Page 56 of Whisked Away
It all makes sense now. The too-perfect town, the way the food here always tastes a little better, a little more comforting. I know, with a certainty that surprises me, that I would never betray their secret. Zoe was right to trust me.
But someone crucial didn’t.
Zoe must read my expression because she straightens. “Whatever the hell he told you, it was meant to scare you off. It wasn’t true, Alex.”
A sad smile tugs at my lips. “That makes sense. The problem isn’t even the magic, really. I get having people you need to protect. The problem is that you trusted me, but Ethan didn’t.”
Zoe’s shoulders slump, and the speed of her speech increases. “Ethan has more magic than most of us, and more riding on his actions. It’s not my place to say what, but he’s forbidden to share.”
“And you’re not forbidden to share?” I ask.
Zoe’s face falls. It doesn’t suit her—the down-turned lips and flared nose. Finally, she sighs. “I am as well.”
I want to hug her but also cry. “Thanks, Zoe. It means a lot, and I swear it, your secret is safe with me. But… you understand why I have to leave, don’t you?”
Her eyes glimmer, and I’m not sure what I’ll do if she cries. She nods. “I couldn’t convince you to stay if I baked you a lifetime supply of those Hopeful Tarts, could I?”
I laugh, but it comes out more like a sob. “No, I’m afraid not.” I wonder how much the magic has tugged on my emotions. If the Hopeful Tart’s magic made me put mycynicism aside and see the future in a new light. But that’s not real life. I’m not the person who gets a happily ever after. I’m the one who orchestrated them for others. “My sister needs me, and I’m not”—I hold the cookie up—“magical. This isn’t my world, Zoe.”
I stand. I have so much to think about and process. But if this proves anything to me, it’s that Ethan and I never were meant to be together. I’d already thought we had insurmountable differences. Him having magic? That just turned them into the Pacific Ocean between us. We had a sweet moment together, one that gave me hope, even without magic involved. But vacation is over. It’s time to catch a plane and return home.
Zoe eases off the chair. “He cares about you, Alex.”
“And I care about him. A lot.” So much that I know I’ll never write a piece destroying the bakery he’s built from the heart. Even if it costs me the raise I desperately need. Maybe I’ll see if I can get a few of Jas’s Courage Cupcakes before I go because I’m going to need them. “But we can’t make this work. Ethan knows it too, or he’d be here.”
Zoe’s face crumples, but she pulls me into a fierce hug. She smells like old books and caramel, and I somehow know magic isn’t enhancing any of it. It’s just Zoe. “You’re always welcome back in Magnolia Cove, City Girl. Always.”
As I pull away, I can feel the tears threatening again. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too. Though not as much as someone else will miss you.”
“He should have told me that.”
She sighs but pulls me into another hug. “Yeah, he should have.”
Hours later, after the ferry, a taxi, and making it through the perils of TSA, I’m on a plane, twinkling lights of cities passing below me. Silent tears track down my cheeks, but I don’t wipe them away.
For once in my life, I’d found magic. Real, honest-to-god magic. But it wasn’t mine to keep. It never was. I was foolish to believe I could reach for more, that I deserved more than the life I’d carved out for myself.
I have to go home. Salvage my job. Pay for Missy’s tuition. Focus on her happiness. That’s what I’m good at—taking care of others, making sure others live their dreams.
Even if it means sacrificing my own.
As the plane carries me farther from Magnolia Cove, I close my eyes. In my hand, I’m clutching a Whimsical Whisk cookie bag. The gold logo has a whirling whisk surrounded by glitter. If I squeeze it tight enough, I swear I can feel magic humming against my skin. A reminder that, for a brief, shining moment, I touched something extraordinary.
And maybe, just maybe, a tiny part of that magic will stay with me.
Alex
I’m glad I had time to stop by Celestial Sips before my meeting with Vivian. The familiar scent of herbs and spices wraps around me, a stark contrast to the heavy humidity already building in the morning air outside. The shop is mostly empty, save for Tish and me, the silence only broken by the soft clink of china and the whisper of pages turning.
Golden light dances across the worn wooden tables, cast by star-shaped lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Their intricate patterns throw constellations onto the walls, transforming the cozy tea shop into a magical realm.
“I’m an idiot to be so heartbroken over a guy I just met,” I mutter into my cup of tea.
Tish reaches across the table, her hand warm on mine. “Love doesn’t have a timeline, sweetie.”
I scoff. “Who said anything about love?”
