Exaltation (Insight #11)(58)

“Oh, I see…come.”

Raven let out a sigh and dropped her skates on the stoop. She hated how easily everyone could read her. The thing is, when you’re always in a good mood, the second you reach a calm everyone notices.

Emery climbed the steps, pulled out a chair for Raven to sit on, and moved the other one so she was in front of her.

“I really don’t want to talk about it,” Raven said in a quiet tone.

“All right then. Think aloud and I’ll listen.”

Raven stared for second. It was always easy to talk to Emery about girl stuff. But this felt different somehow.

“I just did something stupid,” Raven finally said.

Emery took in a sharp breath before she asked, “How stupid?”

“Promise you won’t tell my dad?”

“Oh my, Raven BellaRose, please tell me you didn’t.”

Raven quickly looked up at her wondering what she meant by that, then it dawned on her. “What is it with you and Dad lately? Virtue intact.”

Emery’s shoulders dropped. “Good. Of course it is.”

“Still waiting on that promise,” Raven muttered.

“Girl talk stay with us. But you know we’re worried about you and if what you tell me reflects anything that’s dangerous, I’ll have no choice but to tell him. He will read it all over my face.”

Raven smirked because that was true. Emery wore her emotions in her expression most times. Raven knew Rydell didn’t have anything to do with hurricanes, car wrecks, or the vim stuff she learned the weekend before, so she was sure this conversation would stay on the down low.

“It’s a girl talk, ‘bout a boy. But I’m not ready to tell anyone about it. I haven’t even told the twins.”

“What happened?” Emery asked. She was well aware of this Rydell King boy. Knew he was an Escort, a First—royalty. She also knew how boys like that could make a girl feel. How they could make them question if they were entranced or truly falling for them.

Raven slouched in her seat. “Like I said, I did something stupid. I think this boy thinks I’m someone I’m not, then again I think he doesn’t. I really don’t know, but something happened that has me worried that he may think I’m a freak but then he took credit for it and it’s all a mess. Bringing me down and I don’t like it.”

“Whoa, slow down start at the beginning.”

Raven swallowed nervously. “I was really hyper last Friday, like crazy hyper and after I was done with my skate I saw this guy, Rydell. I skated up to him and kissed him. Like for real kissed him then I skated away.”

“Last Friday?” Emery questioned as her eyes went wide. Jamison was right. Raven was responsible for dropping those protection spells.

“It just got weird after that.”

“A bad weird?” Emery asked.

Raven grimaced. “Tonight my vim got out of control.”

Emery raised her hand to cover her mouth. Out of control energy…she knew all about that. “How so?”

Raven shook her head as she remembered the kiss, the searing heat of his lips, the vibration between them.

“I don’t know—I felt the air move. I think I saw a light when my eyes were closed and the next thing I knew I was ten feet away from him. I moved in the blink of an eye and don’t know how. And he saw me do it.”

“I see,” Emery said, even though she didn’t. It wasn’t like that with her and Jamison. Their energy pulled them closer, locked them in a world all their own.

“You see why I don’t want to tell my dad that I was kissing a boy and my emotions went haywire and I ended up giving this boy every reason to think that I’m a freak?” At the very least a witch who has no control—which is not awesome in the witch realm of things!

Emery tilted her head to acknowledge how that might be a strange conversation. Particularly considering Jamison knew Rydell King from long ago. Jamison had control…but that much…? Emery shook off the morbid thought. “What did, um, Rydell say?”

“He was cool. At first he acted like he didn’t notice and even told me he would leave me alone.”

“Leave you alone? So he’s being forceful?”

“No, I skated away from him after I kissed him that first time. It’s like an inside joke, he thinks I’m running from him and he was going to let me.”

Emery tensed then leaned back in her seat and strained to look calm. None of this made sense.

“That’s as odd as I think it is, isn’t it.”

Emery was quiet for a second. “First tell me how this boy makes you feel. When you first saw him, did something deep inside seem familiar?”

“I don’t know if I would explain it like that.” Nope I just thought he was hawt.

“Does he make you feel at ease?” Emery pushed.

“Depends.” Hell no, the boy gets my blood pumping…sin Emery. I’ve tasted sin.

“Do you feel like you change around him or that you can be yourself?”

“Depends.” Um yeah, like on the verge of becoming a sexpot—which says a lot considering my v-card standards!

“Can I meet him?” Emery asked, finally realizing whatever was between Rydell and Raven was not as intense as she had feared.