Chapter 28

"You ready, Sweetheart," Brady asked as we stood at the doors of the main hall.

"What is it we're doing again, exactly?" I had a bad feeling, a really bad feeling.

Brady smirked down at me and wrapped an arm around my waist. "I'm giving you your heart's desire."

I swallowed hard.

He opened the door and lead me down a hallway. We weren't invisible, that was certain. While we passed, people stared, fixated on us. I couldn't blame them. One look at Brady was bound to get the attention of anyone.

Signs lined the walls, directing the way to different halls, listing the corresponding room numbers. After passing a few, I noticed our direction seemed consistent with the arrows for the cafeteria, and my suspicions were confirmed when we reached the swinging doors and Brady stopped.

"What are we–"

He made a motion for me to wait. His muscles tightened, flexed, small tremors rippling just beneath his skin as he faced the doors in stoic silence. Sweat beaded his forehead, rolling down his temple, and the his intense focus made me hold my breath, not daring to make a sound to break his concentration. I stood perfectly still, watching, waiting as alarm bells rang inside my head.

Minutes ticked by, feeling more like hours, until finally Brady gave a curt nod and turned his attention back to me. "Everyone that gave you shit in high school is in that room."

My eyes widened and locked on the plain gray surface in front of us. "How? Why?" I took a step back as a million insecurities hit me all at once.

Brady rolled his eyes. "How?" He scoffed. "Did you really just ask me that?" He made a face at me, then held a finger up. Blue light puffed into existence, dancing like a flame on the tip of his index. "I'm magical."

I watched the flame dwindle out, eyes still wide and disbelieving. "You can't just puff a bunch of people into existence, Brady! First of all it's unreasonably insane, and second of all, what the hell will they all think? And third of all, even that seems too grand a feat for even you. If you could do that, then why–"

Brady held a hand over my mouth. "Oh thank god," he heaved. "I thought you'd never stop."

I bit his hand, but Brady didn't even flinch. He gave me a dark look. "Now now, Sweetheart. This is not the time."

"Mufffhgahah," I snapped, but I couldn't articulate with his extra large baseball mitt of a hand still in the way.

Brady's eyes danced. "Awe. That's cute. Try to talk again."

"Muuurrfffffooog!"

Brady pulled me closer, then turned my head to look down the hallway. "Alright. You don't believe me. Watch right there."

A burst of blue light puffed up from the floor like smoke, and just within its murk an outline appeared.

My eyes widened as the mist cleared. "Ooh ot ed!"

Red seemed dazed for a split second, then her eyes landed on the pair of us and narrowed. "I should have known!" She barreled forward, but Brady waved a hand, and she vanished back to wherever he'd stolen her from. Or, at least, I hoped he'd put her back wherever he'd stolen her from.

"I try not to do that too much. Gives me a headache." He released my mouth. "Not the magic. Your friend. She gives me a headache."

I gaped at him. "You're serious!"

"I'm always serious, Sweetheart." He motioned towards the doors. "They're in there. What do you say we grab a bite to eat and show off how fucking attractive you are?"

My high school insecurities returned, making me fall back a step, then another. In that moment, we weren't at the college. We were back at my old cafeteria, the one I avoided like the plague for four years. "I can't go in there."

Brady gripped my arms and forced me to look at him. He lowered his eyes until they were level with mine, and the playfulness vanished. "You don't have to fear anyone, least of all anyone in there." He shook his head at me. "I don't get it. You stand up in a room with what you think is a demon and try to flip it off, but you get around these little assholes and melt into a puddle and fear." He gave me a look, then tilted his head. "Which is it, Sweetheart? Are you my little badass, or are you a scared little girl?"

Scared little girl. His words hit some deep part of myself, stinging as the truth in them ricochet against my bones. In that moment, I was that scared little girl.

But I didn't have to be.

"I'm not scared," I said. "Fine. Let's do it!"

Brady gave me a smile to exceed all others. "This is going to be the most fun I've had since I promised to stop messing with you."

I gave him a flat look, but he didn't stop to receive it. Brady grabbed my arm and dragged me through the doors like a kid at a toy store.

The icy hand of doubt clutched my heart, but I pushed the feeling away and tried to feign confidence. Brady hadn't lied. They were definitely all there. Although, I'd already suspected as much.

My eyes travelled the multiple tables and familiar faces. Pricilla, her clique of girls, Jenny, Crysta, and Noel. Even Jaden Andrews, the honorary asshole who'd made me crash my car.

"What would you like to do now?" Brady whispered into my ear. "They can't see us, but I can change that if you'd like. Whatever you want."

His deep sinful voice only seemed to fuel my own devious thoughts. Like the devil on my shoulder, Brady tempted, egged on, and brought me into his darkness.

Suddenly, I wasn't that scared little girl anymore. I wasn't the girl with a monster in her closet.

I wasn't crazy.

"That one," I said, pointing at the one who'd given me the scar along my forehead, the one who'd caused my crash. "Make him–" I drew a blank. Each scenario that would come to mind, I immediately shot down. This wasn't me. I'd never been the mean one. I'd always been the victim.

Brady's eyebrows were lifted, his smile expectant as he nodded for me to continue. "Go on."

I heaved a sigh. "I don't know. I'm no good at this."

He scratched his chin. "I see your problem."

I didn't like his tone, like he'd expected for me to fail. "What problem?"

"You're too wholesome."

"I am not wholesome!"

Brady gave me a look. "Of course you're wholesome. You are so wholesome, you're like a balanced damn breakfast, Sweetheart. Now, can we stop arguing about it, and let me come up with some not-so-wholesome shit for you to enjoy?"

I crossed my arms and looked away from him. "Fine. What would you suggest?"

Brady took in the array of people sitting around us, his eyes darting to me every few seconds as he seemed to think. Then, he snapped his fingers, and I could practically see the lightbulb go off above his head. Once again, with no warning whatsoever, Brady turned and wrapped me in his arms. More blue light burst into existence, and I idly noted the fact that I was becoming accustomed to the feeling.

Before I could blink, we were sat side by side on a large throne like chair, hovering above, high enough to get a clear view of everyone and everything below. I ran a hand along the velvety material beneath me, then looked behind to the over the top ornate designs along the back. "This is a little much, don't you think?"

Brady threw his arm around me, pulled me into his side, then motioned down to the hoard. "Enjoy the show, Sweetheart."

💙💙😁😘😘