Bewitched
Chapter 6
"Uh," I stammered nervously. How did he know a man walked me home?
Wait a second... "Are you spying on me?" I asked incredulously.
Jesse looked taken aback. "N-no," he said. He looked guilty though. "I just happened to see a man walking you home..."
He didn't need to finish. I know what else he saw. "He was just a man I met at the church. At my meeting with Father Dominic."
Jesse nodded. "I see. And you only met this man tonight?" he questioned/
"Well," I said, "yes." And I knew what was coming next.
"And you were going to let this man kiss you after only just meeting him?" he asked, quirking his eyebrow. He looked a little angry too. And...jealous?
No, no, that couldn't be.
I looked down, abashed. He was right. I had only just met him and I was going to let him kiss me. And, Lord knows, I probably would have kissed him back.
I chose to change the subject. "When were you going to tell me that you met Father Dominic?"
He blinked. "I thought I had told you."
I shook my head. "No, you did not." I crossed my arms over my chest. I was clearly angry at him — and ashamed of myself, but that is besides the point. I mean, he was spying on me. If that was not untrustworthy, I do not know what is.
He sighed. "I went because you said he wanted to speak with me. I hadn't realized it was a problem."
"No..." I said. "But you could have told me when you did."
"I'm sorry, Susannah. I did not realize it was essential that I tell you. Next time I will make sure to do so," he said with a slight smile on his face.
Was he mocking me?
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine. I am going to sleep. I have to wake up early."
He nodded, that smirk still evident on his face, and dematerialized.
But, I swear, right as I was on the verge of sleep, I felt his presence again.
- § -
I woke up to the sound of my mother's voice. It shocked me, because it was a little early for me to be waking up that morning. I usually woke up later on the weekends, simply because they were supposed to be resting days. And because Andy and my step-brothers slept in also.
I groggily arose from my bed and wandered down the stairs. My ribs still hurt but they were getting better. Hopefully by next week they would be completely healed.
"Susie," she gushed.
Wait, gushed? What was she gushing over? The only time she ever did that was when there was a boy at the door for me...
No, it couldn't be.
"Mom, what—?"
"Susie, there is a nice man at the door for you. He says he met you last night with Father Dominic. Is this true? Have you met him before?"
Well, there was only one person I met at my meeting with Father Dominic last night and that was Paul. But he couldn't possibly have come here...
Then again, I really did not know him at all yet, so he probably could be that type of guy.
Who knows?
I nodded, confirming what she had said.
A huge grin broke out across her face. "Oh, Susie, he is so handsome!" she exclaimed. I'm sure Paul could have probably heard her. "Oh, go get washed up, honey. I'll go buy some time."
I nodded, still confused, and went to the washroom to get washed up. Then I went back upstairs and changed into one of my new dresses. The one I changed into was a light peach color with an off-white trim and it went down to my feet, like most of the dresses I had did.
I wandered down the stairs and saw Paul in the main room of my home, talking to my mother animatedly. When he saw me coming into the room, he smiled. I, awkwardly, smiled back.
For all I know, this guy could be some kind of killer; but Father Dominic seems to trust him, so...I guess I should too.
My mother stopped talking once she realized I was in the room. I wonder what she was telling him. I have no doubt that it was probably embarrassing.
Mothers.
She excused herself and went into the kitchen to get all the ingredients ready for dinner tonight. However, I knew she was most likely listening in on our conversation.
"Suze," Paul said with a smile on his face. "What a pleasure it is to see you again."
I smiled uneasily. I was not used to men being this...nice to me. It was like a foreign language; I didn't understand it. "Uh," I said, not very intelligently. "It's nice to see you too."
His smile widened. "I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me on this wonderful morning. Just to go for a nice walk around the village, maybe to the market."
I looked around. Was this a dream or something? I mean, no men ever asked me to accompany them anywhere. It's like I was invisible to them. So why was Paul an exception?
And Jesse?
So, to say I was confused would be an extreme understatement. And probably to say I was perplexed would be too.
