Chapter 6

Trouble seems to keep finding me. Ava and I run to my car without looking back. I quickly pop my trunk, throw the bags in, and start my engine. Why are we running? I sense Ava is hiding something, “What did you steal?” I yell at her as I swiftly back out between the shoppers in the parking lot. There’s an employee running out of the store, I can see him in my rear view mirror. “Buckle up.”

I hook a left to weave through the parked cars, and drive down a different lane to the exit. He might have been able to see my make and model, but not my plate number. “Where’s the hotel, Ava?” I don’t know which way to turn. “Go right, she says.” Whatever she stole, it better be worth all of this. I’m mad now, and I don’t let her in to my head. I can feel her trying to read me. She can’t.

“You better start talking Ava.” I look at her intensely.

“Just keep driving Aster.” She’s being snarky and I don’t like it. I’m not the one who stole shit. This is pissing me off greatly. Ava uses the map on her phone, “Take a left at the next light.” I whip my car in front of oncoming traffic to turn. “Nice blinker.” Ava’s sudden care for rules astounds me. “Hotel’s on the right.”

I’m grateful that we were able to get away. I don’t need anything on my record, I don’t want to be found. I’m trying to lay low. What kind of person takes something that doesn’t belong to them?

“Didn’t you take a life back in Massachusetts? That didn’t exactly belong to you, did it?”

My ears perk up. Claws rip through my cuticles. Teeth shoot out of my gums. Heat boils in my blood. The flashes are starting again.

I see the pool of blood on the ground. The bits of flesh. The woman fought to survive. She didn’t stand a chance. The moon was full and I couldn’t stop myself.

My eyes begin to water. The flashes fade, and my claws slowly retract back into my hands. I look at Ava. She’s watching me like a television, “What?” I’m breathing slowly. Trying to calm myself down.

“We can’t shift anytime we want. Only the day before, the day of, and the day after the full moon.” Ava’s eyes open wide, “You almost just fully shifted while driving.” She’s right. The first time happened when I was driving as well. I gotta get this shifty shit under control. Ava laughs. She can hear me again.

“I wonder if you can shift beyond the full moon because you’re also a witch?” She reaches into the glove box for my tarot cards.

“Don’t touch those!” I bark at her.

“Why not? Are you gonna get mad again?” She prods.

“No. Those were my grandmothers. She passed them down to me, and they’ve been in my family for many years. Others are not to mess with them.” Ava doesn’t appreciate my explanation. Her curiosity leads her to open the deck. “Or what?” I swipe them out of her hands. “Bad shit happens. I’m kind of all set with that right now, okay?” She throws her hands up, “Okay.”

I park in front of the hotel. Ava unbuckles her seat belt and opens the car door. “What did you steal?” I gotta know. “It’s a surprise.” She smiles at me, closes the door, and walks inside. It’s probably something stupid like nail clippers, or tweezers. Whatever it is, I would have bought it. I don’t steal. Something is a little off about her. She’s deceitful, controlling, and unbelievably fascinating.

The automatic hotel doors swing open. Ava walks out and I feel like I’m watching her in slow motion. My senses are heightened. I can smell her from here. Her scent drives me insane, and she knows it. She gets into the car, and hands me a key card. “222 for you, and I’ll be next door in 224.”

Two rooms? Did we not just fuck last night?

“I’m just fucking with you Aster.” I shake my head. Whatever. There’s barely any parking spaces near the entrance. My car barely fit between the dumpster and a pickup truck. I grab the bags out of the trunk. Why can’t I hear her thoughts. Does she not have any?

“Oh I have thoughts. It’s kind of great that you can’t hear them. Trust me they’re dirty.” She finds this all too amusing. “It’s probably a hybrid thing. You’re different, and that’s okay. We’ll figure it out together.” Ava tries to comfort me but I still want to know what’s on her mind. She’s tricky.

I follow her up the stairs to the second floor. Ava slides the key card into the door, the light turns green. We walk in, I drop my bags and throw her against the back of the door as it closes. I kiss her, and she pushes me back. She’s angry with me. “What’s wrong?” Ava pulls me by the hand into the bathroom. I’m liking where this is going.

She takes her shirt off, and slowly unbuttons her jeans while staring into my eyes. I’m trying to keep eye contact but it’s almost impossible. She smiles, turns on the shower, and steps in. I throw my clothes on the floor and step into the shower with her. Ava grabs the hotel soap and washes herself ever so slowly. She’s driving me mad.

I can feel that she wants me to watch her, but she does not want me to touch her. Such a fucking tease. “Patience”, she says to me. I don’t have any. Nor do I feel much like waiting. But I’ll watch the show.

Ava washes every inch of her body, and then puts the soap into my hands. Am I supposed to wash her now? She shakes her head no. I get it. She wants to watch me wash my body. This game is making my heart beat harder with every minute that passes by. The tension that’s growing here is impossible to ignore.

Somebody knocks on our hotel room door.