I needed it.

"By the way..." Tori nudged between us. I could immediately tell by her grin that I wasn't going to like this. Not one bit. "Since we are getting all mushy, I need a favor."

Instantly, I groan loudly. Whenever Tori started a sentence with "I need favor", I either end up taking the blame for some harebrained idea of hers or...she was having a party.

"I'm throwing a Christmas party at my house after Thanksgiving. I expect you there," she finished, ignoring my extreme protest.

Bingo. Called it.

Ugh. Just once, couldn't she have a different kind of favor?

Tori could throw epic parties. No matter how stellar they might be, I hated parties. Just the thought of all the crowds, loud music, and the amount of groping that went on in the dark, made me shudder. Oh and don't forget the dancing. An act of G.o.d couldn't get me there.

She laid her head on my shoulder giving me a look of pity. "It will be fun. Promise," she tempted like it was a piece of G.o.diva chocolate. "Everyone will be there. And what you need is to let loose, have a little fun. Let's show Gavin what he is missing."

Keyword in that sentence was Gavin. Or in this case, a petty chance to see Gavin. Yeah, I would even suffer the agony of one of Tori's parties for Gavin.

"Fine. I'll go. But don't expect me to enjoy myself," I muttered.

Her soft pink lips broke out into a generous smile, and she threw her arms around me.

Chapter 12.

IT WAS SAt.u.r.dAY NIGHT AND like the lame, lazy b.u.m that I was, I was spending the evening on the couch with a sappy chick flick. The clicking of heels on the tile floor had me turning my head, and the remote control slipped from my hand.

There stood my aunt looking s.e.xy as h.e.l.l in a little black number that even made me blush. She set a glitzy wristlet on the counter before facing me. Smiling, she seemed pleased with herself. My eyes might have bugged. It wasn't every day my aunt looked like a s.e.x kitten.

"Whoa. And where do you think you are going looking like that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes suspiciously.

"I have a date," she replied happily and looking a little dreamy.

A date? My aunt never dated.

My brows drew together as I a.s.sessed how this made me feel. It was pathetic that she had a hot date on Sat.u.r.day night while her teenage niece sat at home vegging out on triple chocolate ice cream? And looking homeless nonetheless.

I licked the chocolate goo from my spoon pondering.

"Yes a date," she confirmed. "I know it's unheard of." She had a luminous l.u.s.ter to her skin. She was glowing.

My rainbow knee-high socks padded on the kitchen floor, as I set the carton of ice cream on the counter, leaning on my elbows. "It's not that. It's just... unexpected."

"It is isn't it? And probably long overdue." She brushed a hand down her short black shirt, wiping away at invisible wrinkles. "I must be crazy. Me dating? I don't even know what to do on a date."

A small smile crept on my lips. "Be yourself," I repeated back the words she had said to me a few months ago.

"Hmm. My own words coming to bite me back in the a.s.s, even if it was good advice." She leaned a hip on the counter. "You're right. If he doesn't like what he gets, he isn't good enough for me."

"Any guy who isn't into you is just plain out an idiot."

"Thanks... I think." She straightened up and asked, "So how do I look?"

I gave her a quick scan. "Like s.e.x on a stick."

She gave a short laugh. "That's good right?"

"In this case... it's perfect."

She let out a whoosh of air. "I can't breathe in this getup. And these shoes..."

"Beauty is pain," I quoted some jerk that was obviously male and didn't know squat about being female.

"Well whoever designed these heels should be shot. It's like a Chinese torture chamber. I don't care how hot they look."

"They do look superb," I a.s.sured, a.s.sessing the black strappy shoes.

"Ask me again at the end of the night, if they even make it home with me." She fiddled with the straps on her evening bag, a sure sign of nerves.

I eyed the black cage shoes with a least a three inch heel and fell a little in love. I might not be a dress and heels kind of gal, but I could still appreciate a s.e.xy shoe. "If you plan on tossing those babies, just throw them my way."

She smiled at me. "Deal."

"So who's the lucky stud?" A part of me was happy, she needed this. It was healthy for her, but I couldn't deny that I was surprised. She never mentioned anyone, so I was sort of thrown for a loop.

