“Should I be afraid?”
“Very.” She made her voice even lower and menacing than usual.
I hesitantly unwrapped the package afraid there might be a venomous snake underneath the paper or maybe a bomb. You never knew with Adelaide. Instead, I found a wooden wand.
“I thought you said we didn’t use wands?” I shot accusingly at Theo.
Everyone laughed. “We don’t,” said Adelaide. “It’s meant to be a joke. Theo told me about you asking about the whole wand thing.”
“Why’d you tell her that?” I asked Theo, frowning.
He laughed and shrugged. “I don’t know.”
I placed the box down. “Well, thanks,” I said to Adelaide.
“Here,” Adelaide said and handed me another box. “This is your real gift from me.”
Inside the box was a very nice green-gold colored sweater and a watch. I slipped the watch on and gazed at it admiringly. It was gold and tortoise shell resin. “Thank you, Adelaide. I love it.” I hugged her. “Even the wand.”
She laughed and danced away. “More presents.” She shook the next box.
“Hey, don’t break it!” Winston cried.
“Ooh, it’s breakable?” Her blue eyes widened. She winked at me. “Boyfriend did good, then.”
He’s not my boyfriend—was my immediate thought, followed by—he kinda is.
Winston took the box from her and handed it to me. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave me a sheepish smile. “It’s not much, so I apologize. I didn’t expect to meet anybody. I promise your Christmas present will be much better.”
“You didn’t need to get me anything.” I began to unwrap the present.
He shrugged. “I thought this might remind you of me,” he admitted.
“Are you planning on leaving?” I asked and bumped his hip with mine.
“No.” He blushed and glanced over at Theo.
I stiffened. Maybe Winston wasn’t as oblivious to my feelings for Theo as I thought.
I tossed the wrapping paper in the trash bag and then lifted the lid off the small square box. I pulled out a snow globe with Big Ben in the center.
“Oh, Winston, thank you,” I breathed.
He grinned, showing his crooked teeth. “You like it?”
“I love it, thank you,” I said again and hugged him. He bent his head and pressed a kiss to my lips. His hands wound around my waist and his mouth was persistent, unlike the other times we had kissed. Almost like he was trying to prove a point.
A loud crash pulled Winston away from me. The table with the cake and presents had been knocked over. No one stood near it and everyone seemed stunned as to what had happened except for one person. Theo was in the corner with a triumphant gleam in his eye. When he saw I was watching him the look disappeared.
Adelaide pulled herself together and bent to start cleaning up the mess. I set the snow globe down and helped her. The cake icing had splattered all over the floor and it was going to be a pain to wipe up. Winston disappeared and came back with paper towels and a mop.
Between the three of us, we made quick work of cleaning up the mess. Theo and Ethan apparently thought they were too good to help us. For the first time, I realized the skank hadn’t come. I’m sure Naomi would have been very amused by this.
I placed the last of the soiled towels in the trash and Winston finished mopping the floor.
“I wonder what made the table fall over,” Winston mused at he leaned against the mop handle. “Those tables are pretty heavy.”
“Yeah, I wonder,” I said softly and looked at Theo.
Chapter 16
THANKFULLY, THE REST OF THE day wasn’t as eventful as the morning. No more messes and no more catastrophes.
It was after dinner and Winston was walking me back to my room. Theo sulked behind us and pretended to be observing the artwork.
“Did you enjoy your birthday?” Winston asked.
“I did. Very much so,” I said and did an awful replica of Winston’s accent.
He laughed at my attempt as we reached the door to my room. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body close to his. He tipped his head toward mine, and I closed the distance with my lips. My fingers tangled in his soft sandy hair as I tried to force myself to feel anything. Just something with Winston.
He seemed to be encouraged by my seemingly enthusiastic attempt. He pushed my back against the door and moaned into my mouth. His fingers dug into my hips trying to hold me closer to him.
“Wow.” He pulled away. He brushed my hair away from my face with a gentle touch. “Is it your birthday or mine?” he joked with a grin.
I smiled and grabbed his shirt pulling him in once more. “Mine, and birthday girl says she wants another kiss.”
“I think I’m okay with that.” He smiled and bent again.
This kiss was soft and sweet.
I could live with soft and sweet.
“See you in the morning.” He kissed me quickly once more.
I watched Winston disappear around the corner before I opened my door. Theo followed me inside and sat on the floor.
“I don’t know why you don’t just conjure an air mattress or something?” I snapped at him. After all, he was the source of my frustration.
He leaned back against the wall and stretched his long legs out. His black combat boots thwacked against the floor.
“I can’t just conjure stuff, Mara, you know that.”
“I know, I know,” I flopped on my bed. “You can’t make stuff just magically appear. It has to come from somewhere,” I mimicked his voice.
“So, you do listen to me when I speak.”
“Of course I do. Unfortunately, you’re usually right in what you say. Can’t you ever be wrong?”
He chuckled from the corner.
“And what was that with the table? I know you did it, Theodore.” I sat up to glare at him.
“You saw that?” he asked softly.
“I’m not stupid.”
He sighed and ran his fingers roughly through his hair. “Sometimes even those most in control of their powers have moments where they’re not in control.”
“Thank you, Yoda. I feel enlightened.”
“Yoda?”
“Yeah, you know. Star Wars? Little green dude that always speaks in riddles?”
“I have no idea what you’re saying,” he remarked.
I threw up my hands and flopped back down on my back. “You’re impossible.”
“I like to think that I’m simply stubborn. Not impossible.” When I didn’t say anything, he whispered, “Are you mad at me?”
“Yes,” I snapped. “You’ve been an even bigger jerk to me than usual since—”
“Since?” he prompted.
“Since you saw Winston in my bed. Nothing happened,” I whispered the last part.
“I know,” he breathed. “I’m sorry it angered me.” I felt like his apology wasn’t for me but for himself.
“Why does it bother you?” I asked softly, almost hoping that he wouldn’t hear me.
So much time passed that I assumed he hadn’t but, eventually, he said, “I … don’t … know.” His voice cracked on the last word.
Neither one of us said or did anything for a long time. I watched the last of the sunlit sky disappear. The moon replaced it and the stars sparkled brightly.
“It’s time,” Theo said and I could hear his clothes shuffle as he stood.