Page 133 of Charmed, I'm Sure
Drawing in as much air as my lungs could hold, I took the first step toward a future I could finally see. One brighter than any star in the night sky. With each step, the tightness in my chest eased, my breaths coming smoother—until they caught in my throat, freezing me in place at the entrance of the living room.
I hadn’t noticed it the night before, what with the migraine and the turmoil in my heart. And this morning had been a blur of forcing myself to wake up early so I could ride with Taylor to the hospital. But I saw it now.
It was as if a veil had lifted, and I was finally seeing through clear lenses instead of frosted glass.
There, in the corner of the living room by the windows, satthechair. The one I’d fallen in love with while furniture shopping. A rich peacock-blue blanket draped over the back, and beside it, a gold floor lamp.
I wasn’t sure how I still had tears to shed, but they filled my eyes all the same as I moved deeper into the house on unsteady legs.
Pictures decorated the bookshelves in a hodgepodge of frames that, somehow, worked. There were candid shots of Taylor with his parents and sister, ones that made me smile. But the one that twisted my stomach into knots?
The framed photo of us at Addy’s engagement party.
“Fucking hell. How do I turn off the waterworks?” I muttered, swiping at the tears that refused to stop falling.
Deciding my heart would burst if I looked at the photos any longer, I headed to the kitchen.
It wasn’t much better.
Cabinet after cabinet, I found more and more things thatIwould have in a kitchen. An entire shelf filled with my favorite snacks. Baking supplies neatly stacked beside ingredients I often used. My favorite blend of coffee sat next to the pot, my creamer tucked in the fridge.
I couldn’t stop the tears if I tried. So I didn’t. I let them fall freely, let them drip onto my shirt as I turned toward the front door—love and determination guiding every step.
Taylor deserved more.
So, Mother dammit, he was going to get it.
Taylor
“Thanks, Chelsea,” I said, opening the passenger door of her car.
“No problem, doc. See you after the holidays.”
Closing the door, I turned toward the house. I wasn’t entirely sure what I expected to find when I got home, especially after Magnolia had asked me to get a ride. But it certainly wasn’t darkened windows.
My brows furrowed as I approached the front door, scanning the property for anything amiss—nothing. But as soon as I stepped inside, a warm, savory scent wrapped around me, making my stomach tighten with hunger.
“Mags?” I called out, hanging my coat on the entryway tree and dropping my backpack beside it. No answer. But soft music trickled from the kitchen, guiding me forward. “Baby, are you in—”
My words stalled the moment I pushed the pocket doors open.
The lights were off, the only illumination coming from flickering candles scattered along the countertops and table, and the twinkle lights lining the banquette windows.
It was like something out of a romance movie.
“Hi.”
Her voice was soft, a nervous smile tugging at her lips as she shifted from one bare foot to the other.
The glow of the candles danced across her face, and my heart gave a hard, fluttering kick to my ribs.
She was stunning.
More than that—she lookedcomfortable.At home. Dressed in simple leggings and a cropped sweater, her hair loose in waves down her back, not a stitch of makeup on her gorgeous face.
I closed the distance between us, pulling her into my arms without hesitation. Spice, floral, and that underlying sweetness that wasjustMagnolia enveloped me as I buried my face in her neck.
“What is all this?” I murmured after pressing a kiss to her skin.
