Believe: The Complete Channie Series (17 page)

Josh paced back and forth in front of the trailer. “I feel...super-charged. Like I could win a dozen races, one after the other. Like I could—”

Josh stopped—mid-stride, mid-sentence, mid-breath—and stood perfectly still, all expression wiped clean from his face.

“Josh? What’s wrong?”

He blinked and said a very bad word. But he said it without emotion, without raising his voice. “I have to go tell my coach to forfeit my races before the award ceremony.” His voice was flat, monotone.

“Why?”

Channie’s question seemed to resurrect all Josh’s emotions. He pointed his index finger at her like a gun and yelled at her. “Because there is no way this isn’t cheating!”

“Josh, calm down. Let’s go back inside the trailer and talk—”

He swore again and kicked the trash can next to the trailer. “I’m going to lose all my effing sponsors.”

Chastity’s magic thrived on rage almost as much as lust. It latched onto Josh’s fury, pulled it into Channie’s power-well, then poured it right back into him. If he weren’t already shielded—if this amount of power had been delivered in the form of a focused curse instead of an energy infusion—it would have killed him.

“Josh, please calm down. You're scaring me.”

Josh dropped his chin to his chest. He ran his hands through his hair then looked at Channie. He said, “I’m sorry. But this is about as calm as I’m going to get.”

Channie closed her eyes, but Josh’s image was burned on the inside of her eyelids. She knew he was mad at her, furious even. But all she could think about was how strong and powerful he looked. She wanted him in the worst way. She wanted ... She wanted to have sex with him.

No. No. no no no noooooooo. Stop it. Focus. Channie got up and forced herself to walk—then turn and run—away from Josh. She caught a whiff of rotting garbage and remembered what he’d said about controlling his lust by thinking of disgusting things. By the time she got downwind of the privies, Channie had herself back under control. Now, what was Josh so angry about? Oh, yeah…

She walked back to the trailer, but stopped when she felt her attraction to Josh intensify. He was sitting on the ground, his head in his hands.

“Josh, you didn’t cheat. You weren’t …” what was the word he’d used …? Oh, yeah...“You weren’t super-charged until your shield absorbed the energy from Chastity’s curse. We didn’t test the shield until after you won your races fair and square.”

He looked up at her, as if she had the power to deliver him from the gates of hell. “Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

She sat down on the lawn chair and put her hands on his shoulders, kneading his muscles without even stopping to think about what she was doing, or asking Josh if it were okay for her to touch him like this. Her desire for his body was still there, but as long as she focused on what Josh was feeling, she could keep it under control.

He said, “Oh, man, that feels good.”

The radiant heat from Josh’s shoulders soaked into her fingers through the fabric of his shirt. She stood up and readjusted the lawn chair so it was level like a cot. “Lay down. I’ll rub your back.” Channie knew she was acting like a common whore, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

Josh laid down on his stomach and said, “You’re the best girlfriend ever.”

Channie’s heart didn’t just skip a beat. It stopped. A warm tingling sensation spread from her chest outward all the way to her fingers and toes. It was better than magic. “Girlfriend?”

“Yeah. I figure since you’re so hot for me, I better make an honest woman out of you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“This shield you made for me seems to work like a mirror. It shows me what you’re feeling when you’re energizing me.”

“You know what I’m feeling?” Channie’s hands froze and hovered about six inches above Josh’s back.

He looked over his shoulder and smirked at her. “It’s about all you can do to keep from jumping me right now.”

A flash of horror tore through Channie’s gut like a wild animal—followed by a bolt of white-hot rage. It flowed straight into Josh’s shield and converted her anger to lust. Her desire for him increased tenfold. Channie closed her eyes and thought of rotting garbage and overflowing privies.

Josh chuckled, but at least he didn’t say anything. It was bad enough he knew what she was feeling, she couldn’t stand it if he started gloating about it.

Channie’s hands drifted to Josh’s back without her permission. “You said I was the best girlfriend ever. Just how many girlfriends have you had?”

“Ow. Not quite so deep. You’re my first. If I don't count Nadia Hensen.”

Channie had no idea who Nadia Hensen was, but she wanted to kill her. She gave herself a couple of minutes to calm down then said, “Tell me about Nadia.”

Josh chuckled. “She was my girlfriend for two weeks when we were in the fifth grade.”

“Do you still have feelings for her?”

Joshua rolled over onto his side and squinted his eyes at Channie. “Are you kidding me?”

The rational part of Channie’s brain kicked in and she realized just how crazy that sounded.

“Of course I’m kidding you.” Her laugh was forced, but Josh seemed to accept it. He rolled back over onto his stomach and Channie started rubbing his back again, carefully keeping at least one layer of fabric between them.

She was in a lust-filled haze when the pliable muscle she was massaging turned to stone.

“Um...Channie?”

“Yes.”

“That feels a little bit too good, if you know what I mean.”

She didn’t realize she’d closed her eyes until they flew open. She was shocked to find her hands firmly planted on Josh’s butt. 

She jerked her hands from his body and balled them up into fists.

“I’m so sorry.”

Josh propped himself up on his elbows and looked over his shoulder at her. She expected more gloating, but his smile was sympathetic. His considerable lust was tempered by an even stronger flow of compassion.

