𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 - 𝐄 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗗

𝐕𝐈

𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘚𝘐𝘟

(the cursed witch, act two)

THE MOTORCYCLES DIDN'T NEED TO BE HIDDEN ANY FURTHER THAN SIMPLY PLACING THEM IN JACOB'S SHED. Billy's wheelchair couldn't maneuver the uneven ground separating it from the house.

Jacob and Paul started pulling the first bike—the red one, which was destined for her—to pieces immediately. He opened up the passenger door of the Rabbit, his car that he had been working on, so she could sit on the seat instead of the ground. While they worked, Jacob chattered happily, needing only the lightest of nudges from her and Paul to keep the conversation rolling. He updated her on the progress of his sophomore year of school, running on about his classes and, of course, about Bella and his relationship.

Just then, a call echoed in the distance. "Jacob?" Someone shouted.

Nina looked up.

"Jake? Are you out here?" The shouting voice was closer now.

"Yeah!" Jacob shouted back and sighed. They waited through the short silence until two tall, dark-skinned boys strolled around the corner into the shed.

One was slender and almost as tall as Jacob. The shorter boy was more burly. His white T-shirt strained over his well-developed chest, and he seemed gleefully conscious of that fact.

Both boys stopped short when they saw Nina.

"Nina!" They smiled excitedly. It was Quil and Embry, Nina immediately recognized.

She lifted her hand to wave at them. "Hey, boys."

"So, what are you guys doing?" Quil asked, moving to shove himself in the small space beside the witch.

"Neens, Paul and I are going to fix up these bikes," Jacob explained. "She's going through a bad girl phase."

While the boys laughed, Nina rolled her eyes and threw a wrench in his direction.

"Hey!"

"What? I didn't throw it at you. I threw it near you."

While Embry walked over to examine the bikes, drilling both Paul and Jacob with educated opinions, Quil looked at Nina.

"What's this really about, witchy?"

Luckily, she saw that Jacob was still distracted. After a month of hanging around the reservation, she had told Embry, Sam, Paul, Emily and Quil about what she was. Jake was the only one that didn't know.

Natalie said she had to wait to tell him. Nina asked what for, but the woman only shook her head and said she would know when the time was right.

Nina hummed, shrugging her shoulders. "Nothing crazy. Just needed something to do to get me out of the house and out of Mom's therapy sessions."