"From what you said, it's condemned with magic, right? Lucky you, there's a new witch in town, and she's curious about that house. So, I want to go there and see it. Maybe Sylviana made sure her house was locked for a reason."
He seems hesitant, but I ignore him and get up.
"Come on, you said you wanted to get in there," I add. "Maybe it's your chance!"
Truth is, I'm probably an idiot for saying that. I don't want to know why he wanted to get into that house, but for now, I have other things in mind. I do want to get into the previous witch's house. I hope she'll forgive me from wherever she is, but I believe this house might be my biggest clue and give me more.
After a few more minutes, Liam looks out the window. The weather is still shitty, and I had forgotten that bit. I guess I'll manage... He looks at me, but I try to look like I don't care about the damn rain or the headache I'm going to inflict upon myself. Eventually, he sighs and nods, getting up.
"Fine, let's go there. Nina! Can you put all that on my tab? I'll pay next time!"
"Of course, sweetie!" says the nice waitress lady, coming back to our table. "Are you sure you'll be okay with all that rain? Oh, don't stay out too long... See you soon and be careful! You too, Mara, come back anytime, love. I like girls with a big appetite!"
I smile at her. Indeed, I emptied that plate in a flash and Nina looks happy about that.
"I will!"
I follow Liam outside, but as soon as we get past the door, a wave of regret hits me. Oh, God, the rain... He chuckles, taking out a cigarette as we stand right against the wall, sheltered by the roof of the restaurant a bit.
"Having second thoughts?" he asks.
Damn, this guy only smiles when it's a smirk to mock me. I shake my head, I can be damn stubborn too. I cross my arms around me. This is the worst summer weather I could have imagined. At least my body temperature keeps me from actually being cold, but still, I don't want to get wet. Liam chuckles and takes his time to smoke his cigarette. I didn't even realize he smelled a bit like tobacco until now. He notices my eyes on his cigarette.
"Sorry, I can't smoke around the kids, so I usually wait until after the family lunches..."
"Sounds like you're a decent uncle."
"I try to be. It's my family..."
"Lucky you," I scoff. "The only member of my family who cares enough to talk to me pays my best friend to spy on me."
He coughs a bit, surprised by my words. I feel a bit bitter about the Kelsi-gate, but I'll sort that out later. For now, I think I still need to cool off on the matter, and staying away from my friend, where she can text my sister about my every move, helps...
"Okay," he says, crushing his cigarette into the outdoor ashtray, "wait for me here."
He's about to walk away, but I grab his top without thinking. He suddenly stops, looking at my hand with surprise. Oh... I just grabbed him without thinking, but now, I actually get to see his abs. Nice one, Mara. He growls a bit and pulls down his top, forcing me to keep my hand off.
"You're not leaving me, are you?" I ask.
He looks a bit more surprised by my question than I expected and blinks a couple of times before answering. He already stepped out, letting a bit of the rain get into his hair again. He shakes his head.
"No, but you're going to get sick if we go like this! I'll be right back, wait for me here."
I'm not sure I trust him to come back, but I don't say anything and watch him leave. Is he going to get us a taxi or something? I keep looking around, hoping to see his figure come back soon. He wouldn't really ditch me, would he?
He's going to abandon you...
Oh no, fuck no, not now. I take deep breaths, but the headache is really not helping this time. I feel that voice, the other voice, slithering in like a fucking snake into my mind. I try to ignore her, but it's insidious, like a voice whispering right into my ear.
He hates you... They all hate you... The werewolves... They are going to use you... like they used her...
What the hell does that damn voice want now? Is she talking about Sylviana? What does that mean, they used her? I take deep breaths, trying to ignore the voice. I know she's just there to torment me, and I don't know what the hell she wants but I won't give in. I don't want to give in to the hatred, those voices full of spite in my mind. The werewolves are good to me. I know they don't hate me. Fuck off!
"Hey! Mara!"
I look up, and Liam Black is there, looking at me with a worried expression. I realize he's even got a hand on my shoulder. Did he call me several times already? I feel a bit... off. The rain is really making me so much weaker. I take another deep breath to try and calm myself down and nod. I don't know what those voices want, but it's really not the moment. Of course, they had to freaking come out when Liam was gone and I'm feeling so nauseous...
Just as I try to get back to my senses, I realize what I am looking at, and my jaw drops.
