Ink (48 page)

I smiled. A very exceptional tattoo adorned my skin. A black heart, more detailed and complex than the solid black one from before. It twinkled against the sun, making me smile even bigger.

I pulled him in for a kiss. “I want to learn everything there is to know about being a witch.”

“
And we have all the time in the world to teach you,” Slade said with a nod.

The idea I could learn magic and possibly do it myself excited me. But not as much as the idea of being with Slade and never having to worry that anyone would take him away from me. That made me the most excited.

“
I love you,” Slade said, drawing me in for a kiss, his fingers tangling through my hair, his breath warm against my skin, my heart did a joyful jig.

I held on tight.

“
I love you more,” I said as we broke apart.

I held tight to Slade’s hand as we headed down the beach back to my house. A million questions needed to be asked, but I knew there was a time for all of them, so I settled on just a couple as we grew closer to my house.

“
What about Tucker and his dad? What about my dad?” I questioned.

Slade squeezed my hand. “I gave him a little help in being honest.”

“
What does that mean?”

Slade smiled. “Let’s just say you won’t be seeing either one of them in the near future. And as for Tucker’s dad, I don’t think a criminal record will do him any good in the next election.”

“
But how? Slade, does that mean I will have to go to court?” I knew how the law operated, but Slade shook his head ending my panic at testifying against such an influential person.

“
This has nothing to do with you. This has to do with somebody else. Anaya. I planted the idea in his mind that him and his dad really needed to come clean. And, well, they did,” Slade explained.

This didn’t end my worry. “But Ezra admitted she had something to do with Anaya. Not Tucker.”

“
Ezra did. And she paid for that as well. But you weren’t the first girl to be attacked by Tucker and his dad. Don’t worry. I’m not framing them, Hope,” Slade assured me.

We came to a stop in front of my house. I quickly looked around for any sign of Dad, hoping I had just a few more minutes to say goodbye to Slade. I wasn’t sure when I would see him again.

“
Don’t worry about it. He hasn’t a clue how long you’ve been gone. He doesn’t remember any of it. And I mean
any
.” He ran a hand through my hair. “Not even the day he caught us in your bedroom.”

Slade planted a soft kiss on my lips. “So you see, Hope, everything worked out. And we don’t have to worry about anybody getting in our way. Go get some rest. We have a fun filled week ahead of us.”

I smiled at the thought. Completely content, at ease, and not a single worry anywhere in sight.

After an hour long shower, and a quick peek into Dad’s bedroom to make sure he was sleeping I sat down on the couch, grabbing the remote. Television for once sounded more than perfect. Relaxation came easy when all your worries were over.

And when you were happy.

I smiled, remembering that I wasn’t just average Hope anymore. I tried to imagine what a real witch would do to conjure a spell, to produce a little magic. It couldn’t be that hard.

I sat up on the couch, aiming my pointer finger at the lamp. I imagined it turning on. And to my surprise, it did. I wiggled my finger again, turning it back off. I clapped my hands in pure delight at my nifty little trick. I did it once more, and then told myself there was no harm in indulging a little more and did it again, and again.

Suddenly, a loud zap of energy shattered the bulb, the glass falling across the floor and loveseat, a plume of smoke lingering.

“
Hope, what was that!” Dad shouted from his bedroom, startled.

The lights flickered and then the power went out.

And I laughed.

“
I guess I could use a little practice,” I said with a smile.

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.

“I
will be on the first flight out Dad,” Charley said, reassuringly to her father. She balanced the phone on her shoulder the best she could, stuffing her clothes into her suitcase.

Her father was at a loss without a female in the home anymore. He had just lost his wife, and he needed his children. And Charley was trying her best to rush back to Ohio to make him feel better.

It pained her to know she had to go home. She had left five years ago, and never looked back. She was a city girl from birth. And even if where she was from counted as the city. New York was where she was meant to be.

Charley excelled in school just so she could have a reason to move to New York. She loved being an editor. And she was the youngest where she was working. She was able to dabble in fashion and music. Living a life that so many would die for, and even though she hardly had time to breathe, or do something effortless like paint her toenails, or take a hot bubble bath, she loved every minute of her fast life. She didn’t care if she would in no way have the time for a close romance. Or look at the same guy every day of her life after work.

“
I will see you around seven, Dad,” she said.

It was almost time to go. With one more survey of her condo, she was all set. She checked her watch one last time, and gave herself a good stare down in her antique mirror. Her long blonde hair perfectly groomed and spilling over her shoulders. Perfect was Charley in a nutshell. Perfect and simple, she thought, a serious expression on her beautiful face.

Charley didn’t understand how alluring and wholesome she looked. Nor did she ever understand the hoots and hollers from the men on the streets. Or how men stumbled for words when they had to speak to her. To her, she was just a small-town girl living in the big city. It made her uneasy at times. Since preteen years, she despised her breast, her long legs. She even tried hiding her full lips. To a lot of people they saw her as a wholesome beauty, to Charley, it felt like a reason to stare, to ogle her, and she hated feeling like a piece of meat.

Charley squinted her brown eyes, slipping on her sunglasses and making her way to the elevators. The sun was doing its best to hold on, but, the clouds were beginning to roll in. Rain was evident. It was ready to fall downward upon all the new Yorkers as they bustled to and fro.