Securing a dangling earring in one ear she replied, "Just a guy I met at the shop. I should have suspected something when he started coming in every day. He took me by surprise and asked me out. I shocked myself even more by saying yes." There was a starry quality in her eyes and voice as she talked about him. This wasn't just some random guy. She was really interested in him.

Why didn't I know about this? Because you have been so preoccupied with your own drama, my subconscious reminded me of my own self-absorption.

Before I could question her further the doorbell rang announcing Mister Mysterious's arrival. Her eyes widened with both a mixture of excitement and worry. "Here goes nothing," she mumbled, walking toward the front door.

I gave her an encouraging smile. My curiosity was peaked, and I snuck off around the corner behind her. The voices of their pleasant and nervous greeting carried to where I stood. I wasn't exactly dressed for receiving company, let alone the first guy to take my aunt out. My rainbow socks, boxers and tank weren't first impression material. I didn't want him to think she was raising a hooligan.

There was a nice, gently deep timber to his voice. A waif of subtle cologne carried to the hallway. He had a mob of brown hair and had a good foot over my aunt. At least he wasn't balding. I hoped it wasn't a toupee. He had a very distinguished yet casual quality to him. I could see at my quick glimpse what attracted her to him.

Go Aunt Clara.

They looked very nice together, and the glint in his grey eyes mimicked what I saw in hers. She looked over her shoulder giving me a tiny wave before walking out the door. I leaned against the wall feeling both happy for her, a little jealous, and slightly weirded out.

Dragging my feet back into the kitchen, ice cream melted and forgotten, I tossed myself back onto the cushiony couch. The TV was on in the background, but no longer any interest to me. My mind was just catching on to the fact that there wasn't another sole in the house, except the fast asleep Lunar curled in a ball.

Alone. Utterly alone at home with nothing but my own rambling thoughts.

Not exactly something I would wish on my worst enemy.

More than anything I wanted to talk to Gavin. Lately the dream with Morgana had been weighing heavily on my mind. Her claim that she was my great grandma haunted me. It was something that I had been trying to avoid. She wasn't exactly trustworthy. How could I be related to her?

It just couldn't be.

Then why didn't everything inside me start to hum when I thought about it. That couldn't possibly be coincidence. Some deep part of me was telling me something, but I was refusing to listen.

I needed help.

I needed Gavin...

...which was sort of difficult since he still wasn't speaking to me. The distance and s.p.a.ce separating us was killing me. It was like an ocean spanned between me and wanted I wanted most. A turbulent, b.u.mpy, rough sea. The more and longer I thought on it, the more my stomach churned.

I needed to see him. I needed to hear his voice. And I really wanted his opinion and advice.

Everything came rushing down on me like a tidal wave. Just like that, I knew what I had to do. Sure I could have probably called Lukas, but that definitely wasn't going to fix my lack of Gavin problem. Really if anything, it would probably only complicate matters more.

It was time to take destiny into my own hands.

Chapter 13.

WITH MY AUNT OUT FOR the night, I didn't know what to do with myself. So when the idea of hunting down Gavin popped in my head, I couldn't let it go. Before I knew it, I was up and off the couch running to my room at mach ten.

My mind was made up. He was going to see me if I had to wait all night. Even if I had to track him down and resort to desperate, devious measures.

Looking into the mirror, I readjusted the thin black straps on my top for like the upteenth time. Finally I gave up. Nothing I did at this point was going to show any less skin. The top fit snuggly and my jeans were just as tight, emphasizing my curves. My hair fell loose over my shoulders in soft waves of auburn.

I looked...hot.

Good. That was the point, to make him suffer. And I wanted him to want me again if I was being honest. I wanted to be irresistible. Lukas might be fun to hang out with, and I might not understand all that was happening, but every fiber inside me ached for Gavin.

Thank G.o.d my aunt was gone on her own adventure. I seriously doubted my s.l.u.t ensemble would have made it out the front door. She would have had a heart attack if she saw me, and I would have been highly mortified if she had.

