Page 18 of Dark Moon Secrets

I took it from her and put it around my neck, falling just below my top’s neckline.

“See, perfect. It hangs near your heart and will serve you well in the coming weeks as you adjust to running the store. Now, come over here, and let’s have this cup of tea.”

Luna didn’t wait for my response, so I followed her and sat at the table.

“Go on, try it. It’s a great tea for settling the stomach, and I added some honey.” She took a sip. “Perfect.”

I smelled the tea, and there was a hint of honey, but I couldn’t bring myself to taste it. I put the cup back down.

“You’ve got so many questions about the shop. I can feel them bursting out from you and rattling around your aura.” Luna took a deep breath. “Let me see… which one do you want answered first?”

This was too much for me. I didn’t choose to run a shop like this. I’d rejected this path from my parents, so I wasn’t about to walk on it because of Maria. It was my life, and I got to decide what I wanted to do.

“I’m selling the shop,” I blurted out.

Luna raised her eyebrows. “Don’t be so sure, sweetie.”

A loud screech came from outside the shop, and then a bang like nothing I’d ever heard before caused me to jump, knocking over the tea.

I turned to the front of the shop and gasped, frozen on the spot. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I’d made a decision to leave, but in an instant, it was taken away from me.

An SUV had smashed into Maria’s car.

CHAPTER 7

Tanjie

Concern for the driver sent me rushing outside. Even though it had taken seconds for me to get there, bystanders were already with him, one on the phone calling an ambulance.

“Are you all right?” I asked, pushing my way to the driver.

I didn’t want anyone else to die around me, even if I didn’t know them. He was elderly, with thinning hair and wrinkling skin showing decades of experience.

My hand went to my mouth to cover a gasp. I knew this man. He was at the funeral. What was his name? Jim… no… James… Greg… that sounded better, but it wasn’t quite right.

“Stand back, please give George some space. I’ve called an ambulance,” said a young man, putting his phone back into his pocket.

That’s right, he was at Maria’s funeral with his wife, Tabitha. I couldn’t shake that maybe this hadn’t been an accident at all but a calculated act to get me to stay.

Well, goddammit, it could’ve worked as I glanced at the damage to Maria’s car. Fuck it all.

“I don’t need a bloody ambulance,” grumbled George, unbuckling his seat belt. “And that’s Mr. Parker to you.”

George’s hands shook uncontrollably, his flaky elderly skin pale. He tried to get out but fumbled unable to find the strength to move.

“What’s going on?” George asked, looking around, trying to work out why he couldn’t get out of the car.

“Mr. Parker, you most definitely need an ambulance.”

“Young Adam, I do not,” he huffed, squaring his shoulders.

“I will call Mrs. Parker then.”

Mr. Parker blubbered something incoherent and shook his head.

“Ambulance then. Glad you saw reason,” said Adam.

“What is the person going to think about their car? Oh my god, what have I done?”

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