Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 60 - House of the Living

Hunter

The house is empty. Willow texted me to say that she was doing some shopping with Paisley, which made no sense. Paise doesn't shop. 

Besides, who took them into town? 

Ash and Jake are not available, and Tan only has a bike. After Chief Job came to the restaurant, heard our story and got the identities of the attackers, Kyle left with him, and I dropped Joe off at his house.

I didn't expect Willow still not to be here when I finally got home. I'm surprised about how disappointed I'm feeling. It's stupid, I know. I'll see her later. We live in the same house, and we're not glued together or dependent on each other. She can go where she wants, when she wants and with whom she wants. I just want that person to be me and the place to be where I am.

There's something seriously wrong with me.

Until last week Monday, Willow was just some stranger in the pictures on the piano. She was nobody to me. Now she's becoming everybody. I looked forward to coming home and seeing her smile at me... or at Rover. She's always smiling at Rover and cuddling her. Rover never pisses her off.

I want to be Rover.

Piddles storms past me, rushing to the front door with a shrill bark, and I turn from where I'm aimlessly standing in the living area to look at the arch. I came in here to distract myself but couldn't decide what to do, so I ended up just standing here outside the study door, doing absolutely nothing. I'm not even sure how long I've been standing here like a zombie.

I'm completely broken. My batteries have died.

I hear the front door opening and Willow telling the dog to calm down and be quiet. The sound of her voice seems to make the room brighter, and suddenly, it is not so cold in here anymore. Usually, I kinda like the cold. She finally appears in the arch, carrying a shopping bag and her purse, Little-Piddle dancing around her feet.

"Hello," she says, blushing when she sees me, and now I'm afraid that she'll just walk past me again and pretend that I don't exist. I hated it when she did that earlier. I know I deserved it after saying all those stupid things about her kissing Tan and kissing all my friends, but I still hated it. 

Why was I acting like such a jerk?

I couldn't even make it up to her during lunch break because she clearly didn't want to be around me. I don't blame her. Seeing her standing here, looking at me, all nervous and vulnerable,  I'm having a really hard time stopping myself from going to her and wrapping my arms around her. I fight the urge, using my supernatural capacity for self-control. 

Actually, I'm just feeling a little numb in my legs right now; it prevents me from walking. Self-control has bugger all to do with it.

"I brought you something..." I mumble.

Willow narrows her eyes and blinks, glancing at the bag in her hand, looking puzzled. What on Earth does she think I could have brought her that would have anything to do with her shopping?

"Another dead moth?" she asks, frowning.

"What?"

I'm about to explain when small running feet and high-pitched giggles streak from the kitchen right past me to wrap themselves around Willow's legs. She's wearing one of her fluffy tracksuits, making it a bit hard for Frankie to scale her legs. 

Willow gives a surprised laugh, drops her baggage and crouches down to hug the boy to her chest. She stands up with him in her arms, nuzzling his neck and showering light kisses all over his cheeks, making happy little sounds.