This Strange Addiction by Julie Steimle (e book free reading .txt) 📕

Immediately her face went hot. “Um…”

He laughed. “Never mind. They said you were a normal skeptic. I should take that at face value. But I just want to say that witches are infamous for their brutality. And some scars on their victims are invisible. But I think it is really brave for a witch to leave her coven. And I think it is a good thing you are helping Silvia do that.”

Glancing at Silvia, Audry blushed. “I don’t know if they will leave her or us alone, though.”

He nodded then shook his head. “No. They won’t ever. Witches don’t forgive. And that’s perhaps one of their biggest crimes.”

Audry felt chills then. She could feel he was telling the absolute truth. And it made sense more how Rick had tried desperately to give her a way out of their ‘craziness’.

“Your mother is going to come after you again, isn’t she?” Silvia asked, putting her hand on his arm.

A visible ripple went up through Randon, like he had been charged with electricity. His neck straightened, and he seemed to struggle with holding back a laugh. He shook his head. “No. Never. She and my sister are in prison by now, but I really doubt that’s permanent. They’ll get out.”

“So you’ll need someone strong to defend you, then,” Silvia said, her smile crooking to the side a mite.

Audry looked from him to her, realizing they were flirting.

He laughed more now. “Yeah, I guess. The kitty in distress.”

Silvia laughed. And the funniest thing was, it was beautiful and light—not at all her usual, cynical chuckle.

Matthew and Rick turned to look. Their faces went pale, and they rushed up to join them. Rick tugged Randon away.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, come on. She’s beautiful.”

“She’s a witch.”

“Burn her…” Silvia dryly called out, easily hearing them.

All of them glanced over to her. Each and every one of them understood the Monty Python and the Holy Grail reference.

Sighing, Rick stepped back and said to her, “Ok. So maybe I am overreacting. I know you are trying to go straight but—”

“I know.” And Silvia smiled at him, her eyes shining, though there were tears in them. “You want to protect your friends. And I am a potential threat.”

Rick averted his eyes. He stepped further back. “Sorry.”

But Silvia walked up to him, giving Rick a startling hug, which everyone stared at. “No. You have every reason to be worried. I am dangerous. And you have seen people get hurt.”

He looked to Matthew for help. But Matthew remained back, watching them with a peculiar comprehension of what Silvia was truly thinking. Clearly he did not think she was currently dangerous. Rick then looked to Audry, but quickly averted his eyes as if he were ashamed of himself. He looked to Randon next.

Randon reached out and tugged on Silvia to make her let go. She stepped back with him, smirking. The tears were still in her eyes, but she had a more sympathetic look in her gaze, especially as she said, “Howie, you need to start trusting your friends more.”

He shook his head and walked to the front door. “The last time I did that, Jordan got killed.”

He went out.

“Oh man…” Matthew followed him. “Rick!”

Randon cringed. “He does not seem well.”

Silvia nodded. “He seems rattled lately. I thought he was recovering from what happened in Germany.”

Something in Audry made her feel a little guilty. He had been recovering. He was doing well the last time she had seen him. But they were right, he was changed since the day of the move. Nervous. Unable to hold a gaze longer than a few minutes. Often his gaze was vacant, especially the other day when Andrew and Jessica had brought home baby Ivy. His mind seemed to be elsewhere. His eyes certainly were not as bright as usual. He looked lost.

“Hm.” Silvia then turned to Randon. “What should we make for dinner?”

“Fish?” Randon suggested.

Audry rolled her eyes.

Laughing, Silvia said with a nod to her, “And a vegan option?”

He blushed, quickly peeking to Audry also. “Yeah, sorry. Um… I don’t know. I’ve never been vegan. What do you want?”

“I’ll think of something.” Silvia chuckled and walked into the kitchen.

Matthew eventually returned without Rick. He grumbled under his breath, swearing a bit. He even shot Audry a dirty look. But then he shook his head and apologized.

“I should not be taking my anger out on you,” he muttered, going into the kitchen for plates, setting the table for them all. “You are just somebody who fell down the rabbit hole.”

Audry stared, though she did not deny she felt she was having an Alice in Wonderland experience. All of Rick’s friends were weird in some way. It was like a shadow loomed over each one of them.

“I honestly thought he was recovering from the whole summer thing in Germany…”

Randon nodded. “We were just talking about that.”

Matthew went back for the forks. “Yeah?”

Randon nodded more.

“I have a question,” Silvia said. “Different topic. Who is Daisy?”

Both Matthew and Randon stiffened. So had Audry.

“Where did you hear that name?” Matthew asked her, his eyes narrowing.

With a peek to Audry, she said, “I overheard Jessica and Audry talking about her. I only got the last bit, but… seriously, some girl named Daisy was corresponding with him sending him scented letters? Which got burned by their steward, Henry? Really?”

They paled.

“And then Audry asked Jessica if he really had intended to marry her.” Silvia set her hands on her hips. “So… who is she?”

With a peek to Audry, Randon went up to Silvia and whispered too low for Audry to hear. Silvia’s face changed from curious and amused to stunned and even a little devastated—like Rick had done something she would have thought unspeakable for him. She then peeked to Audry. “How did she find out?”

“I met her,” Audry said, wondering why the whispering.

