Page 14 of The 13th Daughter
"Nothing," I replied. "It's not a big deal."
Ethan stared at my lips and his eyes narrowed. Did my lip really quiver when I lied? I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth to still any movement.
"It is a big deal." Ethan sat down across from me. "You look ready to throw up from the pain."
I did feel ready to hurl, but I didn't want to talk about it. "It's fine."
"You are such a little liar, Cassie Jayne Bishop," he glared at me.
"I said its fine," I snapped. "Just leave it alone."
"Fine," he growled.
"You know, CJ, for a girl who doesn't believe in witchcraft, you're pretty good at it," Billy tried to change the subject. His eyes moved back and forth between me and Ethan as we glared at each other.
"He's right, honey," Lucy Marrow, the owner, told me as she personally delivered my make-shift ice pack. "You're a natural. Why don't you come and check out one of the meetings?"
I took the ice and very gingerly placed it on the spot with the worst of the pain. "Thank you, Mrs. Marrow, but I can't."
"Why not?" she asked.
I sighed. I really didn't want to get into this right now, especially with half the town listening, but it looked like I was going to have to.
"I just don't believe in it," I told her. "I do my duty and keep the Coven a secret from outsiders who come to town and I try to respect everyone else's beliefs. It would be nice if you would extend me the same courtesy of respecting mine."
She looked taken aback by the gentle rebuke, but I couldn't bring myself to care. My entire arm throbbed from my fingertips up to my shoulder. I just wanted to go home. Date be damned. Ethan had seriously pissed me off. Between the note and him taking Kay home and his pushy behavior a second ago, I was so ready to leave his ass sitting there.
Billy's question stopped me. "Can I ask you something?"
I nodded uneasily. I had no desire to talk about the Coven anymore today.
"Well, I was wondering what to do about Kay's birthday."
"Oh." This I could totally get behind.
"I'm not sure what to get her. I thought about a necklace or something. I saw her eyeing a piece over at Markham's Fine Jewelry. It looked old and antiquish, but..." He stopped when I laughed.
"CJ's the one that likes old jewelry," Jeff told him. My eyes snapped to him. How did he know that? I didn't think he'd ever paid any attention to stuff like that.
He winked. "I asked MJ what to get you for your birthday."
I found myself smiling up into his cornflower blue eyes. They were alight with laughter. Could this day get any weirder? Jeff being considerate and taking the time to find out what I liked? And just when did his eyes get to be so beautiful? Welcome to Weirdville.
Ethan glared at him. I saw it out of the corner of my eye. Good. It served him right after leaving me a stupid note and taking Kay home when he was supposed to be meeting me for a date. Not that this was turning out to be a date, I corrected myself. A date was two people grabbing a bite to eat together, not a group hanging out and talking.
"MJ?" Ethan asked us. He look he gave Jeff should have made the floor open up and swallow the boy whole.
"Makayla Joyce and Cassie Jayne," Billy explained. "MJ and CJ. So, what should I get her?"
I frowned. Why had Billy just told Ethan Kay's full name? That was a major no-no. It was one thing for me to do it, but quite another for someone who believed in the craft to do it. They believed there was great power in one's name and knowing it could give someone else power over them. It just wasn't done.
Billy grinned at my frown and winked. I shrugged. If they were blabbing names, who was I to care anyway?
"Honestly, I'd do something special instead of getting her a gift. Set yourself apart from the rest of her bedpost notches. Maybe take her to Boone? Some place nice, like Blowing Rock? They have some killer restaurants up there."
Billy's smile lit up his face. "That's perfect, CJ. I'll have to do it the weekend before Halloween, though. Kay's already planning y'all's birthday party."
"You celebrate your birthdays together?" Ethan's asked, confused.
