Page 106 of Bewitched & Bewildered
I wrap my crochet blanket around my shoulders, desperately trying to stay warm, and shuffle to the door.
It’s Ozan. I should expect him, considering the time we’ve been spending together, but seeing him makes my heart skip a beat. It may not be from shock. It’s something more.
His hair is wet and shaggy, and his eyes are earnest. It doesn’t seem like he’s here for a casual visit.
“Come in.” I open the door wider. “You must be freezing. Where is your umbrella?”
“Don’t worry about that.” He steps inside, and his wet hands wring together. “I had to come over.”
“Oh?” I lift a brow, smirking. “Couldn’t stop thinking about me?”
He shakes his head.
I freeze. This may be serious, after all. Ozan rarely wastes his time. We would typically go to my room, and he would give me something to scream about. The house is empty. Why waste it?
I touch his cold, wet shoulder. My brows furrow. “Oz. What happened?”
“Nothing. It’s not bad, I swear.”
There’s no soothing me now. I’m already assuming the worst. He’s reuniting with Vanessa. Something happened to one of his parents. He’s going back to Boston. Something happened to his shop.
“Tell me,” I breathe.
He stands straighter. His severe expression becomes gleeful as a grin spreads across his features.
“I have an idea for the shop—foryourshop. I finally figured it out.”
My heart sinks. I already gave up on the shop, and I’m ready to find something new. I thought Ozan left it behind, too. Apparently, while I’ve moved on to acceptance, he’s still stuck in the denial phase.
Poor thing.
He has enough to worry about withhisshop and the upcoming holiday sales. We’ll be celebrating the solstice soon.
Why is he doing this?
I shake my head. “Leave it alone. It’s over.”
“No. I’m not leaving until we figure this out. You can say whatever you want, but that shopisyour dream. Maybe not the way you were running it before,but…”
“Then what?” I laugh. “What am I supposed to do? I tried it, and it wasn’t right.”
“We’re going tomakeit right,” he says. “And like I said, I have an idea. I think you’re going to like it.”
Chapter 25
Ozan
The idea comesto me when I meet with my potion supplier. I’m paying out the ass for a few healing potions. My supplier is a wonderful older woman, and I’m glad to give her the business, but…
No one compares to Juniper. I’ve experienced her potions firsthand, and they’re strong. She puts her heart into them. Brewing is what she loves.
Running the shop may not be her passion, but there has to be a way for her to sell her potions.
It hits me.
I finish the transaction, don’t bother putting my potions away, and run to Juniper’s house in the pouring rain. She isn’t as excited as I thought she would be, but she’s open to hearing me out.
We sit at her kitchen table.
