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“There are ways around that, you know. Vibrators, dildos, strap-ons.” My mouth falls open with each word.
I smack Merritt’s arm. “Look at you, you dirty girl! Being with Ben has made you much more open about sex.”
She chuckles and shakes her head. “I’ve been reading smut for years, Ro. I just finally have someone I can doallthe depraved things with.”
My grin is so wide it almost makes my face ache.
Merritt’s smile turns sly. “Now, what’s this about you not having anything to wear?”
I groan and tip my head back. “The guys want to take me on a date tonight and it’s so stupid, but I am nervous and suddenly nothing in my closet is good enough. But also what do you wear on a date with four guys? Tell me, Mer, what do you wear?”
She laughs and sets her mug on the coffee table before standing and moving toward her bedroom. I stare after her. “Where are you going?”
“To get ready,” she says over her shoulder. “Not all of us can wave a magic wand and look stunning.” She pauses at her door. “We’re going to go into town and buy something ridiculously overpriced that makes you feel like a goddamn queen.”
Twenty
Thirty minutes later, Merritt and I leave campus. The weather is beautiful; the sun is shining with a light breeze, so we decide to walk rather than take the shuttle.
Before we left, I sent a quick text message to the guys, all of whom disappeared far too early this morning, letting them know what I’m up to.
And then ignored them when they’d all protested my leaving campus without them.
Merritt stepped in at that point and assured them she would keep me out of trouble.
They hadn’t really agreed, so much as stated that they were not happy with this development. Which I, again, ignored.
“Fuck.” I take a deep breath, tipping my head back and grinning up at the green leaves overhead. “This place is just so fucking beautiful.”
Merritt nudges me with her shoulder. “You’re a witch. You’re predisposed to find this particular island beautiful.”
I glance around, worried that someone might have heard her, but she just laughs and shakes her head. “There’s no one here. Trust me, I’m so used to being aware of anyone around me. It’s basically a sixth sense at this point. You get used to it when you’ve been living with a secret this big for as long as we have.”
I frown. “People still slip up. I mean, look at Morgan.”
Merritt cuts me off with a snort. “Morgan is defined by her emotions. If she’s angry, she loses control of her brain to mouth filter and just spouts whatever bullshit comes to her teeny tiny mind.”
I laugh. Merritt does too. And god, it feels so nice. “I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you.”
Merritt links her arm through mine, tugging me close. “I’ve missed you too. I know things are crazy right now and you’re learning things I can’t really help with-”
“Hang on now, you can help with plenty! You have your own type of power and we’re working on maybe getting you more-” I cut off as I realize Merritt isn’t listening to me, her gaze distant, staring at nothing.
It takes me a moment to discern she’s having a vision. Her lips moving rapidly, with no sounds coming out. Suddenly, one single word cracks through the still forest. “Run!”
It makes me jump, and a tingle of fear works over me, but I don’t do as she’d commanded, forcing my feet to stay put.
She blinks and sways into me heavily. “What did I say?”
I wrap my arms around her, supporting her as she comes back to herself. “Run. You told me to run. Is that… Do we need to do that now?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I’m sorry, Ro.”
I run my hands up and down her suddenly chilled arms, reassuringly. “It’s okay. No worries.” I glance around the forest, like it will provide me some guidance about what the best course of action is. It, predictably, offers nothing. “Should we head back to campus? Or carry on to town?”
Merritt shakes her head, like she’s trying to remove the lingering effects of the vision she’d just had. Then her spine straightens, and she jerks her chin toward the town. “Let’s keep going. We’re closer to it than the campus, anyway. We can take the shuttle back.”
I nod and turn in that direction, keeping her close to my side. But our laughter and the carefree feeling we’d started this walk with has faded. I wish we could get it back.
