Free White Witch by Trish Milburn Page A

his breath moves against my lips.
    “I can’t believe I waited so long to do that.”
    “You’ve only known me a few days.”
    He pulls back a bit more and looks deep into my eyes. “I wanted to kiss you the moment I saw you.”
    “Me, too,” I whisper, only sharing part of what I feel. Knowing the impossibility of this lasting forever, I can’t tell him that that’s exactly what I want, that something very deep within me yearns for him. I can’t even say it to myself because it sounds so completely crazy. But there’s no denying the feeling.
    We kiss again, eliciting a few whistles and catcalls from the dancers surrounding us. I wish I could will them all away so these moments could be Keller’s and mine alone. I lay my head against his chest, feel his warmth, hear his heartbeat, revel in the feeling of being so close to him. I try to convince myself that if whatever it is between us lasts no longer than tonight, it’s worth it.
    When the song starts to fade away into the last chorus, I want desperately to call it back, to make it go on endlessly so I don’t have to leave Keller’s arms. I look up into his eyes and wonder if he’s thinking the same thing.
    “I can’t believe you’re dancing with me,” he says, so softly I almost don’t hear it over the music.
    “Why?”
    “Because you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”
    For the first time in my life, it makes me indescribably happy to get such a compliment. It feels like Keller is seeing more than just the physical, and that makes his words that much more special.
    The song disappears at the same moment a loud guitar announces its presence on the stage. The lead singer of Nemesis, a guy I think is in my Art class, sings a few fist-pumping lines. Then the rest of the band jumps in, and the dance floor turns into an ocean of dancing bodies. Keller and I maneuver our way to the side of the room and snag a tall table in a dark corner. Keller weaves through the crowd to the bar and returns with two soft drinks and a big plate of nachos.
    I move to the music and smile as Toni wails away on the drums. “She’s good.”
    “Yeah, she’s been drumming since she was little. I still remember when my uncle bought her first drum set. It was this tiny thing, but she loved it. Wouldn’t let me touch it though, greedy little snot.”
    “How old was she?”
    “Five, I think.” He looks toward the stage, and I see that despite their jabs and barbs, the cousins love each other.
    “It’s cool that you two are close.” A pang for what I’ve never had, a close relationship with siblings or cousins, any family members other than my mother, makes me envy Keller and Toni.
    “Yeah, guess we’ve just kind of grown up in the same boat.”
    “With each of you losing a parent?”
    “Yeah.”
    “How old was Toni when her dad died?”
    “We were about nine.”
    “How’d he die?”
    “In a hunting accident.” Keller stuffs an overloaded nacho in his mouth, and I get the feeling that the conversation is making him uncomfortable. Is that because of what his uncle had been hunting? Because of the phone call with his father earlier? Is he feeling guilty because he’s not out hunting right now?
    I can’t exactly press for more answers without revealing how I even know supernatural beings exist. Time to change the topic.
    I glance out at the dance floor and laugh. “Wow, I don’t think Eric and Paige have stopped since we got here.”
    “Dancing or kissing?”
    “Either.”
    Despite its rocky start, the night turns out to be as close to perfect as I could ever hope for. Keller and I dance and eat and talk, getting to know each other better. We discover we’re both fans of summer popcorn movies where lots of things blow up.
    “I just can’t picture it,” he says as he rubs his thumb across the top of my hand.
    “Why? Because I’m a girl?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Have a degree in typecasting, do you?”
    He holds up his hands, palms out. “Just not