“Don't be sorry. I’m not. But maybe we better stop for now.”

“Okay.” 

“Would you mind grabbing a blanket out of the trailer?”

Channie tossed him the blanket from the door. He wrapped it around his shoulders, moved to the foot of the stairs and stared into her eyes. “I’d like a do-over.”

“A what?”

“A do-over.” Josh’s shoulders twitched as he studied the ground and stirred up a cloud of dust with the toe of his shoe. “I screwed up—the way I just announced that you’re my girlfriend—as if you didn’t even get a vote.” He lifted his chin and met her gaze. “Will you be my girlfriend, Channie?”

She nodded.

Josh’s grin spread across his face. He pulled the blanket over his head and said, “Kiss me.”

Standing on the top step, Channie was almost as tall as Josh. She traced his hidden features with her fingertips and kissed the general area of his lips.

It was not the least bit satisfying.

Josh yanked the blanket off his head, stuck out his tongue and plucked a piece of lint out of his mouth.

He grinned at her and said, “Was it as horrible for you as it was for me?”

“Probably.”

Josh’s mischievous grin widened. The sparkle in his eyes intensified igniting sparks under Channie’s skin.

He said, “I wonder just how much of a barrier we really need? Do you think a sheet would be enough?”

Channie was ashamed of the impure thoughts his innocent comment inspired. Josh was producing plenty of lust too, but it was a flickering candle compared to her own raging inferno.

Josh smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. “I can’t believe how stupid we are.”

Even though he included himself in the insult, Channie didn’t appreciate being called stupid. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

He said, “You have a shield, too. Use it.”

“It won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“Because my shield is powered by a mixture of Chastity and Enchantment’s magic. It won’t repel either of them.”

“So how come my shield works?”

“Because I was very careful to only use Enchantment’s magic when I created it. If your shield had even a trace of Chastity’s magic, it wouldn’t protect you from the curse. If I want to use magic on you again, I’ll have to use Enchantment.”

“How about you just not use magic on me at all?” Josh smiled, but his words still stung.

One of the boys whimpered inside the trailer. Grateful for the distraction, Channie stepped back inside.

Savvy started crying the minute he saw her and said, “Where am I?”

Thank
goodness the Abrim's had a waterproof mattress pad. All three boys had wet the bed—a side effect of Daddy’s be-calm spell.

Josh called his momma and told her what happened. She cleaned up the bedding while Channie and Momma cleaned up the boys as best they could.

Momma said, “We should have left hours ago. Joshua, go find Channie’s daddy and tell him to meet us at the bus.”

Channie bristled at the way Momma ordered Josh around, but since he didn’t seem to mind, she let it go.

While Momma was busy buckling the boys into their car seats, Josh tapped Channie on the shoulder and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “If you want to stay for the award ceremony, we can give you a ride home.”

“I’d like that very much. Thank you.” Channie waited until the boys were all buckled up and said, “Momma, I’m going to stay and watch Josh get his award. His family will bring me home afterwards.”

Momma froze. Her voice was dangerously quiet. “Chastity, get in the bus.”

Channie shook her head. “You misunderstood me. I wasn’t asking for your permission. I was just letting you know my plans.”

Momma backed out of the bus like a spooked horse—nostrils flared, eyes wide and rimmed all around in white—she even stomped her foot.

Chastity’s energy buzzed with the same prickly sensation but instead of irritating Channie, it invigorated her.

Momma said, “You willing to curse me to get your way?”

“I will if I have to.”

“I see.”

It was fun to butt heads with Momma when she was angry, but when her eyes filled with tears, Channie felt mean. Her resolve weakened—until she stole a sideways glance at Josh. The corners of his eyes tightened just a bit as he pulled his lower lip through his teeth. Channie licked her own lips then forced her gaze away from Josh’s mouth back to Momma. “Don’t wait up for me.”

“I won’t sleep a wink till you’re home safe and sound.”

Channie wrapped her arms around Momma and hugged her. She did not hug back.

On the way to the Abrim's trailer, Channie discovered that as long as she didn’t look at Josh, touch him, or get close enough to smell him, she could keep her lust—and herself—under control.

It was a lot harder inside the trailer. Josh sat down and patted the cushion next to him. Channie pressed her lips together and shook her head. She sat on the bench against the opposite wall, as far from Josh as she could get.

He said, “Did I do or say something to upset you?”

“No.”

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

“This is so embarrassing.”

“You should be able to tell me anything. I’m your boyfriend, remember?”

Channie smiled. The warm glow in her chest helped keep Chastity’s prickly energy under control. Josh was right. Maybe if he understood what was happening, he would stop tempting her.

“Something happened when my curse super-charged your shield.” Channie’s cheeks felt like they were on fire. “It made you super-attractive. Irresistibly attractive.”

“Seriously? That’s awesome!”

“No, Joshua it isn’t. I’m having a very hard time keeping my thoughts pure.”

“You’re having sexual fantasies. About me? Wow.”

Channie hugged her knees to her chest and hid her face behind her folded arms.

“Channie?” Josh’s voice was deep but gentle. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I’m flattered.”

“I’m just so embarrassed.”