Page 49 of Charmed, I'm Sure
As I put my Bronco in park, I leaned my head against the headrest and closed my eyes for a brief moment, willing the exhaustion to disappear as I prepared for the inevitable onslaught of questions that would undoubtedly be hurled my way as soon as I stepped foot inside.
I’d managed to evade my mom’s prodding the morning after the storm, claiming I needed to sleep so I would be “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed” for work. But Addy was a different story altogether. She was relentless in her inquiries, and there was no way I was escaping her scrutiny two days in a row.
Blowing out a breath, I left my car and headed around back to check on the generators. The house was dark since the power was still out, but it was blissfully cool thanks to the Big Ass Fan we had set up in the French doors off the breakfast nook.
I sighed in relief when I stepped inside and didn’t encounter the ever-present scent of coffee. No coffee meant no Addy… at least not yet.
Grabbing one of the lanterns we kept by the door, I turned it on to the lowest setting and crept through the house like a teenager sneaking back in after curfew. I decided to shower after my sister vacated the premises later that day. I closed my door with a soft click and sagged against it.
“You ready to talk to me now?”
Adelaide’s voice shattered the silence, my heart rate skyrocketing as I swung wide eyes toward her. She lounged across my bed with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Jesus, Addy! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I demanded in a hushed tone.
“No, but it would serve you right for running out into a hurricane and avoiding me afterward.”
Her eyes narrowed as I held her gaze. I couldn’t tell her where I went without mentioning Magnolia. And if I told her about Magnolia, my mom would find out, and then the whole town would know because my mother couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.
Shaking my head, I pushed off the door and crossed the room to my closet. Avoidance. I could manage that as long as I didn’t look too closely at my sister.
“Taylor Michael Hallows,” she screeched, her hands flying to cover her eyes as I pulled my shirt over my head.
“Adelaide Jane Hallows,” I mocked, wadding up my shirt and tossing it into the hamper. “You’re the one inmyroom, baby sister.” Running a hand through my hair, I huffed out an exhausted breath and turned toward her. “Look, Addy. I’ve been at work for the last twelve hours. I smell like a hospital, and I’m tired. Can we pick this up another day? Another year? A century?”
“You promised you’d tell me what was going on—”
“Whenthere was something to tell. And right now, there isn’t. So just let itgo. Please, for my sanity.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits as she slipped from my bed and pointed an accusatory finger at me. “I’m watching you, Hallows.”
“Ooo, soscary,” I teased, grabbing her finger and pulling her into a hug. I hated keeping secrets from my sister. She was one of the best people I knew and one of my best friends. But this wasn’t just my secretto share. I could handle her prodding, could deal with the murmurs around town—at least I thought I could. But Magnolia had been subject to their scrutiny her whole life, and I didn’t want to be the one who added to it. Not again.
Addy sighed against my chest, her arms tightening for a brief moment before she pulled away with a wrinkled nose. “You stink.”
“No shit, Sherlock.” Grabbing her shoulders, I spun her toward the door and ushered her out. “Now, out. Shoo. Be gone.”
With the door closed and locked behind her, my brow hit the wood with a soft thud as I heaved out a sigh. Keeping this secret wasn’t going to be easy.
Magnolia
Cleaning up after a hurricane was never a fun task. It was always hot, humid, and inevitably, the power wouldn’t be back on for a few days. Hurricane Melissa turned out to be no different. The house was sweltering, sweat dripping down my spine in little beads, and it was only nine in the morning.
Trudging into the kitchen after a restless night of zero sleep, I groggily mumbled a good morning to my aunt and sister, who sat holding cold glasses of sweet tea to their faces and necks. But as I poured myself into a stool at the island, I couldn’t miss the sly grin on Aunt Evie’s face.
“What?” I asked, bringing the cold pitcher to my forehead and sighing as the cool drops of condensation slid down my nose and cheeks.
“Oh, nothing.Beautifulday today, isn’t it?” The waggle of her brows shot mine into my hairline, my eyes following hers as they drifted toward the bank of windows framing the breakfast nook.
Lungs robbed of air and mind spinning like a top, I nearly dropped the pitcher onto the counter as I watched Taylor swing an ax down onto a large branch that had fallen in the side yard.
Dark wash jeans hugged his legs, covered in wood chips and dirt. His shirt clung to him as if he’d been in a wet t-shirt contest, and those strong forearms glistened in the early morning light. And he was wearing a goddamn baseball cap.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as I watched him bring the ax down on the branch. My eyes zeroed in on the way his gloved hands wrapped around the wood handle, and memories of how those hands felt sliding along my sides, cupping my head, tangling with my hair flooded back—
My core clenched, and I shook myself to cut off that train of thought.
“What’s he doing?” I asked, swinging my head back around toward my snickering family members.
