Page 65 of Bewitched & Bewildered
“Well…” Heat rushes to my face. I try to brush the feeling off. “You know, you can thank me instead of questioning me.”
“It sounds like you’re monitoring my behaviors.”
“Should I take this back?” I lift a brow.
“No!” She slides her hand over the scone and pulls it closer. “Thank you.”
Her sisters are still watching. There’s a heaviness in their stare.
“Let me know if you have any other technical problems,” I say. “I’ll be busy at the booth, but… I can make time for you.”
My eyes linger on Juniper before I back away.
Giggles erupt from the sisters when I turn.
I makeit through the evening without arguing with Juniper, and they don’t have another problem with their extension cord. They wouldn’t be able to stop and fix it if they did. Their booth is bustling all evening, and I get a few stragglers who don’t want to wait in their long line. It works out for both of us.
While my shop gets more activity than theirs on a regular day, I can’t deny the event favors them. It may be nostalgia at play.
Connecting with new people and giving out my business card makes the event worth it. It’s a fun time once I settle in.
Until it isn’t.
When I first spot her, she looks like a ghost. A figmentof my imagination. Anything other than real. Vanessa can’t be here.
But she is, and she isn’t alone. Otis is at her side, as dutiful as ever. He was always loyal—just not to me, his best friend.
My stomach sinks.
What are they doing here? Boston is four hours away.
Vanessa and I came to the festival together a few times. She always liked it. She enjoys everything witchy, even though she doesn’t have a magical bone in her body.
They’re walking in my direction. I duck my head in a feeble attempt to hide from her laser beam stare.
“Ozan.” There’s a smile in Vanessa’s voice.
The last thing I want is to look up and see her smiling face. I want to disappear. I force myself to meet her gaze, but can’t fake a smile.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Your parents invited me,” she says.
My attention shifts to my old friend. “And why the hell areyouhere?”
Vanessa being here is bad enough. My parents inviting her makes sense, considering that they harbor notions of us reuniting and living happily ever after.
I doubt my parents asked Otis to come.
How much audacity can one couple carry? These two must be overwhelmed with it.
Otis’s smile fades. “Vanessa asked me to come…”
“You could have gone anywhere—any other festival or haunted place.” My voice breaks. “But you came here. Do you realize how messed up this is?”
Vanessa moves away from Otis and stands in front of me. Too close. I’m suffocating on her perfume—it was so comforting. It used to lull me to sleep. Not anymore.
I hate the smellof lavender now. It makes me sick. I can’t even sell the herb at my apothecary.
