Page 66 of Magic or Madness

“Sacred prayer.”

“Like an oath,” she replies, locking our fingers together in the place where we have matching tattoos.

It was impulsive, but the best, and drunkest, idea Fallon had ever had.

We chose a simple‘O’on the inside of her ring finger, and an‘F’on the inside of mine. When we lock our fingers together, theinitials touch and since it was her first tattoo, it meant more than anything to both of us.

“Let’s go home?” She locks her arm into mine, our steps falling into perfect sync.

“Look up!” She squeals as she jumps up and down, and when I do, I see the most wonderful thing.

Tiny snowflakes fall from the sky all around us, glistening as they drop a white blanket on the treetops, and just when I thought Fallon was crazy, she proved me right. It’s been freezing fucking cold, but she swore that snow was coming, and here it is, covering us in our own winter wonderland.

Something about her intuition keeps me guessing. She believes in things that only exist in vibes and feelings, but in these moments where she’s right, I dedicate myself to her beautiful mind even more.

We race back to the truck, cranking the heat as we desperately try to warm up against this icy storm, and she whispers sweet nothings against my chest that warms the darkest parts of my soul.

As the sun goes down, we head back to the dealership, and Fallon immediately resumes her place as the house mother, checking on everyone and stirring the dinner she made in a crockpot.

She loves cooking for us out of that thing, using it nearly every day, and we devour whatever she makes every time. Oliver is her assistant chef, always pitching in, taking grocery shopping trips, and giving her new ideas.

He’s the only one I trust with Fallon, knowing that if anything were to happen he’d protect her before himself. They bicker like brother and sister nonstop, but more often than not, they’re laughing and sharing stories.

If Fallon has one person besides me, it’s Oliver. I don’t worry about him crossing any boundaries or attempting to hit on her, and their friendship is as genuine as they come.

She’s made friends with Lex, too, but that’s because of Pepper, his girlfriend.

When he brought her back from the club a few months ago we thought she was just a one-night stand, but she’s been here nearly every day, and she’s actually fun to hang around.

Of course, she doesn’t fit in with our band of misfits, but her stark contrast in personality compared to the rest of us is a welcome change of pace.

Max has slowly eased up on Fallon, not fully accepting of her just yet, but he’s friendly, and that’s better than where we started.

The only one who keeps his distance is Journey, and for good reason. Since Fallon pulled a gun on him, I don’t think he’s said more than two words to her at once, but I still catch him staring at her occasionally. I’ve got him under a microscope, and if he makes one wrong move, or dares to touch her body again, I’ll be the one pointing the gun this time.

“Dinner!” Fallon calls out, and everyone crowds around as she scoops soup into their bowls.

I take the ladle from her, fixing hers while she sits down with everyone else, but just as I turn toward the common area, a loud voice rings through my head, and I’m frozen.

The screaming in my head is sending shockwaves through my body, almost paralyzing me, and I can’t make it stop. I squeeze my eyes shut, begging for relief, and finally, I feel soft hands on my face, jolting me back to reality.

When I open my eyes, Fallon is holding me, her lips moving but I can’t hear a word she’s saying. My ears are ringing, but the high-pitched, desperate screams are gone.

“Ozzy, look at me.” I blink furiously through blurry eyes, attempting to readjust my focus and come back to my senses.

The panic and fear creep in, and I begin to feel as if I’ve lost all control over my body.

“Fallon, I can’t …” The words escape me, my mind is in shambles, but when I feel her arms around me, I feel safe.

“Shhh, I’ve got you. Just breathe with me,” she whispers, the ringing finally stopping so I can hear her.

“Fallon, what happened?” I look around the room and realize the bowl I was carrying shattered on the floor, its contents splattered everywhere.

“You’re okay, come sit with me.” She takes my hand, squeezing gently as I come back into reality, and I follow her lead to the couch.

My body is trembling, and when I spread my fingers I can see how hard my hands are shaking.

“You alright, Oz?” Lex asks, and I have to clear my throat to stuff down the shakiness I feel in my body.

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