Frog Kisser

chapter eleven

Hurtling over our college town somehow reminded me of the time I dragged myself along with the Hale family vacation, during our first summer of college students. It was when I was still dating Steven, towards the tail end, and we didn't bother making plans together for the summer. The beginning of the end.

We went to the beach and David wanted to go cliffing diving, but I was too afraid to jump. David promised me that everything was going to be okay that I just needed to jump.

I asked if we could jump together.

He took my hand and we jumped.

Now, probably over 800 feet in the air, I was gripping David's waist for dear life and had the same stomach plopping into my toes kind of feeling. Well, I figured if I was going to fall off this broom, I'd fall with David.

"What the hell was that?!" David shouted over the rush of wind.

"I need you to know that I never meant for any of this to happen!"

"Well, yeah! I'd hope so! I'm going to need some answers, Cal. And I need them now! Where did that guy come from?"

"Well..." I squeezed his sides tighter to keep from falling and to keep a hold on him. "You know how I accidentally turned Nibbler and Daisy into people?"

"Yeah?" He answered, sounding like he didn't like where this was going.

"That was an accident! But..." Closing my eyes, I just let it all out at once, "But Romeo wasn't an accident! I got really drunk and sad and tried to make the perfect man from a frog I found in the woods!"

"YOU WHAT?!"

"I know! I know! It seemed like a good idea at the time! Tequila makes everything sound like a good idea!"

"But why is he like that? How does he know how to use magic?"

"I don't—" I started to argue, but then the realization dropped on top of me like a four story house.

David caught my hesitation.

Because of course he did.

Because I had spent the last six years watching him and obviously, he had been doing the same. He looked at me with such a heavy scowl I was surprised we were still able to fly. "What is it, Cal? What did you do?"

I swallowed. "Don't be mad."

"Too late."

"David, promise me you won't get mad."

"Just tell me or we can't start fixing this."

I sucked in my lips, almost physically unable to admit it. I told him, "In the moment, I thought my potion wasn't enough so... so I used your toothbrush to make Romeo and I think that's why he looks like you. I think that's why he knows how to use magic."

If a witch could slam on the brakes, David did. Making an abrupt stop, I jetted forward and smashed my nose int David's back. We hung in the air with the glittering city lights beneath our feet. From here, I could see the river and the large brass colored bridge to get across. I could see the city park and the gazebo in the center, lit up by twinkling lights.

Without a cloud in the sky, we were sitting under a canopy of stars and a crescent moon giving me enough light where I could see David's features. He reached back, grabbing the broom with his hands on both sides to give him balance so he could look at me.

"You're telling me when making the perfect man, you thought to add a little of me?"

His words, their truth pounded at my chest with an evil vengeance. My brows scrunched together as I tried to keep a tight hold on my lid and everything I've tried to conceal.