the more time he spent with her, the more he thought she
couldn’t have done it. Maybe it was just a coincidence. But, if that were the
case, what would he do? He’d spent eleven years blaming her while still loving
her. He didn’t know if he could change that.
Glass
shattered in the living room, and Jordan screamed. He ran to her as another window
broke, the sound of glass skittering against the floor making his skin crawl.
“Jordan?
Are you hurt?”
He
looked her over and almost tripped. She had cuts down her arms and a large cut on
her forehead. Blood seeped from the wounds, and she shook, her magic sparking
around her but contained. The little balls of light circled him then settled
onto his skin as if they accepted him. Warmth seeped through him in acceptance,
as if her magic was a part of him as well.
“What
happened? Did your magic do that?”
She
looked like she’d been struck and pulled back from him. “What? How could you
say that? Someone threw a fucking rock and now I’m bleeding.”
Guilt
washed over him, and he winced. “I know you wouldn’t have done that, Jor. I
spoke before I thought. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I’ll
say you weren’t.” She turned away but not before he saw the tears in her eyes.
Fuck.
Couldn’t he do anything right?
He
tried to go to her to wipe off some of the blood and see how bad it was, but
she shrugged away. He felt like a total heel.
“I’m
okay; it’s just a couple of scratches.”
“The
one on your forehead looks pretty bad. Let me take a look.”
“I
said I’m fine,” she snapped, then closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
sound like a bitch.”
He
shook his head. “You’re cut and bleeding. It’s your prerogative.”
She
bent down and picked up a jagged rock. “Who do you think threw this?” She
clenched the rock in her hand and walked toward the front door.
He
grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Hey, we’ll go out together. What if they’re
still out there? I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She
kissed his jaw, and he took a deep breath. Everything would be okay. It had to.
“It’s
probably just kids picking on the haunted house as a dare or because they’re
bored.”
“Still
doesn’t give them the right.”
“Oh,
I know. Remember what they did to my house?” Her eyes narrowed, and he kissed
her nose while looking at the cut on her forehead. It didn’t look deep so it
probably didn’t need stiches, but once they were done looking for whoever did
this, he wanted to clean it. The last thing they needed was for it to be
infected.
“I
remember, baby. Come on, let’s go find those punks.”
“Punks?”
Jordan shook her head and winced. “You’ve been watching too many cop shows.”
Matt
shrugged, unrepentant. “I happen to like them.”
“Only
you.”
“You
think it’s sexy.”
“So
not the time, Mr. Cooper.”
“It’s
always the time.”
She
smiled, and he relaxed a bit. He’d only joked around to release the tension in
her shoulders, but he was on edge, thinking about whoever was out there. For all
he knew, it wasn’t some punk kids but something much more dangerous. What, he
didn’t know, but he didn’t want to take chances. He went to the window beside
the door and looked through. He saw a kid around fifteen in a red ball cap run
around a bush, and Matt groaned.
“Fucking
kids.”
“See?
It’s just kids. We can go out, yell, and they’ll leave.” Jordan gave a wry
smile, and Matt shook his head.
“I
hope it’s that easy.”
“They’re
just kids, Matt. Stupid kids, but they didn’t know anyone would be in here.”
“Yeah,
but we were and your car was parked outside, Jor. It was obvious someone was
inside. And you got hurt in the process.” Rage built up in him, and he cursed.
They’d hurt her, damn it, and he was supposed to go out there and act like a
nice guy to get them to leave? Well, too damn bad. If only he were still in his
ghost form. He’d scare the shit out of
couldn’t have done it. Maybe it was just a coincidence. But, if that were the
case, what would he do? He’d spent eleven years blaming her while still loving
her. He didn’t know if he could change that.
Glass
shattered in the living room, and Jordan screamed. He ran to her as another window
broke, the sound of glass skittering against the floor making his skin crawl.
“Jordan?
Are you hurt?”
He
looked her over and almost tripped. She had cuts down her arms and a large cut on
her forehead. Blood seeped from the wounds, and she shook, her magic sparking
around her but contained. The little balls of light circled him then settled
onto his skin as if they accepted him. Warmth seeped through him in acceptance,
as if her magic was a part of him as well.
“What
happened? Did your magic do that?”
She
looked like she’d been struck and pulled back from him. “What? How could you
say that? Someone threw a fucking rock and now I’m bleeding.”
Guilt
washed over him, and he winced. “I know you wouldn’t have done that, Jor. I
spoke before I thought. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I’ll
say you weren’t.” She turned away but not before he saw the tears in her eyes.
Fuck.
Couldn’t he do anything right?
He
tried to go to her to wipe off some of the blood and see how bad it was, but
she shrugged away. He felt like a total heel.
“I’m
okay; it’s just a couple of scratches.”
“The
one on your forehead looks pretty bad. Let me take a look.”
“I
said I’m fine,” she snapped, then closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
sound like a bitch.”
He
shook his head. “You’re cut and bleeding. It’s your prerogative.”
She
bent down and picked up a jagged rock. “Who do you think threw this?” She
clenched the rock in her hand and walked toward the front door.
He
grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Hey, we’ll go out together. What if they’re
still out there? I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She
kissed his jaw, and he took a deep breath. Everything would be okay. It had to.
“It’s
probably just kids picking on the haunted house as a dare or because they’re
bored.”
“Still
doesn’t give them the right.”
“Oh,
I know. Remember what they did to my house?” Her eyes narrowed, and he kissed
her nose while looking at the cut on her forehead. It didn’t look deep so it
probably didn’t need stiches, but once they were done looking for whoever did
this, he wanted to clean it. The last thing they needed was for it to be
infected.
“I
remember, baby. Come on, let’s go find those punks.”
“Punks?”
Jordan shook her head and winced. “You’ve been watching too many cop shows.”
Matt
shrugged, unrepentant. “I happen to like them.”
“Only
you.”
“You
think it’s sexy.”
“So
not the time, Mr. Cooper.”
“It’s
always the time.”
She
smiled, and he relaxed a bit. He’d only joked around to release the tension in
her shoulders, but he was on edge, thinking about whoever was out there. For all
he knew, it wasn’t some punk kids but something much more dangerous. What, he
didn’t know, but he didn’t want to take chances. He went to the window beside
the door and looked through. He saw a kid around fifteen in a red ball cap run
around a bush, and Matt groaned.
“Fucking
kids.”
“See?
It’s just kids. We can go out, yell, and they’ll leave.” Jordan gave a wry
smile, and Matt shook his head.
“I
hope it’s that easy.”
“They’re
just kids, Matt. Stupid kids, but they didn’t know anyone would be in here.”
“Yeah,
but we were and your car was parked outside, Jor. It was obvious someone was
inside. And you got hurt in the process.” Rage built up in him, and he cursed.
They’d hurt her, damn it, and he was supposed to go out there and act like a
nice guy to get them to leave? Well, too damn bad. If only he were still in his
ghost form. He’d scare the shit out of
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