New York was chaos. Tons of traffic. Horns and loads of loud noises. But this was what made Charley feel normal. It mellowed her mind. It helped fix things.

Charley gave a quick wave by the curb, stopping two taxis in an instant. She pulled her suitcase quickly behind her, on a beeline for the trunk. She was not one who ever needed help. The Taxi driver took a hint, getting back inside the cab. He too saw how self sufficient Charley was just about right away.

Finally, on her way to the airport, she let out a quick sigh. Nestling herself into the seat, she thought about going home, all the feelings going on in her mind. She hadn’t been back in years. And she feared it was going to invoke a lot of past anxiety. She had set a goal a long time ago, to leave stress at the door. And for it she was a happier person. Stress simply ate at your mind, body and soul.

“
Business or pleasure?” The cab driver asked, looking at her in the mirror. He waited patiently for her reply.

“
Business,” Charley spoke up, looking back to the window.

It had been three days ever since her mother had been brutally murdered. She never imagined she would be a part of an unbearable crime. She never imagined she would never see her mother again. The emotion was numbing. And she just did not know how to deal with the loss of such an amazing person. But she knew how to play it cool and reserved. She vowed she wasn’t going to lose it, or show she was upset. Strength was her goal, to show that she could be the strong one, if only for her father and her sanity.

Q
uinn
tugged at the young man’s arm that was slung across her. She carefully grabbed her clothes, one by one. Oh so careful not to make a sound. On all fours she made her way off the rather large bed. It was time to leave, and she hated goodbyes.

Just as her feet touched the floor, he arose from what seemed a slumber, smacking her on the rear rather assertively. He let out a pleased chuckle, pulling her back down.

“
Jordan, I thought you were asleep,” she said.

Jordan studied Quinn carefully. Turning on his side to face her. He caressed her hair, gazing into her dark eyes.

“
You were going to leave again without a goodbye,” he pointed out.

Quinn denied that he was right, sitting up in the bed. She was not inhibited at all. The idea of being nude in front of Jordan was not a problem. She was not one to blush.

She had to leave and she was trying to run. She knew the longer she lingered the more uncomfortable it would all become. And Charley was bound to be calling to check in again. Charley was her sister. And she was already nearing their old hometown. Charley was the sister who had everything right. She never screwed up her life. And she had a career. Quinn had a waitressing gig, as she tried her hardest to become an actress. The one thing she had wanted since she could talk. She was destined for Hollywood even if not a soul believed in her but herself.

“
I would have said goodbye,” She assured Jordan, slipping her fancy underwear on, pulling her t-shirt over her head, knowing Jordan saw right through her, but she didn’t care now. She had other things on her mind, like getting back home for her mother’s funeral. The thought ate at her. And she almost talked herself into shutting her phone off and just avoiding it all together.

“
Quinn, you’re a great girl. But damn it, your twenty one years old. It’s time to grow up. Can we just admit we like each other?” Jordan asked.

He was annoyed with this stubborn girl. Quinn never gave him what he was looking for and that was her commitment to him. It wasn’t that she was trying to see other men. She just didn’t want to see anyone. And Jordan was never one to want one girl. But there was something about her, the way she seemed so lost, but was still fun and alive. The way she was always smiling through everything. Those were the things that made him want to be a part of
her
everything.

Quinn ignored his words. Grabbing her purse and heading out of Jordan’s apartment. It was easier then explaining to him that her mother’s body waited back in Ohio. That she was dead and that her life was falling apart all around her. She didn’t want him to help her. Because with him doing such a thing left her wide open for criticism. He would know she wasn’t as together as he thought she was. He might see her as unexciting.

She booked it down the staircases. Avoiding the elevators. Finally, on the main floor she hit the streets of LA. The place where everyone came to when they had big dreams. She was in her glory in LA. Sometimes scared, a bit nervous at times, but it was better then what else she could be doing.

Finding her little red sports car in the apartment’s parking garage, she unlocked the doors, as her cell phone rang in her pocket. She knew it was Charley calling to make sure she was heading home.

“
I’m on my way to the airport right now,” she said right away.

Quinn fixed her hair in her visor as she listened to Charley freak out about her bad timing. And how slow she was at doing anything in life. If Charley put the amount of effort in nagging her as she did in dating, she was sure she would be married and have about five kids by now. Older sister or not, Charley had a way to be a pain.

“
I will see you tomorrow, Love you,” Quinn said, tossing the phone on the seat. She sped out of the parking garage, hardly avoiding the oncoming traffic.

Their Mother was a great woman. And Quinn had been extremely close to her. Everyone that knew her called her Sandy. She was the life of every party. She was the best at everything she did. And she raised her children to be the best that they could be. And even if they weren’t, she loved them just the same. Quinn missed calling her every night. Telling her about the day. How bad she wished things were different. She told her mother all of her hopes and dreams- ridiculous ones even. And she wasn’t afraid to admit it.

Now she was going home to say goodbye. And Quinn was afraid she wasn’t going to know how. But she swore she would keep it together.

In all the things, the family had to let go of, her beauty would remain. Each of her children resembled her in some way.

Quinn had her big goofy smile, her nearly red lips. They all had her dark brown eyes. Quinn had her hair, the same dark auburn, her skin the same pale shade. And when she was really happy, she had her dimples.