Page 107 of Charmed, I'm Sure
“Hey, Jae. How’s it going?”
Her brows shot up, and she just stared at me for a moment. “How’s it…? Seriously, Hallows?”
“You know something.”
“And obviously, you don’t.” She blew out a breath, muttering, “Fuck my life,” before scrubbing her hands down her face.
“Jaelyn, if there’s something I should know—”
“Slow your roll, Westley.” She exhaled sharply. “Look, I don’t want to be the one to tell you, but it doesn’t seem like ya girl is going to. So, here’s the facts.”
Rage wasn’t an accurate word for the emotion coursing through my veins as Jaelyn relayed the information Magnolia hadn’t seemed inclined to share with me. My eyes widened with each revelation, jaw tightening until my teeth ached.
When she finished, only one word, one burning question, spilled from my lips in a growl.
“Who?”
Jaelyn’s eyes softened, her head shaking slowly. “She didn’t know. But you need to pull it together, Taylor. There’s a reason she didn’t tell you. And it probably has something to do with the look on your face right now.”
“The look on my face?” I ground out, forcing my fingers to loosen around Magnolia’s cup of cider.
“Yeah. You know, the one that screams ‘I will seek retribution for the wrongdoings against my woman.’” When I quirked a brow, she smirked. “Don’t get me wrong, we all love a cinnamon roll turned villain, but I don’t know that morally gray is your color.”
“What?” I barked.
“Pick up a book other than a medical textbook, Dr. Hallows. Your world will be a lot more colorful.”
With a pat on my shoulder, Jaelyn skipped away, leaving me staring after her—more confused than when this night started.
Dead roses.
Ominous notes.
Morally gray?
I didn’t know why Magnolia hadn’t told me about the flowers. Didn’t know why I hadn’t pressed her. But at least now, part of the puzzle was solved.
And it was about damn time this town got the memo.
Magnolia Bellevue was mine.
And I was hers.
Whether they liked it or not.
Magnolia
The cider Taylor had gotten me had long since chilled, abandoned in my grip as my stomach twisted itself into knots so tight I was scared anything I tried to consume would come right back up.
After hiding in my office atCharCutiefor the better part of fifteen minutes, spilling my guts to Jaelyn about what had happened, I’d finally emerged—only to find Taylor leaning against a lamppost. A smile was on his face, but there was something else in his eyes. A simmering ember of anger.
At what, I wasn’t sure.
But if I had to guess, I’d say it was directed at me.
Not that I could blame him—I was terrible company tonight.
We walked around for about an hour, but the longer we stayed, the more overstimulated I became. My back ached from how tightly I’d been wound since I left work. The music blaring from the loudspeakers sounded like rusted gears grinding in my ears, and it took everything I had not to slap my hands over them to block out the noise.Every brush of an arm against mine as we wove through the crowd made me want to crawl out of my skin. Even when Taylor—poor, sweet, wonderful Taylor—tried to gently guide me with a comforting hand on the small of my back, every muscle in my body locked up, bracing for something.
