Twisted Magic (Book 2 of the Ink Series)

Welcome Back

There I sat with Karsen on the outside. Waiting for Kidd to retrieve the guy whom my parents would have warned me about, but it wasn't like that at all. To the outside world, Slade fit the ideal role of the troubled guy from the wrong side of the tracks, but I knew different. Anyone close to him did.

Karsen broke her silence. "Kidd said Slade messed Tucker up pretty bad."

I shifted in my spot in the backseat of Kidd's car. Talking about why Slade was in jail was enough to make anyone uncomfortable. As much as we all loathed Tucker, it still made me nervous to discuss.

"I'm sure he deserved it," I said, shifting my gaze to the window. I wondered how long it took to bail someone out of jail. Was it a long process? Did you have to jump through a bunch of hoops to be free to walk?

"Nobody deserves to be attacked, even a creep like Tucker." Karsen shrugged, dropping her head back against the seat. "I'm not saying your boyfriend is wrong. I'm just saying he could have done things differently."

I sighed knowing her two cents was far from over.

"He left you hanging the entire semester. Sure, you talked to him on the phone, but he never even came for a visit. What kind of boyfriend does that?" She dropped her stare to her nails and continued. "I was the one left picking up the pieces. You were upset the entire school year, Hope. Is he really worth it?"

I resented her words, as soon as she allowed them to escape her mouth. No other time in our friendship did I want to slap her for such a rude statement. "As opposed to what, Karsen?"

"Don't get mad at me."

"I'm trying really hard not to get mad at you." I sat up, my body going rigid at Karsen's attitude problem that seemed to evolve out of nowhere. "Do you think Kidd is any better than Slade?"

Karsen shot me a dirty look over her shoulder. "Kidd has a hell of a lot better attitude that's for sure. Slade walks around with a chip on his shoulder all the time. And I can't believe you shelled out a grand to bail him out of jail."

I'd never been so angry with her in my entire life. When she broke my favorite Barbie when we were eight I laughed. And when I was eleven, and I started my period and Karsen blabbed it to the whole fifth grade. I let it go. When we turned fourteen, and she stole Bobby Jenkins at the skating rink, when it was clear he wanted to skate with me. I told myself Karsen deserved the chance to get to know Bobby.

I crossed my arms staring out the window, a grand insult evading my mind.

"I just don't want to see you hurt. I know his type. And I don't think you're up for the challenge. No offense, Hope," Karsen sighed, knowing she said the wrong thing to many times now.

"I don't have a type. And you have Slade all wrong. You know nothing about him. So maybe for once you should just keep your mouth shut."

"Fine," Karsen said, crossing her own arms in agitation.

"Fine," I shot back.

I climbed out of the car annoyed with our argument. She should have been supportive not putting me down for helping Slade out. Instead, she picked on me and made me feel like the biggest idiot. I reminded myself I knew Slade more than anyone else did, and it was never going to matter what they thought about him.

"Free at last," Kidd hollered as he walked alongside Slade coming out of the doors of the county jailhouse. My heart did a couple flips, and my stomach ignited with excitement at the sight of him.

There he was, tall, muscular and brooding like every time before. Black shorts and a black t-shirt, in his clutch was a brown paper bag. He slid a hand through his hair pinning the stray strands back. His eyes met mine, making my heart ache. I wanted to leap into his arms. Nevertheless, I stayed where I was trying to use self-control.

"Hey," he said, he hooked a finger through the belt loop of my jean shorts pulling me close, our bodies meeting like old times. I wrapped my arms around his neck planting my lips against his.

"Your lip ring."

Slade ran a hand down his face stopping where his ring once was. "They cut them off when you're thrown in the slammer."

I nodded. He knew much more than I did when it came to doing time.

"That's not a problem. I brought you another." Kidd tossed Slade something, hopping in the front seat. Slade grinned, fingering the small metal.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Kidd." He worked the ring back into his lip. I watched with much interest. So happy to be looking at him, even if it was when he was shoving metal into holes on his body.

"Your hair, you changed it." His fingers slid through my long locks, his eyes growing serious as he looked at me. I hoped he wasn't unhappy with my new hairstyle. "You look even hotter."

I grinned. "You haven't changed at all."

Slade gave me a quick nod. "It's hard to change perfection."

I laughed at his overconfident joke. "Maybe we should get into the car before they leave us here." I looked between him and the car. "I'd hate to be stranded."

Slade brushed my hair away from my shoulder, leaning in and stealing one more kiss from my lips. He broke our lip lock looking into my eyes. "So we make a broom or car or something to take us back, who cares." He shrugged, his fingers toying with my lips. I smiled again like a giddy schoolgirl.

"I care. Besides, I haven't figured any of that out. I can make pudding cups though." I smiled at the crafty little spell I performed at Dad's house.

"Go big or go home." He smirked. "After you," he said letting me climb into the backseat.

The first couple of minutes of the car ride held a thick silence. It didn't take long before Karsen was doing what she did best.

Karsen twisted around in her seat. "So Slade," She pushed her blonde hair behind her ear. Her blue eyes locked on his every move. She ignored my glare, concentrating on Slade and Slade only. "What did Tucker do that made you pound his face in?"

I linked my fingers with Slade's wishing for the best. He squeezed my fingers, stroking them with his thumb. "I have my reasons."

The way Slade spoke was enough to make any normal human being back off. However, not Karsen, she wasn't afraid of his cold demeanor.

"Care to elaborate; you are with my best friend aren't you?" Karsen gave him an innocent enough smirk. I knew her well enough to know she was being a bitch.

"No, I don't care to elaborate. I'm quite fine with you assuming I'm the loser you already made me out to be." This ended any more arguments coming from Karsen. She quickly turned to the front. Kidd shot Slade a look from the rearview mirror. It wasn't one that told us he was mad Karsen was upset. It was more a look that showed he understood where Slade was coming from. I could tell Kidd and Slade would always be friends no matter what. I didn't know if I could say the same for Karsen and me. If she continued being such a bitch to Slade, she was going to make it easy for me to disown her.