Haunting Magic (Ink Book 6) (3 page)

Karsen is about to give birth to her baby on the side of the road and I can’t help deliver.

And just before my body kicks into full on panic Slade’s face appears again.

“We’re on our way,” he says. He’s more together, calm even.

“He almost passed out when I told him but now we’re on our way.” He points his phone’s camera at the parking lot and I catch sight of the rest of the gang booking it toward the bus.

Karsen’s phone rings. She fumbles to answer it.

“I am driving as fast as I can to get her to the hospital.”

Slade climbs the steps to the bus, passing the driver and takes a spot across from Kidd.

“Tell Hope to take care of her until I get there,” Kidd says in the background.

“Isn’t he on the phone with Karsen?”

Karsen is doubled over the phone in her grip but not to her ear anymore.

“Hope wont let anything happen to her, bro relax.”

“Get off the phone and pay attention to the road before Kidd kills me.” Slade hangs up leaving me alone in the car with a panting sweating Karsen.

Every minute that passes she is that more miserable.

She throws her head back against the seat panting. “Holy shit this hurts! How much longer?”

“I’m going as fast as I can. Maybe another…twenty minutes.” I floor it through a yellow light and make a right onto the highway.

“Twenty minutes before this baby comes out? I thought people were in labor for hours?!” She groans, tensing up.

I laugh because it’s the only thing I can do. “Not the baby…god I hope not the baby. I was talking about the hospital.”

Karsen groans, practically taking my door handle off with her hand. “Never…again…will I ever have sex with that man.”

She lets out a scream of agony, bursting into tears.

She’s a writhing banshee full of emotions. This labor is bringing out things in Karsen I never seen.

“Where’s my sex kitten?” Kidd says as soon as he comes through the door of labor and delivery.

“She’s in room thirty with the doctor right now. I was just getting a cup of coffee.” He is ready to plow me over to get to her so I don’t say anything.

“Thank you,” he plants a kiss on my cheek and lifts me off the ground in a giant bear hug. “For taking care of my family and getting them here in one piece.”

My feet dangle, I can’t do much under Kidd’s crushing hug.

Slade is behind him grinning. He sets me on my feet and runs down the hall to her room before I can tell him he should talk to the desk.

Slade brushes the hair away from my eyes. “That was the longest fucking ride I ever had to endure under the circumstances.”

I follow him back to the waiting room and take a spot next to the window. I’m wore out, between the stress and high pitch screams I need a hot soak in a tub.

Slade leans back in his seat and takes my hand bringing it into his lap. He interlocks our fingers and stares off into the distance. “Can’t believe Kidd is going to be a father.”

“I can’t believe Karsen is going to be a mother,” I say.

It’s unreal.

He plays with my hand, sweeping his thumb back and forth and bounces his leg up and down. A lot is about to change.

“Do you think going on tour will even be possible after tonight?” I look at him.

“I don’t know. Depends on how big of a deal this turns into for both of them. If Kidd decides his family is more important than we all have to make changes.”

I lean against his arm and rest my head. “And how does that make you feel the thought that the band could change?”

“I know family is more important. Things change, nothing stays the same. We have to learn how to adapt.”

“Did you even get to play at all?”

“No, we were practicing. There’s always next time.” Slade wraps an arm around me. “The crew went home to get some rest. They said they will come up tomorrow to meet the baby.”

I nod. “I wish I could go home and wait. But I know she wants me here. Her mom and dad are coming within the hour.”

***

Slade shakes me. And I sit up looking around at the empty waiting room. I wonder how long I have been asleep.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he tells me.

I stand up and shake the sleep from my body. “Have you heard anything?”

He shakes his head. “Last I heard was she was halfway there.”

“Halfway could mean anything.” I sigh. “What are you doing?”

Slade turns the knob on the door in the hallway. “Looking for a place to slip into.”

“For what?”

“To pass time.” He grins, looking down the hallway to make sure nobody is coming. “Sex always passes the time.”

“We can’t have sex in here. Karsen and Kidd are about to have a baby. What if it happens when we’re in there humping like rabbits?”

