Page 39 of Witchy Woman

She’s cringing as she rounds the corner from the kitchen. “I am so sorry, Laura. I had no idea he was right there, and definitely no idea you didn’t want him to know.”

Noah comes up behind her as she speaks, rubbing her back.

“Considering I never mentioned it to you, that doesn’t really matter. It was none of your fucking business!”

“I just got excited.” She holds her hands up in surrender. “I was excited for you to have a soulmate. To have someone, and for me to have someone to talk about this with.”

“Oh, you’re excited for me? You’re excited that I now have someone who will be in harm’s way constantly? That I will have to deal with the fear of losing someone else? That I have someone who can be used against me, to hurt me?” It’s spewing out of me like fire, and I can’t control it. I’m just so fucking mad.

“I had no idea you felt that way.” Her face falls. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop repeating that you’re sorry! It doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change that you have once again trampled through my life without any regard for the damage you do.”

Noah steps forward. “Maybe we should all take a breath, make sure we aren’t saying things out of anger that we’ll regret later.”

Hazel sighs, putting her hand on Noah’s shoulder. “I got this.”

“Do you? Because you seem to just bulldoze around like a bull in a china shop with no regard for anyone but yourself!” My entire body vibrates as I stare them down. I want them to be scared, I want them to do something to change the fact that everything in my life is different.

“All I have ever done is try to protect you, to give you everything you ever needed. And the one time I did something for me, you had a hissy fit!” Hazel says, wind whipping around her hair.

Good. Fight me, bitch.

“As if being my surrogate parent didn’t stroke your martyr kink. Don’t act like you didn’t get something out of being the victim your entire life. That is, until you decided you were too good for me and abandoned me like a sack of kittens on the side of the road.”

“Screw you, Laura,” she whispers.

“Even now you’re doing it,” I say, unable to stop poking at her. “I bet you said it in front of Ash on purpose just to further punish me for being such a burden to you for so many years.”

One tear falls down Hazel’s cheek; she rears back as if she’s been slapped. She went low, but I went lower.

She aimed to wound, but I shot to kill.

I step back, guilt gnawing at me. The anger still licks at my skin, but the haze clears a little at her tear.

I’ve gone too far tonight. In trying to avoid thinking about Ash, I’ve let myself get twisted up in anger and explode.

“I’ll stay somewhere else tonight. Make sure Belle is fed,” I mumble, and turn to leave. The guilt weighs on every creaking step I take toward the door. The house isn’t happy with my outburst, or with my leaving.

But the house can deal with it.

The tears don’t fall until I’m in my car.

Chapter 20

Cruel Enough

I’m not in the car for more than three minutes before my phone rings. I look down at the screen. Ash Cedar.

Stupid soulmate bond.

I click the button on my steering wheel to answer. “Yeah?”

“What’s going on?” Ash’s concerned voice fills the car.

I huff a pained laugh, tears spilling onto my lap. “Just got into it with sister dearest. I’m fine.”

I’m the furthest damn thing from fine.