Chapter 13: The Wicked Witch Is Back

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Why does time fly when you really don't want it to? I know it was literally just yesterday that Levi asked Carmen to come over for dinner, yet it feels like it was ten painfully fast minutes ago. And now I have the luxury and the shining torment of watching my love shift back and forth through the kitchen, our kitchen. All for her. It makes my stomach churn with the worst of the worst. But, like rubbing out the soreness from your muscles, it feels sort of nice watching him like this.

The sweat above his brows is borderline adorable. It's almost like he's painting. His focus on stirring whatever is in the pot, his finger dipping in to taste it, his lip sucked in thinking what he should add next. It's all very seductive if I'm being honest. All he needs is to take his clothes off and keep just an apron on while he does this and my heart would be halfway around the world. I guess it's for the best that he's fully clothed.

I shouldn't be surprised that he dressed up for her. Even with her coming over just a couple doors down, he still put on a white button down, sleeves rolled up so he doesn't get dirty, and a pair of navy pants. I want to turn him around and jump on this island while dragging his lips to me so he can see how much I can't stand just being here watching him. But, of course, the only thing I can actually do is sit on the barstool with my chin in my hands eyeing him.

Twirling a fork to get some of the mystery inside the pot, he brings it to his mouth to taste. His eyes light up as he smacks his lips, obviously very pleased with what he's made.

"An artist on the canvas and in the kitchen? Is there anything you can't do, Mr. West?" I ask as he grabs two plates out of the cabinet. He lifts a scoop and sets the dinner on both plates. My heart skips a little when he places one of them in front of me, the opposite one on his side. I look down at what he's made and I feel like I might pass away all over again. He's made carbonara. I'm not sure if this was my favorite when I was alive but it sure as hell is now.

He opens the freezer grabbing the wine he put there an hour ago, snatching two glasses from the cupboard, and setting one down right next to my plate. Maybe I can just pretend he's doing this all for me in this comfortable silence we share. Nothing wrong with being a little delusional every once in a while. The best people are.

Right on cue though, like a snake in the grass coming to tempt him, the doorbell rings. Quickly, he positions the other plate and glass next to mine, running a hand through his hair which was disheveled just perfectly before he tried to fix it up for you know who. I have to stop myself from throwing my forehead on the countertop. Thankfully I'm dead because I would've no doubt knocked myself into oblivion right this moment.

He opens the door and there she stands, her legs crossed and her smile wide. If I thought her dress from their first date was bad, this was nothing compared to that. The baby blue skirt hugging her curves wouldn't be the worst thing if it didn't have a slit that was going all the way up to her damn waist. Is she even wearing underwear this time?! To top it off the cropped sweater hangs off her shoulders with the deepest V neck I've ever seen. It's white, bunny colored, as if she holds any sort of innocence in her body.

Levi can't help but stare for a second too long but that's all the confirmation Carmen needs. She beams at him and lifts her hands, two wine bottles in each. What a lush.

"Is this too much?" she asks. I see him physically tear his eyes away from her body, focusing now on the wine.

"Of course not. I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with one."

"Well, now we have three and I'm not leaving here until we finish all of them." she laughs. He moves to the side to let her in and her eyes go right to where I'm sitting, right to the plate Levi set out for me.

"Are you trying to get me drunk, Carmen?" The tease in his voice causes something to sting inside me.

Placing the wine on the counter she flips her curled hair over her shoulder before turning back to him. "Am I that transparent, Mr. West?"

My ears prick up just like a dog when her last word comes out. How in the world did she find out his last name. As if reading my mind, Levi looks at her when he shuts the door, skepticism etched into every inch of his beautiful face. There's a snake here, Levi. And she's the most venomous, menacing kind.

"How do you know my last name?" he asks. Good, don't let her get away with it just because her hips are exposed and her legs are shiny.

She shrugs and fidgets from foot to foot like she's embarrassed. "I asked your friend when I heard him leave your place. I know that sounds kind of weird."

He moves towards her, the edge in him completely gone now. With soft eyes he runs the back of his fingers along her collarbone, letting it fall down her arm until he laces his fingers with hers. "You're a curious little thing, aren't you?" he tells her, not really asking but framing that question there anyway.

"Safe to say I did look you up when he told me." With low lids she looks up into those eyes of his that I can't get enough of. I can't blame her when I hear her breath hitch in her throat.

"How about we have dinner before you tell me what's on your mind, shall we?"

She agrees and lets him guide her to where I'm sitting. I fight with myself thinking if I should move out the seat or stand my ground, but when she lifts her leg up to position herself to sit, I immediately stand. Last thing I want is any part of Carmen touching me, ghost or not.

Levi grabs the bottle and uncorks it, pouring the red liquid into both their glasses. Fitting that she choose red wine and the one he has prepared for them is white. Why wouldn't this vampire want to drink the blood of her victims or something that reminds her of it. Levi and her couldn't be more opposite. I just don't understand how he still doesn't see it. It's becoming painfully obvious.

"This looks delicious." she says, eyeing the noodles in front of her.

"I'd hoped you might like it. I wasn't too sure."

She giggles. "You say that a lot. Sounds like you're not sure about a lot of things. Should I be worried that you're more indecisive than you led me to believe?"

