“Oh my God, you’re going to love it.” Clementine claps her hands excitedly. “Agatha is Valentine Nook’s resident witch.”
The description rings a bell. “Wait. Is she the lady with all the bracelets? And who wears more velvet than I’ve ever seen in my life?”
Story shoots me a finger gun. “Nailed it in one.”
“She’s super intense.”
“She is,”Clementine agrees, “but she’s also quite amusing.”
“Miles didn’t seem to think so.”
“That’s because Agatha has taken it upon herself to single-handedly study my brothers’ love lives. And because Miles is Miles, he’s actively resisted being associated with any woman at all before you came along. The thought of Agatha being right probably brings him out in hives.”
“But we’re not a thing,” I say—something I feel compelled to clarify.
“Yeah, but it’s always fun to wind Miles up,” she replies, leading us into the store.
Inside, it’s busy. The sweet smell of incense drifts through the air before we even step through the door. Women of all ages browse shelves lined with love potions, crystals, incense sticks, and bottles filled with colorful liquid.
“Whatisthis place?”
“The biggest moneymaker in Valentine Nook,” says Story, with a heaped dose of cynicism. “You should see it on Valentine’s Day. People start lining up at six in the morning.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Love is big business.”
A long velvet curtain rustles, and Agatha herself appears, and out of everyone in the store, her eyes immediately fall onto me.
“Ruby,” she exclaims, walking directly toward me, arms outstretched. “So wonderful to see you again. I presume you’re here for my Full Moon Party?”
Her energy feels even more intense than when I first met her.
“Well,” I say carefully, “I think so, but Clementine and Story brought me. They said it was a surprise.”
She doesn’t seem thrilled by my answer, but her expression softens when Clementine loops an arm around her shoulders.
“I brought you a new victim, Agatha.”
Agatha barks out a dramatic laugh. “Oh, Clementine. How is your heart? I see you’re masking pain with humor.”
Clementine rolls her eyes. “I’m all good, Agatha, like always.”
“Acceptance is the first rule of healing, my dear.”
I’m not sure Clementine has the same belief system as Agatha, and she starts peering around the store until her eyes land on a bottle of wine.
“On that note, let’s have a drink, shall we?”
When she rushes off, Agatha turns to me. “I’m so glad you returned. I have a gift for you.”
I watch as she digs through layer upon layer of velvet and pulls a pale pink crystal necklace from her pocket. “Wear this,” she says, fastening it around my neck before I can object. “It will protect your heart. It will bring love to you.”
I didn’t realize my heart needed protecting, but I already know not to argue with her, so I just say, “Thanks.”
“You look beautiful,” she says warmly before sweeping herself away to greet other guests.
As soon as she’s out of earshot, Story leans toward me. “She gives one to everybody . . .” And she pulls a matching crystal from beneath her shirt.