My fingers fumbled with the keys on my dresser as they slipped from my grasp, jingling to the floor. Lunar jumped ten feet at the jarring noise. He wasn't the only one who was acting like a scaredy cat.

Holy crud. I was a ball of jitters.

It was going to take more than the luck of the stars to get me through tonight. I was going to need a blasted miracle.

Closing my eyes, I searched for that center of energy inside me. Pulling from it to steady my pounding heart, I needed to collect my bearings. Keep my cool. It was amazing what I could do when I concentrated. The energy core was more than just power. It was...

Security.

Self-reliance.

Strength.

It was what I needed it to be when I needed it, or so I was learning.

s.n.a.t.c.hing the keys from the floor, I drove over to the Mason's. Their house was just as impressive as the first time I'd seen it. There was magic oozing from the place and not just from the witches that lived inside. I'd always envisioned faeries playing hide-n-seek in the bushes or mermaids swimming with dolphins in the ocean tides behind their house. I half expected the characters of mythology and fairytales to be lurching around every corner.

After I pressed the doorbell, I waited nervously for whoever would answer. A part of me hoped it would be Gavin, another part thought that he might just shut the door in my face.

That would suck big time.

I let a small sigh of relief when Jared came to the door. His smile was disarming and lazy like he had all the time in the world. Seeing Gavin's brother didn't make the guilt I felt any less. If fact, now that I was in the Mason's house, I felt worse. I didn't have the slightest clue what he told anyone. As far as I knew, he could have told them the truth, which made me feel like the biggest fraud.

At least I was looked the part. My cheeks grew red as I remembered I was dressed like a hoochy. What had I been thinking?

"Hey," he stepped aside with a hand propped on the door over his head and waited for me to walk inside. "Do I dare hope you came to see me?" he asked. There was always a playful trouble to his voice.

Stepping over the threshold, I was washed with feelings of love, family and home. I gave him a halfhearted apologetic smile. "Is he here?" I asked unable to keep the hopefulness from my voice.

"Nope. Sophie either. It's just you and me, babe."

I gave him a glare that clearly stated I was no one's babe.

His grin only widened. "But he just texted me that he was on his way home if you wanted to wait," he added after realizing there wasn't a chance in h.e.l.l. Jared was so less complicated than Gavin. He was more muscles than brains.

"Sure. Is it cool if I wait in his room?" I asked, wanting to escape anymore advances from meathead. And then at least maybe Gavin couldn't throw me out of the house without making a scene.

Jared smirked and there was a gleam in his eyes. "Knock your socks off."

"Oh," I added, spinning around towards him. "Could you not let him know I'm here?" I chewed my lip as I waited for him to answer, wondering if I had pushed my luck.

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, his expression lost a little bit of its playfulness. "Anything for you, but I am warning you. He is being a total a.s.swad lately."

I swallowed hard. "Thanks for the heads up," I muttered and made a beeline upstairs. The last thing I wanted to do was loiter around and get the third degree from Gavin's, very flirty, older brother.

Gavin's room was stamped into my memory. Every. Teeny. Detail. The french doors to the balcony were left open, a black hoodie was thrown over the back of a chair, and his bed was neatly made. It looked exactly as I remembered, yet not. I felt closer to him than I had in weeks, and I vowed then that I had to find a way to get him back into my life. It was just too drab and miserable without him.

Nothing smelled like Gavin, pure sin. I missed it painstakingly. My magic missed him. The stirrings swirled inside me the moment I stepped into his room. It seemed to awaken. Trailing a hand on his bed, I only thought about it for a second before I crawled in.

Five minutes, I thought.

I just wanted a few stolen moments to savor in his lingering presence. His energy was everywhere in this room.

Laying my head on his pillow, I drank in the feeling of being in the one place that oozed Gavin. My whole body relaxed and my muscles felt weightless. Of course I dozed off with the scent of him surrounding me like a blanket, and the frothy ocean waves from his window lapping at the sandy sh.o.r.e.

In my dream, his hand caressed down my cheek. My eyes were still shut, but I knew his touch. Heat unfolded through me and I stretched towards his warmth. I couldn't help think that this was far better than dreamscaping. It was better than doing magic. This was the best dream of my life.