Page 14 of The Secret Life of a Witch

Hunter scratches the corner of his eye, a nervous tick. “Because I know for a fact that she’s been to that place.”

I don’t know why, but my stomach churns a bit. “How?”

He stares down at his hands as he flexes his fingers. “Because I’ve been there with her.”

“Oh.” I sink into some sort of strange, confused state of shock.

Hunter and Ryleigh hung out together without me? Why didn’t I know?

Wait a minute …

My eyes widen. “Like, on a date?”

“What? No,” he sputters. “We just went as friends, I swear to the witches in the sky. And it was only the one time.”

I relax, but only a smidgeon. “Then, why didn’t you guys tell me? I mean, I wouldn’t have cared if you guys went out on a date.”Liar, liar, liar.“The idea that you didn’t tell me you went out on a?—”

“It wasn’t a date.” He pauses, his eyes searching mine. “Really? You wouldn’t have cared if I dated your sister?”

I shrug, pretending to be all chillax despite my internal meltdown. “It might have been a little weird to see you two together, but I wouldn’t have been mad or anything.”

He eyes me over, and I can see that he’s totally not buying my bullshit.

“Well, whether you’d be mad or not, we weren’t on a date.” He pushes to his feet, stretching his arms above his head. “We went there as friends, and I know for a fact that Ry got a card. So did I. It said our names on the back and everything.”

I flip the card over and … sure enough … “Ryleigh.” I glance up at Hunter. “You think she left this purposefully as a clue?”

“I’m guessing she did.” He taps his magic wand against the railing and an array of dark blue sparks shower from the end. “Stuff doesn’t just accidentally fall out of a secrets box.”

“True.” I look down at the card again, puzzlement tumbling through my mind.

While my sister and I weren’t BFFs, I thought we were close enough that I’d know if she had a secrets box. At least close enough that I’d know if she was hanging out with the guy I am secretly in love with. Guess I was wrong, which makes me wonder what else she was hiding.

“You never said what this place is.” I read the title on the front of the card again, “The Illuminating Horror House of Truth.”

He frowns as he elevates his wand. “That’s because I’ve been purposefully dodging around telling you.”

“Well, at least you’re honest.” I pat his arm. “But time to fess up.”

The corners of his lips sink. “Maybe it’s better if you don’t know.”

“Why? I’m going to find out when I go there. At least if you tell me now, I can prepare myself.”

He twists to face me with a stern expression. “I still don’t think it’s such a good idea.”

“Hunter, if it’s a clue Ry left behind, then I have to check out this place and find out why she wanted me to go there.”

“Maybe the clue wasn’t left behind for you.”

A foul taste burns in my mouth, but I swallow it down. “Then it was left behind for you since you’re the only other person who knew her body was down here.”

“I doubt that.” He grimaces. “Look, even if she did leave the card, hoping you’d find it and track that place down, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go. This place …” He crinkles his nose. “It’s pretty hardcore and draws in a pretty rough crowd.”

I fold my arms and raise my brows. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m pretty hardcore, then.”

He sighs. “Ev, you’re my best friend, and I think you’re great, but you are far from hardcore.”

I don’t know what pushes me over the edge. His, “I think you’re great” remark, or him reminding me that I’m not badass.

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