Ordinarily I wouldn’t have a problem making hot animalistic noises with Slade but right now Karsen needs me. I saw the look on her face. The least I can do is keep it in my pants until the baby arrives.

Slade sighs, dragging his hand down his face. “Well then, let’s get something to eat before I start climbing the walls.”

I roll my eyes and follow him down the hallway to the elevators. He punches the button for the main floor and we wait for the doors to open.

“She is scared. I have to be there for her. If it were me I would want her to do the same.”

The elevator doors open and we quickly slip inside. There is nobody in it, just us.

“I’d be scared to if I was about to push a mini human through my body.”

We make it down to the cafeteria and pay for our food, find a table and take three bites of it before Slade’s phone rings.

“We got to go. Kidd says it’s time.” He drops his food and we abandon it right there in the middle of the cafeteria and run for the elevators.

Our lives are about to change. And this freaks me out.

We hurry out of the elevator and down the long stretch of hallway to Karsen’s room and knock. In an instant the door opens.

But Slade looks uncomfortable.

“Maybe we should wait out here,” he offers from the doorway.

Kidd shakes his head. “Dude. You’re my best friend. I want you here for this.” He looks a mess. His hair is dishevelled and a thin sheen of sweat is on his forehead.

Karsen’s cheeks are pink, and her hair is soft. She looks beautiful. She has a smile on her face instead of that fear I seen earlier and this forces me to relax.

She looks over at us. “Drugs are amazing.” She giggles. “I feel nothing.”

I smile back. “Good.”

“And Slade,” she says. “Kidd and I agreed months ago it was okay if you saw my vagina for the sake of your godson or goddaughter.”

Slade shakes his head. “Oh fucking Christ. Aren’t you supposed to be pushing this kid out right now?”

“The doctor says I am a professional.” She looks at Kidd. “Right, babe?”

Kidd nods in agreement. “That’s right babe. Now let’s do this.”

The nurse tells Karsen on the next contraction to give it her all and push. She holds one foot and Kidd holds the other. He tells her how amazing she is and how gorgeous and he roots for her.

She bares down, her blonde hair falling in her eyes and she grunts. Her face goes from tan to a lovely shade of red and the whole room goes quiet.

“Okay give me one more little push,” her doctor tells her. “One more and you two will be parents.”

“Come on Karsen, you can do it,” I say from the other side of the room. I can’t wait to see this little baby.

Karsen bares down, and the world has changed forever. All of a sudden my friend is more than that. She is a beautiful woman who just brought life into this world.

“Holy shit, sex kitten, you did it!” Kidd kisses her forehead, smoothing her hair. “You fucking did it.”

The doctor suctions the nose and mouth of this slippery mess of a baby and looks up at them. “Well, it’s a boy. Daddy would you like to cut the cord?”

Kidd takes the scissors and does what they ask. “I’m a father. And it’s a boy.” He smiles at him, not at all disturbed at his son’s high pitched screaming.

“Congrats you guys,” Slade says, stepping forward now that the worst is behind us. He plants a friendly kiss on Karsen’s forehead and pats Kidd on the back. “You guys did great.”

“He’s right. He’s beautiful. Even with all that gunk on him,” I tell her jokingly watching the nurses wrap him up so Karsen can  hold him.

“Well, what’s his name?” Slade ask.

Kidd bites down on his lip watching the nurse give Karsen the baby.

Everyone goes quiet. Karsen takes him in. He’s got the lightest bit of peach fuzz on his head. I can’t see his eyes because he hasn’t opened them.

“He’s handsome,” I gush. I admire his tiny little nose and his full lips that are shaped just like Karsen’s.

She touches his hand and he wraps his long fingers around her finger. This makes her smile. “He’s perfect.”

Kidd, touches my shoulder, looking along with me at the baby. “Well, we had two names picked out. But I know what one fits.”

Karsen looks at Kidd.

Kidd traces a finger over his tiny little head. “Xavier Garrett.”

“Great name.” Slade throws an arm around me.  “Welcome to this crazy life little man.”

Karsen and Kidd are parents. And I am a little closer to losing my best friend.

I take a seat in their living room listening to everyone gush over how cute Xavier is. Everyone passes him back and forth taking turns holding him.

