I Hate the Way...

Part 44: "Can I Come In?"

I'm sorry for the long delay in updates for all of my stories, and thank you for your patience.

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"How could they do something like that to you?!" Josie asks for about the sixth time as the 'couple' enters their beach house, Peaches following behind them.

Hope sighs as she grabs a glass of water, walking over toward the couch as Josie asks again, "Is it to keep you from healing?! Why the fuck would they do that?!"

Hope sits down as Josie is still far too worked up to sit beside her, so she paces the living room as Hope responds, "Yes, it sort of keeps me from healing, but that's just one of the side effects."

"One of the side effects?! Why would they hurt you like that? What's it intended to do?"

"Jo, come here," Hope grabs her wrist gently, pulling her closer to the couch, and Josie deflates, letting herself be pulled down into Hope's lap and arms, and Hope tries to massage her muscles gently to get her to relax.

Josie only groans, though, somewhat flailing an arm in the air, "I should've set fire to that house as soon as she upset you—"

Hope is slightly amused, and though she knows the timing isn't great, she lets out a soft chuckle, "I don't think that would've worked out in our favor, love."

The brunette sighs, "God, I'm so mad right now, I could cry," she crosses her arms against her chest as she pouts, finally leaning against Hope.

And Hope continues trying to calm her more, "Look, I know you have a lot of questions right now, and you deserve answers to them. I just...this isn't something I've ever talked about with anyone before, and I'm just a little—overwhelmed right now, so I think I need a little time..." Hope sighs at her own admission, and Josie softens.

"Yeah—Of course, I'm sorry. I'm just—"

Hope nods in understanding, "I know. But I don't want you to be upset over this, okay?"

Josie sighs, laying her head against Hope's chest, and she asks softly after a moment, "Does it hurt?"

Hope shrugs lightly, "I'm used to it, Jo. I hardly notice the pain anymore. You don't need to worry about that."

Josie shakes her head, sitting up to face Hope as she places a hand on her chest, "But, I can siphon it from you, right? And then it won't hurt you anymore?"

Hope quickly removes Josie's hand from her own chest, "No, you can't Jo. It's too dangerous."

Josie looks down, at Hope's hand which still holds her own.

And her eyebrows furrow, a thought running through her mind as she sees both of their rings, "This is why you married me...isn't it?"

As much as her stomach fluttered at hearing Hope proclaim to her family that she married Josie because she loves her, Josie knows that isn't true.

But she isn't sure why she dreads the confirmation, still.

Hope sighs, "That—crossed my mind a time or two, in the beginning...but that was before I knew that you never practiced magic—"

"But I did siphon from you the other night, so maybe I can do this now," Josie is surprised that Hope was just going to finish out this marriage without ever asking for the one thing she wanted out of it all along. She doesn't understand why Hope would even do that for her.

Hope shakes her head, "It's dark magic, Jo—Several spells combined into one. You can't siphon that. It took three powerful witches to cast it in the first place."