Free Bye Bye Bloodsucker (Wicked Good Witches Book 3) by Starla Silver Page B

the last twenty-four hours than all combined in her twenty-one and a half years, and yet felt more unsatisfied and needy than ever?
    She shook herself back into the moment.
    Job to do.
    Bloodsuckers.
    Emily.
    Mermaids .
    Where is Charlie?
    Need to help Mack.
    And Michael...
    Melinda scurried down the sidewalk and stormed up the stairs onto Mack's cottage porch. So out of her mind that she did not see William Wakefield’s statuesque frame filling the open door, awaiting her arrival.
    Her eyes met his, and she froze.
    His emerald greens stared back with an intensity she understood instantly.
    Her breath caught in her lungs, unable to escape.
    Blood sank to her feet, dragging her heart with it.
    Everything cracked inside of her.
    If William had possessed a living heart, she was positive it had just died, shriveled and turned to dust.
    Her arms slid around her center, nausea nearly doubling her over.
    Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Why hadn’t she been more careful and had Riley stop further away? Hell, she should have gone home and taken a freaking shower. William’s sense of smell was just as keen as his hearing. He smelled another man on her.
    Guilty. That was the only look she could muster.
    Oh my God! He heard everything Riley just said to me.
    Everything I just said… she inhaled, unable to get enough air. Nothing wanted to function properly. She bit her lip, hard, to keep from crumbling into pieces.
    They stood there, neither saying a word for a good long time.
    Why hadn’t she just told him this morning? All this could have been avoided if she’d just been daring enough to tell him she’d met someone.
    Her and her avoidance of awkward conversations needed to come to an end!
    But they are so hard…
    And this isn’t much, much harder? her inner voice chastised harshly.
    This was entirely her fault, for not being open and honest with William. Why did she always need to avoid confrontation and run away from anything serious? The outcome was never a better outcome. So why did she keep doing it? And now she was setting herself up to do the same thing to Riley.
    Her eyes cried out a hundred emotions, none of which made up for the anguish currently etched in William’s tight gaze. The emerald green she loved so much looked dampened. Darkened. Displeased.
    With her? With himself? She had no idea.
    He’d told her nothing could ever happen between them.
    No, that wasn’t what he said. I cannot... He said he could not. He never said he did not want to. Why was it only now, that she heard what he did not say?
    She never thought for a moment that William actually returned any of her feelings. Yes, he had vanished after kissing her hand. But she still didn’t think… and therein lies your problem! You don’t frigging think Melinda Howard!
    How dumb could she be?
    She’d shattered him. The unbreakable vampire, crushed by her complete lack of sight.
    Ha! Funny, her messed up brain shouted at her sardonically. What good are my dreams if they can’t help me with any of this? Using her dreams as an excuse was beyond pathetic.
    William’s face went blank, his usual emotionless expression returning. He stepped aside, motioning for her to come in. “We are making plans to combat the leeches,” he explained, his voice low, but even.
    “Okay,” she stammered, stepping through. She had to look away from him, unable to face him. Her throat felt heavy and burdened by the effort of speaking. “William...” she had no clue what to say. Anything she said would come out wrong.
    He said nothing. Melinda forced herself to look at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. His silence killed her. Sliced her down the middle.
    She heard Mack talking on her phone at the back of the house, in the kitchen. She hustled to join her there. The sheriff waved and motioned for Melinda to help herself to anything she needed while she chatted away.
    “Ya heard me right!” Mack bellowed into the phone. “Attackin’ sea lions!