Page 19 of Nightmares and Numerology

“Yeah. Before Andre, I had all kinds of up and downs with Roy and Marty.”

“You dated Roy?” I asked, surprised. “The sasquatch?”

She nodded. “Sure did.”

“And Marty…” I started. “Is that why he left town?” As far as I knew, Marty had left Haven Hollow to pursue other, bigger things in a different Hollow.

“I hope not,” Poppy frowned. “But getting back to you and Angelo… it isn’t necessarily about you, Lydia.”

That confused me. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “Just that I’ve known Angelo for a while now. He acts... different around you.”

I took a long draft of the tea before muttering, “Yeah, he hasn’t tried to take my pants off.”

“Exactly,” Poppy said with a nod and a laugh. “Call me crazy, but I think that means he wants more than sex.”

“Then why—?” I began.

“Maybe you should ask him,” she said gently.

“I don’t know,” I answered.

“Well, look at the facts,” she considered. “And they are that Angelo came home covered in booze. Maybe that means he went on a bender. Maybe it was a family thing. Or maybe you’re right and he was kidnapped, soaked in booze, and seduced by a harem of girls with triple G breasts.”

My laugh sounded creaky, even to my own ears, but it was still something. I felt better sitting here and talking about it. Poppy wasn’t judging me, telling me I was stupid for thinking an incubus could stay faithful.

“Now there’s an image that will haunt my nightmares.”

Poppy’s smile was soft and a little sad. “The point is, I think you’re freaking out a little prematurely. Talk to him. See what happened. Trust your gut if you think he’s lying and break it off. But don’t throw in the towel to avoid being broken up with. I think he should at least get to say something before you go.”

I glanced sideways at her. I thought I could finally see why Wanda fussed over Poppy so much. Wanda was a pessimist, just like me. You needed a ray of sunshine in your life so you didn’t go mad dwelling on every problem piling up outside your door.

“I think you missed your calling as a therapist,” I said, finishing the potion-laced-tea. “This helped me. Thank you. I don’t feel like I’m about to explode anymore. That’s progress.”

Poppy beamed. “That’s great. At least something turned out right for you today.”

I pushed off from the wall after a moment of thought. “Thanks for the tea and the talk. I should probably get back to my shop. I’m technically opening late, and I don’t want to keep you from your business either.”

Poppy stood as well, catching my hand before I could make a hasty retreat. “Would you like to… visit sometime? I mean, we are family.”

I nodded. “The reason I haven’t visited so far is just because… well, there’s a lot of crap going on with Indigo and the stuff she was involved in and I wouldn’t want to make you a target.”

“Main Street is pretty public. I don’t think anyone would try anything in broad daylight.”

I shook my head as I realized she was still holding onto me and it felt strangely… comforting. “I think it’s best if I don’t involve you. Murrain managed to reach Indigo through all her spells and the physical barrier of my shop. And that was when she literally… exploded. I would never want to expose you or your kid to that.”

The color drained from her expression. Her next swallow sounded strained. “I understand and I appreciate you looking out for us. And… well, I’m sorry you’re having to deal with everything you are.”

“Thank you,” I said and then turned to leave, but she held on stubbornly, taking a step forward as I did. Her eyes were huge when I turned back to look at her.

“Are you talking to anyone, Lydia, about what happened with Indigo? A therapist?”

The laugh that bubbled out of me sounded hysterical. “Who would I talk to? Angelo is usually my go-to, but he doesn’t really understand everything I’m going through. That’s probably because I’m mostly human, and he’s not.”

“I’m human,” she said quietly. “And we could at least talk. Over the phone.”

My heart squeezed painfully. When I drew my hand back this time, she let me.

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