I don’t even remember the last real conversation I had with Karsen now that she brought the baby home.

Am I rotten for acting like a baby myself for having to share my friend?

I don’t like to always be so morbid when it comes to my life. But anymore what else am I supposed to do. I smile when Kidd and Karsen looked over at me. And I laugh along with everyone when they make a joke about the baby.

Slade looked at me. He places a hand on my leg and squeezes. “It won’t be like this forever.”

“Are you sure about that?” I say. “From what I hear babies live for a long time.” It sounded funny in my head.

“Let’s get out of here.” He stands up and announces to the entire house we are leaving. And I follow behind him out the front door.

“What are we doing?” I follow him across the lawn thinking we are going back to our house but he cuts across the lawn and slips behind our house into the woods.

“We are going to have some fun,” he says. “Something we stopped doing.”

“I’m not sure if I even know how to have fun anymore,” I say.

Slade claps his hands together and the leaves shift and dance all around us. They perk up and become our own little show, beautiful creatures dancing all around us.

“That’s cool.” I smile. “Really cool.”

“Dance with me,” he says offering his hand.

I raise an eyebrow because I don’t hear any music. And he starts singing.

***

As soon as I am inside of my house I let out a sigh of relief, it was hard trying to act happy when I don’t feel happy. I walk past my painting and go into the kitchen.

Slade creeps up behind me and wraps his arms around me as soon as I bring the glass of wine to my lips. “What are you doing?”

“Drinking. Want some? I got it from the hardware store.” I spin around in his grip and offer him a sip. “It’s pretty good.”

“The hardware store sells wine?” He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t take the glass. “I was thinking we go out for dinner. Get out of this house.”

I take another sip. This wine is superb and before I know it I am pouring myself a second glass. “What did you have in mind?”

“There’s a new Asian fusion place down the street.” He shrugs, running a hand across the marble countertop. I know something is bothering him. “We only have a couple more days before tour starts up again.”

“And Kidd is okay with that?”

“The tour can’t stop because he had a kid.” Slade shakes his head at me like I am the one sounding ridiculous. “This is in the contract.”

“I understand all of that. But I don’t think Karsen will. She just had his baby. She needs help and they need time to bond,” I set my glass down, I’m a bit warm and woozy. What the hell is in this shit?

“My parents were never around. Erica and I got used to it really fast. We all did.”

I look at him prepared to argue parents are important when my vision blurs. I shake my head, fighting off the dread flooding through me.

“You okay?” He steps closer. “Usually you are telling me to go fuck myself when I disagree with you.” He grins, studying me.

I take a seat on the stool and hold my head in my hands. The more Slade talks the less any of it makes sense. I squeeze my eyes shut because I hear nothing Slade is saying but I can hear his voice—my dad.

What the hell?

He’s singing, singing that damn song about Jolene like the day we moved to Cherry. It repeats over and over.

The glass shatters at my feet. And it’s gone.

“What the fuck, Hope. You’re bleeding.” Slade grabs me by the arm jerking me out of the glass collected at my feet. “What were you doing?”

He picks me up and carries me into the living room putting me down on the couch. I drop my foot into his lap and let him fish glass from the top of my foot.

“I don’t know what I was doing,” I tell him. “Do I need stitches?”

He presses his thumb into my skin examining my cut. He rubs his hands together fixing me himself instead of taking me to the doctor. Magic rules.

“Are you going to tell me what the fuck happened?” He waits. He’s not going to let this go.

“The other day, I came inside the house and I smelled cigarette smoke.”

Slade sighs, a loud angry sigh. “I’m going to fuck them up.”

I touch his arm. “It wasn’t Elliot or Easton.” He relaxes. “And just now I heard him singing. Am I crazy?”

Slade shakes his head. I can see it in his eyes, he’s as concerned as me. But he doesn’t admit it. He touches my face and shakes his head. “You’ve been through a lot of shit. You’re human, sometimes things are harder to get over.”

I let him hug me and rest my head against his chest. The only thing I can do is believe him. I would rather do that then lose my mind. I don’t want to lose my mind.