The Curse ✔️

Chapter 31: Antithesis

Leon was smoking the joint while lying down, his head only slightly turning at the sound of the door opening. With as much anger I could muster, I marched to the bed and took the burning joint from his hand.

"You're trespassing."

He glanced at me, not bothering to lift his head off the mattress. Contrary to expectations and Morta's insistence I was attracted to him because of all the tweed, he wore grey sweatpants now and a white t-shirt, possibly the one he only slept in. The dim lighting from my table-lamp emphasized his muscles and the sharpness in his eyes.

"It was unlocked." He said. "You were in Amma's room, figured I wouldn't interrupt."

The joint burned in my hand, sizzling as the fire ate up the herb, and I put it between my lips. I inhaled the thick smoke, throat closing around it. I held it in my lungs, determined to quicken its magic.

"Got tired of ignoring me?" I exhaled.

Leon smiled. The light forming a shadow over his lips and only illuminated his left eye, leaving the right in the dark.

"Was I ignoring you?" He spread his hand, asking for the joint.

"Yes." I gave it to him. "I don't care about whatever game you're playing, I just want you to behave tomorrow and let us go through with our plan without interruptions."

Leon put the joint between his teeth, inhaled, then exhaled as he spoke, "Are you scared I won't go to the dance with you?"

"No, that's-"

I cut myself off.

"The plan is the most important thing right now, Leon." I said instead. "There's no place for your... mischief."

He pouted, "I thought that's what you liked about me."

I took the goddess damned joint, my heart beginning to pound slow and deep and loud.

"I don't like anything about you."

"On the contrary." He propped himself up on his elbows. "I think you're wildly in love with me."

I laughed, "I aspire to be this level of confident."

Still, my head filled up with smoke and wicked ideas. He was in my room, lying on my bed. No one knew he was here. Not even Amma and Morta.

"Sit." Leon looked at me, lips caught in a permafrost smirk. "Have some witch's brew with me."

I inhaled more smoke, letting it cloud my judgement. Then, I took the ashtray he must have brought here because I didn't own one, put it on the floor, and handed the joint to him.

"Everything is so damn easy for you." I found myself sitting on the bed, far enough from him. "Demons, wars, conspiracies. All you care about is if you can get a proper high out of it."

"Is that why you keep hooking up with me?" He turned his head towards me, a shadow cast over his left eye again. "Because you want things to be easier?"

"Maybe." I kicked the boots off my feet and pulled my legs up on the bed, fully aware how the hem of my deep green knee-length skirt pulled up.

Leon took a drag, the joint shortening on sight, eaten by the fire and greed of his lips.

"Jade Montgomery." He said my name like it was something sweet and thick. "I bet you had to follow lots of rules when you were a kid. Your father doesn't seem like the type to make anything easy or spontaneous."

"And what makes you such an expert judge of character?"

He puffed the joint before handing it to me, "I've met people like Dereck Montgomery. Graduated cum laude, married the right girl, climbed up the political ladder. He probably expected a perfect daughter."