“I don’t know.” I didn’t want to be a liar, so I answered with a sort of truth. I was going to be with Ryan during all this, and likely after. But despite his visions, I wasn’t sure how long we’d last. Nothing was guaranteed in this life. What if one day everything that came with Rylan McKenize, the billionaire was too much for me? Unlikely, but still.
“Would it be wrong if I asked you out of a real date?” His face turned pink while I drank from my cup.
“Is that the person you want to be?” I asked, curious if the potion was working. He laughed.
“I want to be popular and famous, with you on my arm. I’m tired of being the invisible guy. You’ve got a great smile, and you’re strong. I noticed that about you right away,” he said, and his face pinched up like he wasn’t sure why that all came out.
Great, it was working.
“I am pretty strong,” I agreed as he frowned.
His hand rubbed his throat, then his stomach.
“Ethan, did you set Rylan up?”
Chapter Forty-Two
Gross!
“What?” He sputtered and his face turned green like the sour grape juice.
Oh dear, maybe I gave him too many drops? Or not enough? Was my measuring off?
He took a few steps back and his tea fell to the planks at our feet, making a mess.
“Why would you think that?” He shook his head, and fire engulfed his whole body. Part of the reason I chose our meeting place at the gazebo was for this. Ethan had an affinity for fire, and I could push him in the lake if needed.
Then, as if wished away, the fire vanished and a green-faced Rylan stood in front of me.
My eyes widened and he saw me staring, my hand covering my mouth.
“Shit.” Fire covered him again and then he was Ethan once more. “Oh fuck.” He cursed and a sound I really didn’t want to hear came out of him. Gurgling in his stomach, then an explosion.
Ethan shit his pants.
“Oh, my God! Ethan! I’m so—”
I froze and his fire erupted again. His form changing from Rylan to Headmaster Sprucian to himself then to his tablemate in potions class, and back to Rylan.
“What the fuck is happening?” He gripped the railing as more horrid sounds came from his back end.
“Temperance!” Rylan ran down the path and paused at the gazebo entrance when he sawhimselfwhite knuckling the railing while shitting his jeans.
“You did this! You fucker! Always there to steal my thunder.” Ethan gritted his teeth, and it was weird seeing Rylan’s face but hearing another’s voice come out.
My Rylan ignored him and cautiously walked closer to me. “What is happening?”
“She’s mine, you fuck face. You should have died in that fucking fire. Fuck.” Another grunt rumbled from his chest before vomit shot out of his mouth and yellow chunks of food hit the tips of my shoes.
Gross!
“So, it was you?” my Rylan asked as his hand wrapped around mine. We moved toward the gazebo opening slowly, and cautiously. Ethan shifted into himself, and back to Rylan again. Looks like his magic was unstable.
As if to prove my thoughts, he vomited fire, and that didn’t go away immediately.
“You have been thwarting my second chance since day one. Embarrassing me, stepping in to get the girl thatIchose. Of course she’d go for you. But not anymore. Once you’re gone, I’ll have proven myself as the superior choice. Stronger.”Vomit.
“Smarter.”Diarrhea.
