Page 13 of Extra Witchy

No such luck.

When Leanne let herself in the condo, Junie was sprawled on the sofa, the wreckage of a day spent lounging spread around her in the form of chip packets and chocolate wrappers. If Leanne knew her mom, she hadn’t fixed herself a decent meal all day. That gave her flashbacks to childhood; she’d been the only kid she knew who got excited to have salad and vegetables since they were a rare treat.

“Have you been watching daytime TV all afternoon?” she asked.

Junie grinned. “You know me so well. By the way, I totally heard you sneaking in this morning, I just chose not to give you grief over it.”

And chose not to leave your cozy bed.

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

“You must’ve had a great time last night. Tell me all about it!” Junie curled onto her side, seeming to expect the kind of details Leanne would provide her coven sisters. In fact, it was a little strange that she hadn’t already shared the story about their bathroom hookup in the group chat. It was kind of her thing, taking great delight in oversharing.

“I’d rather hear why you turned up out of the blue. Is everything okay?”

So help me, if she’s invested in another pyramid scheme.Junie’s last job had involved more MLM than actual work, and it had been expensive as hell to extricate Mom from her own trusting nature. Sometimes her mother frustrated her so much that—suddenly, her attention sharpened, because Junie was answering the question.

No. Oh no.

“—because it’s time we revisited the idea of moving in together. I don’t have much, so you wouldn’t have to get rid of any furniture to make space for me. And you have the guest room all ready to go. It would be so much fun! I could even join your coven. I want us to be closer, LeLe, and this is definitely the way to make that happen.”

Leanne’s mouth compressed. “First, don’t call me LeLe. Next.…” She took a breath, fighting to keep her emotions in check.

Words clawed at her brain, desperate to escape.You don’t get to just show up in the middle of the lifeIbuilt and expect me to accommodate you. Our entire lives, you did exactly what you wanted, and now that you’re lonely, you expect me to give in again and make room for you.But instead of speaking the truth—ironic because she was known for pulling no punches in other aspects of her life—the most ridiculous lie of all time popped out.

“That would be amazing, but unfortunately, my boyfriend will be moving in soon, and it would be awkward taking the next step with you living with us.”

Junie stared at her in astonishment. “I had no idea you were even seeing anyone seriously. Oh, I’m so happy for you! What’s his name? What’s he like?”

Before Leanne could answer, her phone rang. That number wasn’t in her contacts, but she fully intended to confuse the hell out of the telemarketer on the other end of the line. She faked a brilliant smile, gazing at her phone with what she hoped was a sufficiently gooey expression.

“Hey, sweetheart. I missed you.”

There was a brief pause. Then a familiar voice said, “Uh, really?”

Trev.This was a lot better than a random sales call. “Definitely. I’m glad you called. I was just telling my mother about you.”

Please don’t hang up. I’m not normally like this.

Another pause, longer this time. “Seriously? That’s…I don’t even know what to say.”

Leanne laughed as if he’d made a joke. “Don’t worry, she’ll love you.”

He made a strange noise. “Wait, are you…? Oh. You’re using me as a ruse, right?”

“You’re so smart,” she said.

“Then I’m glad I called. Should I push my luck by asking you out, or do you just need to fake a conversation with me for a while longer?”

“I’d love that. If you want, you can come for dinner tonight. It’s short notice, but I’m worth canceling your plans.”

Trev chuckled. “You know damn well I don’t have any. Text me your address. I’m not a hundred percent sure I can find the place again otherwise. I’ll be there whenever you want me.”

“How’s seven? I need time to sort out the menu.”

“See you then. Babe.”

When Leanne turned, she found Junie studying her with overt fascination, one hand pressed to her heart. “Your man will just drop everything for you? I love him already. I can’t believe you finally met the one! Now that I look at you closer, you do seem to be glowing.”

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