The Shy Witch

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

"Can I please just explain?" Ryder asked after the girl had left.

"You don't have to, it's none of my business."

"But I-"

"Nope! It's okay Ryder." I said, calming down. "You can kiss whoever you want."

"It's really not what it looks like."

I took a deep breath, trying to convince myself to stay calm. I'm pretty sure it was exactly what it looked like. Ryder was just a player, and there was no changing that.

"Ryder, I need to go."

"No, wait Annalise. Please." He said softly, grabbing my arm. There was a soft sizzling sound, and I looked down at my feet. Black tar had appeared, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't move my feet.

"Ryder! Undo that spell!"

"Hmm. Yeah, I don't think so."

"I'm serious!" I shouted.

"So am I."

I stayed silent and crossed my arms over my chest, giving up. I gave him a small nod, allowing him to explain.

"Okay," Ryder started. "So whenever a witch or warlock kisses another, there's a bit of power transfer. Kinda like... you're charging them, if you will."

"Uh, what?"

"If I kiss someone, their powers become heightened. It's only temporary, though."

"How long does it last?" I asked.

"About a week."

Huh. I guess witches and wizards can do strange things.

"Hang on a minute. How come nothing happened when Daniel and I kissed?"

"It depends. Did he kiss you?"

I looked down at my feet, uncomfortable. "Well yeah, the first time."

"The first time?" Ryder asked, sort of angrily. "You mean this has happened multiple times?"

"Well, only twice." I said shyly. He kissed me the first time, and I kissed him the second time."

Ryder took a deep breath. "Well, the first time, you probably didn't feel anything because your power is already so much stronger than his. As for the second kiss, maybe he did feel it, but he might not have said anything if he didn't know what it was. But I bet he got a lot of power."

"Oh. So why are you doing this to all these girls then?"

"I have a list." He said, pulling a small piece of paper out of his pocket. "Girls pay me by doing this. It's a nice side job. Usually it's people who aren't doing so well in their classes, or if they have a performance test coming up."

"Ryder! That's terrible! How much are you charging these poor girls?"

"$50 per kiss."

My eyes widened in shock. "What? Ryder, that's too much!"

"Not for all the power I'm giving. And besides, it's not like I just give them a quick peck. I make it worth their money."

I rolled my eyes. "How do you sleep at night?"

He laughed. "Easily, knowing that I have a good business going."

"Don't you ever feel like a prostitute?! Kissing should be for someone special to you, Ryder. Not total strangers."

"Well they're not total strangers. I've seen some of them around." He said.

"I guess I just don't understand you." I told him. "But anyways, I'd like you to remove your spell, please. I'm still mad at you."

"Still?"

"Yep."

"Any way I can change that?"

"Nope."

He thought for a moment, then smiled. "Hang on. How about I make a deal with you."

"Yeah, right." I said, scoffing.

"Just hear me out, please."

I sighed. "Fine."

He smirked. "How about this: I give you a kiss for free."
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8/29/15

Sorry for the long wait again. A lot has been going on with the family after the death. I'm so sorry! :(

Okay, new question! What do you think Annalise will have to say about the deal?