After a slight hesitation, I replied, "Sure."
He grinned. "Great." He put his arm out for me to take it, and, hesitantly, I took it.
We walked out of the house and went off around the village.
- § -
Paul and I were in a secluded area in the village that — even living here for nearly a decade — I had never seen before. It seemed as though he had made it up himself.
But that isn't possible. Not in the least.
He was telling me about his journey to Andover from Virginia. That he had moved here to escape his money-hungry parents to live with his grandfather — who is also a shifter, as Paul says.
He also said he had a little brother, who could communicate with the dead as well, but he was only a mere mediator. What I didn't get, though, was how he knew who was what; how he could just look at you and know. It was mind-whirling, really.
When I asked where his brother was, he said he was back 'home' with his parents. He said he was afraid of ghosts, that he didn't understand what was going on.
"Well, then why didn't you explain to him what was going on? I'm sure once it was explained to him, he wouldn't be as afraid anymore," I said.
He opened his mouth to say something but then quickly shut it. He chose to remain silent.
So I changed the subject. "When you said I was a shifter the other day...what exactly did you mean?"
He looked at me and grinned. "I was wondering when you would ask me that." He laughed. "My grandfather, the one I moved here to stay with, is also a shifter. He...experimented with a few things and he's written down quite a few things about us. Guidelines you could say they are. But anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself here. A shifter is like a mediator, but far more powerful. While a mere mediator can just communicate with the deceased, we can do far more."
I raised my eyebrows. "Far more? What can we do?"
He smiled, like he never thought I would ask. "Have you ever felt that rush of adrenaline you get when you're angry at someone or something?"
I nodded, a little confused. What did our emotions have anything to do with this? "Yes," I said.
"Well, we can channel that anger and hatred into power. Power that can do extreme things," he explained.
I was a little confused. "Why not happiness or...love?"
He shrugged. "I guess if the emotion was strong enough..."
I nodded. I was starting to understand this a little more. I looked around and noticed that more people were coming over near us. I looked up and saw the sun directly over us; it was probably around noon and people were coming here with their families to have lunch.
Paul noticed my gaze. "Do you want to go now? Its getting a little crowded now."
I nodded and stood up. Paul came and started walking with me.
When we got near some of the houses, I felt someone materialize near me. I turned and saw Jesse. I swear, I stumbled and nearly fell.
Luckily, Paul and Jesse both caught me. One would have done the job, but they're both gentlemen...or at the time I thought they both were.
"Susannah," Jesse said, eyeing Paul. "Where have you been? Father Dominic is looking for you."
Father Dom was looking for me? I thought our meeting was — oh. I missed it.
I turned to Jesse. "Damn, I missed it." I saw Jesse wince as I swore. "Can you go and tell Father Dom that I'm sorry and that I'll be there in a bit?"
Jesse hesitated. He looked from me to Paul, then back at me. It looked as if he did not trust Paul at all...as if he wished he was the one that was walking me around all alone...
Or that could just be the wishful thinking on my part.
But Jesse nodded, and, with one last nervous glance at Paul, he dematerialized.
I was anticipating the reign of questions to come. I was ready for them, too. I knew that he would ask them and I was prepared to answer them.
"Suze," Paul said. He had a firm grip on my upper arm and turned me to face him. "Who was that?"
"That was Jesse," I said. It sounded nonchalant, even to my own ears. So, that was good, I guess. "He's a ghost I'm trying to mediate."
That was sort of a half-truth. I was trying to mediate him, but that didn't mean I wanted him to go. I was growing...attached. And that was not good at all.
Paul let go of my arm as he breathed out a sigh of relief. But...what did he have to be relieved about?
We were silent for a few moments, then I looked at him and said, "Um, well, I have to go see Father Dominic. So...I suppose I'll see you tomorrow?"
He nodded and gave me a dazzling smile. "Of course."
And, well, that made me smile too. It was good to know that, maybe, possibly, some guy happened to like me.
Even if I wasn't sure that the one I happened to like did.