She stares at me for long moments before a soft smile tips her lips.
“You’re a good guy, Jack Haggerty, you know that?” I don’t respond, but I don’t have time to, not when she’s moving back to her tiptoes and pressing her lips to mine.
“Jack!” Poppy yells from across the parking lot as we walk to where her sisters are.
When Rosie came out of her room in the tiny outfit that looked far too close to what one of the bar wenches would wear in the game she’s watched me play, I almost called the dinner off and fucked her through the night instead.
But the smile that spread across her face and the proud way she twirled, making the short skirt and the fluffy tulle beneath glide up a bit, made me bite back my retort.
Instead, I just pressed her against the wall and showed her how much I liked it.
Unlike the last time Rosie and I spent the night outside, fall has officially come, and it’s definitely chilly. We’re all bundled up, except for Rosie, who told me her coat clashed with her outfit.
“Hey, Poppy, Vi,” I say with a smile, and fight being awkward when each of Rosie’s sisters comes over and gives me a small, friendly hug. When I look over at her, Rosie’s lips are rolled between her teeth, biting back a laugh.
“Which car are we taking?” Poppy says, looking around Rosie’s driveway behind her shop, where my car sits, idling so it would be warm for the girls when we climb in.
Rosie told me Poppy never got her license, instead choosing to have her sisters drive her everywhere.
Considering we live in a small town that has everything you might need in one place, and they are witches, I assume a car isn’t as vital as it might seem.
“Jack’s,” Rosie says, grabbing my hand and leading me there, her sisters following behind.
I think I hear one of them whisper thank god, but I brush it off as I open the door for Rosie and the passenger side as well, so her sisters can slide in, slamming the doors once all three are in and jumping around to my side.
“Jack doesn’t trust my driving,” Rosie says as I slide into the driver’s side. She turns in her seat to look back at her sisters, who are buckling into their seats in the back. Even though I can’t see her face, I know she’s rolling her eyes and making an exasperated look at them.
“I don’t blame him. You’re a terrible driver,” Vi deadpans. Rosie gasps, and her sisters laugh, but Poppy pipes in next.
“Don’t act shocked, Rosie. You’re a terrible driver.”
“I am not! I’m an amazing driver.”
Silence fills the car, then after a beat, the car fills with laughter as if none of them can even believe it.
This devolves into loving barbs at one another before they begin chatting, dragging me into their conversations about random things like favorite childhood costumes, Halloween candy, and whether or not there actually is a genre of Halloween music.
I don’t have much of an opinion on any of these things, though clearly the girls do. I give my opinion when I have one and listen to their incessant teasing, both of each other and me, and I think for a blissful moment that I would be happy if this were my life.
For dinner, I drive us one town over to Fair Meadow, and the Mayfield girls chat the entire ten-minute drive there, giving each other updates of menial things in their lives and dishing out random gossip they’ve heard.
We park in a township lot before making our way two blocks to the restaurant I chose, which has a wide variety of foods, including a solid burger and fries.
I picked it out knowing that to be Rosie’s favorite food and that they have a great vegetarian menu for Poppy.
The town seems to love the holidays; every foot of our walk is decorated for Halloween, meaning the girls ooh and ahh at every little thing as Rosie and I walk hand in hand at the front of the pack, her sisters trailing behind.