Twisted Magic (Book 2 of the Ink Series)

Summer Vacation

It was summertime. I came to a stop in front of the beach house, glad to be home and done with school for the summer. A lot changed since the summer. I enrolled in Ashwilder's big sister school, Asu. If not for Nona I would have never afforded such a place. College proved hard, but I loved every second of it. Although I had to admit I loved being home even better.

Dad hurried down the porch steps. "There's my girl. Welcome home, Hope." He wrapped his arms around me, not letting me get a breath in, I kissed his cheek before I pried his arms off me.

"Missed you guys too, where's Elliot and Easton?" I searched the beach, the house, anywhere they could be. I knew the answer before Dad even said it.

"Well you know how teenage boys are when they discover girls," Dad told me. He took my duffel bag. "I barely see anyone anymore. It's nice that you're back."

I followed on his heels up the steps. Noticing the new paint job, Dad had a lot of time on his hands now. He didn't have me there to keep him busy and help him out anymore. It took a couple of months to accept I couldn't be superman. That he had to learn to survive without me, but I did, and looking at him now I knew everything worked out just fine.

Dad touched my hair. "New hairdo?" He smirked.

I ran a hand through my longer style. "It's trendy. All the girls on campus do chic."

Dad nodded, out of the loop and not caring in the least, as long as I was happy he was. "So what are the plans?"

I opened the refrigerator, scrunching my nose at the lack of food. "Getting you some groceries," I said. Dad shook his head, refusing to give in and admit he would be lost without me. When he disappeared into the living room, I raised a single finger at my palm, concentrating hard.

"What's that?" Dad asked, returning with a pile of mail. He handed it over.

"Pudding cup," I said, shaking the chocolate pudding at him.

"Odd. I didn't even know there was pudding." He opened the refrigerator looking inside. I smirked.

I finished unpacking my old room. My bed and dresser still the same. I looked around, remembering the fond memories and some bad ones. This was my house, my home.

I did a lot of growing up in the beach house. I smiled at some of the moments.

I dropped the last of my clothes in the drawer and headed out. Dad was in the shower, the boys still gone. This was my chance.

I pushed open the front door, heading down the stairs and across the sands of the beach, knowing where I was heading and who I wanted to see. Slade.

I was sure Dad would understand my need to see the boy from the most incredible summer of my life. At one time, Crawford was my joy, my excitement when I came home from just about anywhere. However, Crawford passed away while I was at school, and he no longer was a part of my life. It made me sad, so I usually blocked it out altogether.

The familiar scent from the ocean reminded my nose just where I was, the memories of Slade and I together the summer before waged war in my mind.

I stared at the red door of the rv. Part of me was nervous. A lot of time passed since Slade, and I were in the same room—or town. I smoothed my hair, looking at my jean shorts and white t-shirt, wiggling my toes in my strappy sandals. I hoped I looked decent enough.

I shoved the anxiety aside and knocked. But nothing happened. All was still. There was no pleasant greeting by Lucy or Oz or any of them.

I dropped down from the steps taking a seat. Where was everyone? And why did Slade not tell me he was moving away? It was a mistake, I was sure of it. Slade and I might have missed seeing each other when I left for college, but he wouldn't have just left me.