Silvia’s eyes went wide. “No way.”

Audry nodded again.

“Oh crap.” Silvia then reached out and hugged Audry. “No wonder you forgave your stupid fiancée.”

“Stupid?” Audry frowned at her, pushing away.

Moaning, Silvia amended, “Sorry. It’s just… I’ve been shipping Breacon this whole time, and you knew Rick had gotten a girl pregnant just like Hogan had. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Blushing, Audry peeked to Matthew and Randon as she said, “I didn’t want to spread stories.”

Matthew and Randon smiled. But then Matthew added, “Your fiancée did what?”

“Had a loose past, yes,” Audry said, shaking her head. “Ok? For the thousandth time, I knew about it a long time ago.”

He nodded, pulling back. “Ok.”

She sighed.

Silvia glanced once more at Randon, her eyes asking questions. His eyes answered: ‘Not now. Ask me later’.

That afternoon right before he left to go back to New York City, Matthew urged Jessica to head home the next morning. “Bobo has agreed to walk with you to the subway and go with you as far as you need to go. Just drive to the police station and leave the car there. No one can hurt you while Bobo is with you.”

Audry shot him a sharp look as he stepped through the doorway to head home. “Are you so sure?”

Nodding, Matthew grinned. “I’d bet my life on it.”

And he went out.

Randon stayed until Andrew came home, which was an hour later. He talked with him in private and then went out with a wink at Silvia.

Andrew saw it, then shook his head, muttering, “He should know better…”

After getting a plate of dinner, Andrew went in to bring dinner to Jessica who had only taken a little earlier. They ate and talked in private while Audry and Silvia decided to clean up then afterward find something on Netflix to watch.

“Hey, Audry,” Andrew called to her from their room. “Can you come here for a second?”

She got off the couch where she and Silvia were currently watching old Psych episodes they had discovered, going over to him. “What is it?”

He whispered, “I hear you are leaving tomorrow. Can I ask you a favor?”

She nodded.

“Rick wants to replace your car,” he said.

Her mouth opened in protest.

“Just consider it a loner,” Andrew begged. “It will make him feel better.”

But Audry shook her head. “No. The apartment he put us in is already too much. And to be frank—I’m getting married soon. And I don’t think my fiancée would appreciate it. Hogan is getting jealous. And for that matter with Rick already doing so much to protect Silvia and me, Hogan is becoming paranoid also. He thinks Rick might be a sexual predator and you are all grooming me for… whatever.”

Andrew stared. “What?”

She nodded tiredly. “Yeah. I know. Nonsense. I can feel you guys are good people, so don’t worry about it. But I don’t want to give him another reason to think badly about you all.”

And as she said that, she realized it was true. Yes, there was some kind of weird feeling around this group, but it wasn’t a bad feeling per se. Just an uncomfortable one—like she was on the verge of making a huge paradigm shift that she was not quite prepared for. It was the sensation of standing at the top of a deep hole with a draft that pulled in… only to discover it led to a wonderland. However, she still wasn’t sure though if the residents weren’t all mad.

“Ok, fine,” Andrew said. “I’ll tell him. However, uh, don’t hesitate to call us if you really need help. And I mean for anything.”

She nodded, realizing he meant it. “Ok.”

Before he closed the door again, he added, “And uh, congratulations on your engagement. I hope he deserves you.”

She stared while the door shut. It was an odd thing to say. She wondered if Andrew also had shipped Breacon.

Shaking her head, Audry walked back to the living room.

The next morning, Audry woke early to get things ready to leave for Silvia to handle on her own. They made breakfast for the family and themselves along with a packed lunch for Andrew. Randon stopped by and so did Rick as they ate breakfast together. Jessica remained in bed a little longer, as she was only in her nightgown and was not inclined to throw on a robe and step out of the room without a shower and makeup.

Rick came up to Audry as she was packing her small bag of clothes after they had cleaned up the dishes, and said to her directly, “Will you reconsider? I can get you a better car.”

“No!” Audry huffed at him, folding her arms. She quickly tucked away the polka-dotted bra Silvia had packed for her as a tease as Silvia was the one who had prepared their bags. “I don’t want to be beholden to you.”

Rick huffed. “Ok. How about this? I drive your car back to New York and you drive my car to, uh, a parking garage. I’ll give you the address. That way you don’t have to walk with Bobo from the police station, and no witch can follow you.”

She stiffened. Damn. He really was scared for her. He really cared.

“That’s a great idea,” Silvia said, nodding.

“Does Matthew know you are doing this?” Audry asked, narrowing her eyes at Rick.

He shook his head. “No. But I am going to call him right now if you agree.”

She stared at him.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt,” he explained. His gray eyes were begging, though he was also struggling to maintain eye contact with her as if he felt ashamed of himself. But what reason did he have to be ashamed? He was genuinely trying to help her. Her safety truly mattered to him.

“Ok.” Audry could not believe she had said it, but she did.

He sighed heavily with relief. He then handed her his car keys. On it was a pink rabbit’s foot. She flinched at it, her hand recoiling.

“Oh!” Randon jumped up, grabbing it. “My bad!”

Rick pulled it back also, taking off the rabbit’s foot. His cheeks colored.

“Why do you keep that?” Audry flinched at the pair