Grim Magic (Book 4 of the Ink Series)

The best kind of friend

"Is it me or are we the only ones on the beach with amazing bikinis on?" Karsen looked around the sands at the frumpy older woman and teen girls in modest one pieces. God, this church is going to be the death to fashion.

I smirked sliding my glasses down. "I'm so glad we are hanging out today." I missed Karsen and all her quirkiness.

"So much better than scrubbing floors and washing down windows," she pointed out.

"Fashion isn't the only thing this church is destroying," I said, thinking about Henry Park. "They have taken the best thing to happen to this place away. And I feel so bad for Slade and Kidd."

Karsen agreed with me laying back to soak in the sun. She untied her bathing suit top giving me familiar pangs of panic. "They will be fine. They always are."

"I hope so. I know what its like to feel disappointment because of this shitty town." I sighed. In more ways than one.

Karsen rolled to her stomach and let go of her bathing suit top. The teens a few blankets over caught on rather quickly and stared her down. "Take them in boys I got a feeling it's going to be a long time before you see any of these."

I dropped down on my towel to get over the embarrassment. "You never fail to shock me."

"After all these years you shouldn't be shocked anymore," Karsen said. "Did I mention how sweet Slade was after Hutch showed himself?"

Butterflies swarmed in my stomach and I smiled. "He was wasn't he?"

"That boy is head over heels in love with you. Its adorable," she said. "Almost as adorable as Kidd and I."

I grinned thinking about Slades handsome face and tattoos and what I wished I could be doing to him. "I love him too."

"I know you do," Karsen said. "Its written all over you."

"I just hope everything can go smooth from here on out."

"It will."

I wasnt so sure. Hutch already proved he wanted to start problems between Slade and I. I wished he would get a clue and move on. Having to deal with a pissed off man who once had a thing for you was not fun or easy.

I closed my eyes trying to relax and get Hutch out of my mind. I wasnt going to let him ruin my day. The sun was out, there wasnt a cloud in the sky and Karsen was right beside me.

But like everything else in Cherry that quickly fell apart. We both screamed when the water hit us. I ripped my glasses off just in time to see a group of kids running from us.

"So much for my tan," Karsen groaned wiping at the water. She found her top and took her time securing it around her neck letting everyone on the beach get a free peek of her goods. Then she looked up at the woman staring us down with looks of disgust on their faces. "What? Are you jealous?"

They stood up, and collected their things. "We will never be jealous of two girls involved with the devil."

Karsen laughed. "You only wish you could have so much fun being evil!"

I grabbed her arm. "Stop."

She pulled away. "We date boys with tattoos and piercings, sue us."

"We hang with witches," I said under my breath reminding Karsen who we were to these people. "Arguing is never going to get you anywhere with them. They only see black and white."

"I'd rather hang with witches than a bunch of bitches." She turned around staring at the crowd gathered. "Do you really think a little ocean water will run us off the beach? Or out of Cherry?"

Nobody said anything.

"Be very careful, or I might have my boyfriend give you genital herpes." She pointed at each and every one of them. "Come on, Hope. Lets jump in the water and show them how to have some fun."