He lifts his glass and she mirrors him, their gazes holding each others. "I'm just trying to make sure I impress you." They clink their glasses together and the sound rings louder than I thought it would. Probably because my heart shattering sounds almost the same. When she takes her first sip I can see the hunger in her waking as she stares over the lip of the wine glass.

"Color me impressed." Her focus moves to the painting across the room and her eyebrows shoot up. She points her manicured finger to it, taking another long sip while Levi brings his attention over there. I know his heart is pounding because his Adams apple bobs repeatedly in his throat. There's panic in his irises, the drink in his hand going straight towards his mouth as he nearly finishes the wine. All that's left is a small pool of red at the bottom, small enough to cover the stem but nothing else.

"Did you paint that?" she asks, wonder in her voice. It doesn't settle Levi. If anything, the anxiety in him seems to worsen when he looks back at Carmen who's still admiring the painting. She uncrosses her legs, subtly leaning closer to him. It's not subtle enough because I notice it without missing a beat. "Is that me?" Her voice drops lower as she throws back the remaining wine into her eager mouth and sits the empty glass next to his.

"Huh," a nervous laugh breezes through his mouth, refilling their drinks as he turns his back to the subject of conversation. He's too cute to play coy. Carmen and I both see that. "I forgot to cover that up before you came."

She fingers the rim of the glass, a blush creeping up her neck. "Would it be narcissistic of me to assume that hand is mine?" The sides of her lips tremble and I'm not sure if she's trying to hold in her smile or her laugh.

"Would it freak you out if I said it was?" He gulps the wine and Carmen can't stifle her laugh anymore.

"Seems like I'm making you nervous." Her hand drops to his thigh. "Do I make you nervous, Mr. West?"

My face feels like it's on fire. Every part of me is ignited and I want the flames to engulf Carmen's hand. The thought of her delicate little fingers becoming swollen with blisters, third degree burns covering every corner of her blemish free skin, it all makes me shake with anticipation. The same anticipation covered on Levi's face wounds me.

"I couldn't begin to explain the things you make me feel. But I'll admit nervous might be one of many."

When she lifts her palm off him and settles it on the counter, the longing left behind passes through Levi's eyes but, just as soon as it comes, it's gone. Carmen downs her wine in two deep swallows. I'm sure she's had a lot of practice at that.

"Shall we eat?" he asks, his focus on her wine stained lips. She shakes her head, the glass nearly shattering when she slams it down in front of her. It catches both me and Levi by surprise, but the look of shock is swiped away when she throws her arms around his neck and basically eats his face with hers. Without a second of hesitation he lifts her off the seat and wraps her legs around his waist.

My hands shake, my feet frozen in place witnessing this crime, this betrayal, in front of me. He sits himself on the couch with her straddling him, her squeals of excitement piercing me like a sword through my eardrums. I don't know what's worse though; watching them or listening to it. His laugh against her mouth when he lays on top of her answers that. They're both equally tearing me to pieces.

"Stop." I whisper. My voice doesn't even feel like mine anymore. The smolder that started in my chest is covering my head, my eyes, my toes. It's like the fire is blurring my vision and the only thing I can see beyond the flames of yellow and orange is Levi cheating on me. "Please, Levi. Please stop."

But he doesn't. He doesn't even blink in my direction, too wrapped up in that leech rolling her hips against him, crushing his mouth with her poisonous lips. I step forward, dragging my feet along the floor trying not to pay attention to the heaviness in my calves. He cups the back of her neck, his other hand sliding up her thigh. Even from here I see the goosebumps dancing on her skin from his touch.

She pulls back, her chest rising as she tries to catch her breath. The lust in his eyes stab me in the gut. How could he look at her like that? He didn't even know her. And she knew nothing about him. I'm the one who watches him all the time. I'm the one who knows how much coffee he drinks. I'm the one who knows about our favorite window. I'm the one who knows what he looks like when he's sleeping, twitching from dreams so deep that she couldn't even fathom it. Why was he still looking at her at all? Why wasn't he even glancing in my direction? Didn't he know how hurt I was right now? Didn't he care that he was spitting on our relationship?

"I think the wine went straight to my head." she tells him, the redness from her lips now covering her cheeks. "I'm a little tipsy."

"Me too." He pulls her back to him, silencing her with his kiss.

I have to remember my anger shouldn't be aimed at him. It wasn't his fault. He was the victim here just like I was. The person who was doing this to us was Carmen. She was the one who snuck into our little bubble and tried to replace me. It was her and it's always been her. The snake. The rat. The witch. The vampire. Her!

The fever in me is too much to ignore. I've felt this before when they kissed for the first time. This anger was the same as it was then. I move towards them, standing right behind her. She arches her back. I see red. She moans in his mouth. Red. Moves her hips. Red. I don't think I'm breathing anymore. She has to go. I need to get rid of her. Levi was too naive to see it but she's the issue here.

With shaky eyes and unfocused vision I don't think when my hand flies out to the back of her head. I want to rip her fucking hair from her scalp. And I'll do just that. But I don't grab her. I don't go through her completely either. It's like something is pulling me in. As if a black hole was sucking me forward. My mind races and I don't know what to do. I try to pull my arm back but it's too late. The suction is too strong, the entire length of my arm yanking towards Carmen's head.

In a panic I throw my other hand in front of me but that one sticks too. Like invisible glue I can't move away from her. I dig my heels into the floor but it does nothing. And then I can't see anything anymore, my vision plunged into complete and terrifying darkness.


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