Ink (Book 1 of the Ink Series)

Prove you wrong

There was no way that I would survive the night alone. I knew that. Ezra wouldn't let me. Sex was a lot different than the confession of love. And Slade had confessed to having feelings for me, feelings so strong they made him believe that he was in love with me. So strong that I, too, believed it. I felt the same way. Love was this enigma that I thought I would never know, feel or have to deal with.

We all wanted to love someone. Especially girls. Boys were more fighting against love. But when they felt it, I figured it was genuine. Why else would they want to admit such a thing, unless they were convinced they were, in fact, in love?

I stared at my window, the curtain fluttering against the central air's breeze. I wasn't going to sleep because if I did, Ezra would find a way in.

I had figured out Ezra only came around me when I was tired, sleeping or caught off guard. I wasn't letting her win. I was going to find a way around this dead girl's loophole.

I sat down at my desk, turning on the monitor. My IM chimed right away, notifying me that Karsen was online and wanting to talk.

Hey where have you been?

I sighed, how much more could I lay out there for Karsen before she thought I was nutty? I slowly typed a response.

It's only been a couple days. I'm right here. Dad went postal.

Why? How?

Because he caught Slade in my room...and let's just say we were in a very compromising position.

What?! I thought you were done with him!

I was. But he showed up and said all the right things. I guess I'm a sucker for hot guys with lip piercings.

Witches with hot piercings, Hope. So....did you give him the letter for Kidd? Oh, how I miss him.

No. Like I said, Dad went postal. He threw him out and forbade me to ever see him again. I feel like Rapunzel locked in a tower.

That's what you get for bumping uglies in your dad's home.

I got to go. Life just keeps getting better and better. Bye, Karsen.

I turned off my computer. Life sure kept getting better and better. I snapped off my light, getting into bed. My head was pounding and my stomach hurt. I guess along with being banned from love, I was also given the gift of the flu. I coughed, clutching my chest in pain.

"You can't go to sleep. You can't go to sleep," I reminded myself, forcing myself to get out of bed. I let out a dry cough, pulling out some clothes and heading to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would make me feel better, if only physically.

I dropped my clothes to the bathroom floor, pushing a hand through the shower curtain to turn on the water. Humming a tune as I busily brushed my hair out in front of the mirror as the shower warmed up.

I set the brush on the counter, pulling back the curtain, billows of steam hurrying past me, whirling around the bathroom.

"What the..." I gaped at all the rose petals collecting at the bottom of the shower. I stepped in, noting that they weren't there before, I was sure of it. I picked one up, breathing in the fragrance of the red petal. A shower of petals fluttered down from the ceiling all of a sudden, surprising me.

What a way to take a bath, I thought, batting the petals away from the drain with my toe. I smiled at the idea of Slade communicating with me from far away.

I closed my eyes, dipping my head back into the stream of warm water. My muscles loosening up as I immersed myself, all the nervous tension rolling away from me.