Chapter 53 - An Angry Witch

Jenny was fuming. Fuming wasn't even the right word—she was volcanic. Her magic crackled around her fingertips as she stomped through the house, practically leaving scorch marks on the floor. Her hair, always wild and untamed, looked like it had caught an electric storm. She reached Matt's room, took one look at the locked door, and sneered.

"Matthew Goodwin, open this damn door before I blast it into next week!" she hollered, her voice echoing through the house.

Dead silence. Jenny's nostrils flared.

From inside, Matt's voice came, muffled but defiant. "Go away, Jenny. I'm not in the mood."

Not in the mood? Jenny's jaw dropped in disbelief. Not in the mood? Oh, that was it.

"Matthew," she hissed through clenched teeth, "if you don't unlock this door in three seconds, I swear—"

"I said go away!"

Her fingers sparked. "Fine. You asked for it."

With one wave of her hand, the door exploded off its hinges and slammed against the opposite wall with a deafening BANG. Dust and splinters rained down as Matt shot out of his bed, staring at her like she'd just ripped the roof off the house.

"What the fuck, Jenny?!" he yelled, throwing his hands up in frustration. "You can't just blow my fucking door up!"

"I can, and I did!" she snapped back, storming into the room. "You think you can just shut me out after that little stunt you pulled? Asking your sister to ask me to put a spell on you and you didn't have the damn guts to ask me yourself? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"What the hell is wrong with me?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Matt shouted back looking at Jenny like she was stark raving mad.

Jenny glared at Matt like a sharp dagger ready to cut him to pieces. "You wanted to forget! Forget what, Matt? Me? Us? What we've been through?!"

Matt groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Oh my God, Jenny, you don't understand—"

"Oh, I don't understand?!" Her voice climbed an octave, her hands flying into the air.

"NO!" Matt barked, his voice booming through the room. "It's not about you, okay?!"

Jenny froze, glaring at him. "Then explain it, because right now, you're looking like the biggest asshole on the planet."

Matt exhaled sharply and turned away, gripping the edge of his desk like he needed to steady himself. Jenny's eyes softened for half a second before she crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low and trembling. "My sister should of explained the whole story. It's about Britney."

Jenny blinked. "Britney?" Her confusion quickly morphed into suspicion. "I didn't let her finish after she asked me for a complicated spell. So you can explain it - what about Britney?"

Matt flinched, like he didn't even want to say the words. "I wanted to forget what happened… with her the other night."

Jenny's stomach dropped, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What. Night."

Matt turned to face her, his face pale, his eyes haunted. "The night I—" He broke off, swallowing hard. "The night she… made me sleep with her."

Jenny's jaw clenched. "She made you?"

Matt nodded, his face crumpling with shame. "I didn't want to, Jenny. I swear I didn't. But to make me more...responsive, she—she used her powers, or whatever the hell demons do, and—God, I hated every fucking second of it. I hate her. I hate myself."

Jenny's magic flared again, her anger bubbling to the surface like lava. "That manipulative little—"

"Stop!" Matt shouted, his voice breaking. "Don't make it worse, Jenny. I already feel disgusting. I just… I don't want to remember it. I don't want to think about her, or that night, or any of it."

Jenny stood there, her fists clenched, her heart racing. She wanted to yell, to scream, to burn Britney to ashes for what she'd done. But then she looked at Matt—really looked at him—and saw the broken boy standing in front of her, drowning in guilt and shame that wasn't even his to carry. He had no choice because of the other timeline of herself making a horrible agreement with the devil. If anyone was to blame, it was herself. She knew it had to happen after she read the note she wrote herself of a timeline she doesn't remember but if she could delay it as long as possible, she naively thought the little she-demon wouldn't remember.

"Matt…" Her voice softened, and she took a hesitant step toward him. "Why didn't you tell me she came to claim her debt?"

He laughed bitterly. "Oh yeah, that would've gone great. 'Hey Jenny, guess what? Britney wants her debt repaid and I get to cheat on you tonight. Cool, huh?'" He shook his head, his eyes glassy. "I didn't want you to look at me the way you're looking at me right now."

Jenny's heart twisted. "How am I looking at you?"

"Like I'm broken," he whispered.

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say. But then, without thinking, she crossed the room in two strides and grabbed his face in her hands.

"You're not broken, Matt," she said fiercely. "You're not weak, or disgusting, or anything else you're telling yourself. You're a victim, and what Britney did to you? What I did to you? That's on me and on her, not you."

Matt's eyes searched hers, like he didn't quite believe her. "Jenny…"

She cut him off. "No. Shut up. Listen to me, okay? You don't get to feel guilty for something you couldn't control. You're stronger than that. Stronger than her. And if you want to forget that night...as well as me, then I get it now and I will do it."

"No, Jenny. I dont want to forget you. You're my life," Matt assured her while wrapping his arms around her waist. I just want to forget that night with that thing."

His lips parted, like he wanted to argue, but before he could say anything, Jenny did the last thing either of them expected—she kissed him.

It wasn't gentle or soft or sweet. It was raw, desperate, a clash of anger and pain and longing. Matt froze for half a second before his hands found her waist, pulling her closer. The kiss deepened, their emotions spilling out in a whirlwind of passion. For a moment, nothing else existed—no demons, no magic, no guilt. Just them.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless, their foreheads pressed together.

"Jenny," Matt murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I—"

"Shut up," she whispered, her lips brushing against his. "Just shut up and let me be here for you. I will cast the spell on both of us to forget okay?"

He nodded, and for the first time in days, the weight on his chest felt just a little bit lighter. But, of course, this moment of peace couldn't last long.

Jenny pulled back slightly, her expression suddenly serious. "Matt, I'm coming with you."

Matt blinked, confused. "What?"

"To the Celestial City," she said firmly. "I'm coming with you guys. No arguments."

His eyes widened. "Jenny, you can't—"

"Don't you dare tell me I can't," she snapped. "I'm not letting you go up there without me. You're my idiot, Matt Goodwin, and if you think I'm staying behind while you run off to fight angels and God knows what else, you're even dumber than I thought."

Matt stared at her, stunned into silence. He opened his mouth to protest again, but the look in her eyes shut him up real quick.

"Fine," he said finally, throwing his hands up in defeat. "You're impossible, you know that?"

She smirked, crossing her arms. "And don't you forget it."

But as she turned to leave, Matt couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his gut. This mission was already a suicide run, and now Jenny was throwing herself into the mix. He couldn't help but wonder—had he just made the biggest mistake of his life by letting her come along?