Page 55 of Charmed, I'm Sure
As the butcher walked through the stainless door behind him, I leaned on the cart and raised my brows. “Who’s that?”
“Gary,” she stated matter-of-factly.
“And who might Gary be?”
“Jealous?” she asked with a cheeky grin.
“Just need to know if I need to step up my game, sunshine.” I winked as Gary emerged, carrying a foam cooler.
“Here ya go, cher. T’ree pounds of fresh gator. You lucky I still had me some in my icebox from ‘da end of ‘da season.”
“Ugh, Gary, you handsome, handsome man. You’re a lifesaver. Seriously, you just rescued my dinner.”
“Shoo, cher. You can’t be talkin’ to me like dat with your beau standing right there, yeah.” Gary gestured toward me, and I took the cooler from his hands and slid it onto the rack beneath the buggy.
“Yeah, well, when he starts bringing me fresh alligator to save my dinners, then I’ll call him handsome too.” Magnolia’s head fell back as she laughed, her eyes locking onto mine as a smile tugged at her lips. She seemed so free away from town, unbothered by people staring or making comments behind her back. The fact that she chose to share that part of herself with me warmed my chest. I liked every version of her I’d glimpsed already, but this one—the one not many got to witness—was slowly becoming my favorite.
The sun had set by the time we loaded everything into the trunk and headed back toward Magnolia’s house.
“You hungry?” I asked casually when her driveway came into view.
“Yeah, but I can just grab something from the fridge when you drop me off.”
I hummed in response, but when I took a left instead of the right that led back to her house, her head whipped my way.
“Uh, Taylor? My house is that-a-way.” She hiked her thumb over her shoulder, her brows drawn together.
“I’m aware. But I need to gothis-a-wayfor my idea.”
“Your idea?”
“Yeah, baby. My idea.”
14
Freaking man-candle
Magnolia
Settlingbackintomyseat, I narrowed my eyes at Taylor and leaned forward to turn up the volume on the stereo. WhenMake Me Wanna Dieby The Pretty Reckless filled the cab, a smirk pulled up one corner of his lips as I whipped my head his way. Outside of Jae and occasionally Maddie, I hadn’t really met many people who listened to the same hodgepodge of music that I did.
“You listen to The Pretty Reckless?” I asked incredulously.
“Among others, but yes. Why?”
“No reason, just… not many people around here even know who Taylor Momsen is outside of her playing Jenny Humphrey inGossip Girl. That’s all.”
“I forgot she was in that.” When I opened my mouth to retort, he shot me what I assumed was meant to be a withering stare and continued. “Addy watched it religiously when we were growing up, so I caught a few episodes.”
“Addy watched it, huh?” I chuckled. He rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips.
Minutes ticked by in silence, and with each passing moment, my anxiety mounted. No amount of curious glances or pleading made him budge on telling me where we were going, and I hated it. I despised surprises. I preferred plans—needed to know who, what, when, andwhere. Though I hadn’t explicitlytoldhim that, I was pretty sure he was picking up on it and enjoying my squirming.
I fidgeted in my seat, fiddled with the ends of my braids, scrolled through my phone, and sent a text to my sisters, saying I was pretty sure I was being kidnapped. Their response? A flurry of crying-laughing emojis. I tried anything to keep myself occupied and distract from the countless crime shows and podcasts that swirled in my mind.
But when he turned down an unlit road, I sat up straighter, my head on a constant swivel as I tried to make out any distinguishing landmarks—just trees, lots and lots of trees.
“You’re a serial killer, aren’t you?” I asked, one eye narrowed and arms crossed as I turned toward him.
