Page 62 of Magic or Madness

I calmly walk over, taking the top piece off the stack and tearing it down the middle, watching as the words typed split into two.

“I already know about his past, Mick. You’re jumping to conclusions. Do you think a couple of charges on a piece of paper are enough to sway my mind?” I laugh, taking the rest of Ozzy’s past and handing it to him.

It’s his business, and he can do what he pleases with the invasion of privacy brought upon by Mick and Rae.

“Fallon, this is getting out of hand,” he whispers, shifting his attention to the girls.

“I’m not trying to get in between friends, but you’ve caused her a lot of pain with how you’ve treated her since we started seeing each other, and I won’t stand by and let you attack her this viciously.” He wraps his arm around me, places a kiss on mycheek, and turns back to face the girls, whose faces are riddled with total shock.

“I think it’s best if I just get my things,” I say softly, walking toward whatusedto be my bedroom.

“Fal, you don’t have to do this,” Rae speaks up, following a few steps behind me.

I close the door, looking into her baby-blue eyes, and attempt to find the words to tell her that this has nothing to do with her, and everything to do with Mick.

I can’t find my happy ending here, within the confines of these walls, but that is not because of Rae.

“You made this place home for me, you know that? You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, and you took a chance on me, letting me move in here when I had nothing. I’ll always be grateful to you,” I say, tearing a few pieces of clothing off their hangers.

“I’m so sorry, Fallon. I never wanted it to come to this,” she whispers, pulling me in for a hug.

“I know, Rae. Still, we’re not going to get along. She thinks I’m a criminal, and will never accept Ozzy, no matter what I say.” I wipe the tears that have fallen, stepping back to find a suitcase for all my things.

“This will always be your home.” She kisses me on the cheek, slipping out of the room and giving me the space to breathe.

Shortly after Rae leaves, Ozzy knocks, offering to carry the suitcase and a few of my bigger items down to his truck.

“We’ll pack up anything you left behind, okay?” Rae smiles, blinking away the tears and bringing me back in for one more hug.

“Thanks. For everything,” I whisper in her ear before pulling away.

Mick stares at me with a disturbed look on her face, and I don’t wait to see if she says goodbye. I drop my key on thecounter, brushing past the whiteboard we used to update our weekly schedules. I run the pad of my thumb across the pink marker that spells my name, erasing the remnants of what used to be atriple threat. I close the door on what feels like a completely different life and take the stairs toward the only place that has ever truly felt likehome.

Still, the feeling of loss slowly begins to sink in as we drive away from the apartment, and I can’t stop the tears from trickling down my cheeks.

“Come here,” Ozzy whispers, patting the middle seat, and I slide under his arm.

My head rests against his chest as the reality of what just happened hits like a blow to the gut.

I met Mick and Rae two days after I moved here and we’ve been inseparable ever since. I’d never treat them this way, though, and for that reason, it was time for us to go our own way – for me to follow my heart.

Ozzy doesn’t pressure me to talk, or rush me out of the truck once we get back to the dealership. Instead, he holds me tightly as I cry, letting me mourn the loss of the only two friends I’ve ever had.

“It had to be done,” I say quietly, wiping the last of my tears and urging myself to move forward.

“What can I do to make this feel like home, Bambi?” Ozzy asks, breaking the silence and gently brushing the hair away from my eyes.

“All I need is you. You’re my home now, my only family.”

“Tu sei la mia casa,”he breathes, his voice barely above a whisper.

For the first time, I open the door to the dealership without feeling like a guest. This place has changed me, and the people who are waiting inside might be some of the best I’ve ever met.

Ozzy carries my bags, and together, we unpack the suitcase, making room beside his things for mine.

It’s official.

We live together, and I no longer have to feel guilty, as if I belong in two different places.

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