Charlie, we should talk about what happened between you and Ava, Oberi started, for the millionth time that week.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I tried to make it clear I wasn’t interested, but he wouldn’t budge.
We need to, Oberi insisted. She hasn’t given up on you!
“That’s cool, because I’ve already given up on myself.”
I heard nails skitter against the stone floor as Oberi launched himself in front of me. I stumbled, nearly falling over him. “Ow! Hey!”
I’m done trying to be nice about this. You and Ava had a moment, and nothing’s happened since. This could be your path back to redemption!
“What, messing around? Sorry, I don’t think fucking each other is going to magically fix our marriage.” I tried to move around him, but he blocked me again.
You had the chance to stop yourselves, and you didn’t. What do you think that means?
“Do you know how hard it was to tell myself no in the moment, when she’s all I’ve wanted for weeks now?” I demanded. “Her speaking to me is enough to bring me to my knees these days, so sorry if I didn’t have any self-control when she’s asking me to make her feel better in the one way I know how!”
You’re acting like you made a mistake, and you didn’t. This is a good sign. If you can’t connect over words, at least you can connect over something. You have to find common ground somewhere.
“It was a mistake, because it shouldn’t have happened. Now it just hurts more, because all I can think about is what happened between us. I could’ve used your help! You’re the one who ran out when things started happening. You could’ve stopped us!”
But I wanted things to happen. If you’re still sleeping together, that means there’s some kind of connection left, no matter how small. It shows neither of you really want to give this up. It means there’s hope.
I scoffed. “I don’t want to hope. That just means I’ll be more disappointed when this blows up in my face.”
Ava proved to you there’s a chance of mending your marriage. She gave you a peace offering by sharing her body. Why not take that chance and see where it leads?
“Why? So I can fuck up and ruin her life, like I have been doing for years now? Not a chance. I won’t do anything to hurt her ever again.”
Then decide not to, and make this right, Oberi demanded. She’s showing you she isn’t ready to leave. Give her a reason to stay.
I didn’t allow myself to believe Oberi was right— because if I did, and Ava still chose to divorce me, I wouldn’t want to go on. I had to tell myself she was gone forever. If I allowed myself to keep hoping we could work things out, it would destroy me. That wonderful night had been a momentary lapse of judgement, nothing more. I wouldn’t survive if we tried to make this work, then she decided in the end she still didn’t want me. Best to just let it die.
I made my way through the secret passage in the library and entered the Hidden Legends Archives, where Ez was reading aloud from one of the records.
I didn’t finish the thought before passion built inside of me. My breath caught as I reached my peak. My fingers tightened in her hair as I emptied into her. She noticed me tense, and she increased her speed, using her hand to pleasure me further.
Kallie and Danny burst into fits of laughter, while Marcus blabbered gibberish loudly to drown out Ez’s voice. “LA LA LA LA LA!!!” Marcus sang.
“What’s wrong?” Ez teased. “I’m just reading what’s written. It’s right here on page 276 of The Cauldron’s Curse.”
I plopped onto one of the couches to listen. I nearly squashed Rishi, and he hissed as he jumped out of the way. Oberi hopped onto the couch beside me, and Alette fluttered onto his back.
Ez went on, sounding delighted as he narrated the book he was reading aloud from.
I sagged against the rock, and my head spun so much that I saw stars where the trees should be. When my head finally cleared, Nadine was kneeling beneath me, beaming. She swallowed, and I smiled wide.
I realized then what was going on. Ez was reading from Marcus’ parents’ records and taunting him with the explicit details. It sounded like Lucas and Nadine had gotten a little crazy in the woods back in the day. Ez lowered his voice to mimic Lucas’ as he went on.
“If you were trying to convince me we shouldn’t be together, you’re kind of doing a shitty job of it,” I teased as I buttoned my pants.
“Let’s not question my motives,” she joked back.
“Motives?” I smirked. “What motives?—?”
Footsteps rustled in the distance. I jumped to my feet and grabbed Nadine’s hand.
Her features paled. “No one knows we’re out here.”
