Page 84 of The Soulmate Bakery

But I didn’t think he’d leave town. Again. Had he left right after dropping me off?

‘He got a call from one of the professors there,’ Raven explained, like it was nothing. ‘So, he left before dawn today, to meet with them and discuss doing his teaching apprenticeship there. My father went with him, because he’s trying to find a way to be supportive, I think? Either that, or he’s hoping to convince Orion to change his mind.’

‘Wh-Why is he interviewing at Rose Glenn?’ I asked, my mind rapidly trying to keep up. ‘He told me he got an offer here, at Maple Falls High.’

‘He did,’ Raven acknowledged, and a frown pulled at the corner of her mouth. ‘But he said something about wanting to keep his options open and not being sure he had a place here.’

My chest was throbbing; I was pretty sure it was on fire. Or maybe I was having a really bad case of heartburn. Either way, the thought of Orion upping and leaving Maple Falls left me feeling sick.

‘So, he just left?’ I asked again, like a broken record. ‘He didn’t even want to stay to see …’ I glanced at Rani who was fixing my eyeliner with annoyance in her every move. ‘We haven’t even broken the curse on the town!’

‘Well, he assured me it would be broken by tonight.’

Mum’s voice came from the doorway. She was standing there wearing a blazer that was a deep-orange colour and with a clothing bag draped over her arm.

‘He did?’ I asked, confused.

‘Orion sent a letter this morning,’ Mum explained. ‘It said the curse would be broken by tonight and that he’d send more details soon. The Coven was quite happy; we were getting a little sick of Inspector Vale’s poetry.’

I sat back, stunned, unsure of what to say or what to think. Orion was gone. He’d left. The same way he did when he went to MAC. This time, he was chasing a dream that he wanted, but it still felt like I was being left behind again. It was selfish to think like that, but, I guess, I was a little tired of chasing every guy I liked. Maybe some small part of me thought Orion would chase me – if he really cared for me.

I should’ve been glad, because it made Silas seem more and more like the right decision.

‘You’re back early, Mum,’ Rani said, standing back from my face once more. This time, she cast a spell to make sure my eyeliner didn’t move. ‘I thought we’d meet you at the festival.’

‘I came back to give Maya something,’ Mum said, and then beckoned me out of the room.

I followed her outside my bedroom, leaving my sister and friends to finish getting ready. Once the door shut, I turned to Mum and found her practically bursting with excitement, the edges of her blazer turning a dark-purple colour.

‘I want to give you something,’ Mum said, hurriedly. ‘A little gift.’

‘A gift? For what?’

‘For all your hard work this term,’ Mum said, her smile wide. ‘For finally taking your studies seriously.’

I bit my tongue. I refused to snap at her that I always cared about my studies; I just wasn’t as good at them as Rani was. I’m still not. And I wasn’t just trying more now; it was because my confidence in my own magic had grown. But I said nothing, not wanting to ruin the moment.

‘Well, I heard from Granny Fable, who probably overheard you telling Sofia, that you were going to the Fallen Leaves Festival,’ Mum said, and there was a sly glimmer to her gaze. ‘With that young Moon boy.’

My whole face was heating up, mostly because I couldn’t believe I was the talk of the town. And that my love life was the point of discussion.

‘So, for tonight, I found this, and I thought you might like to wear it,’ Mum said, and there was that nervousness in her voice again.

Slowly, I unzipped the bag to reveal a dress underneath. Its pleated skirt was the colour of orange leaves; the green high-neck top was patterned with gold leaves; and the full sleeves were voluminous and tied with bows at the shoulders. It was the kind of dress that screamed autumn and witchy and perfect. My fingertips grazed the soft fabric, my chest constricting at how gorgeous it was. How me it was.

‘I wore this the first time your father and I met,’ Mum said, and I could hear the memories locked away behind her every word.

‘Did you fall in love with Dad quickly?’

The question flew out of my mouth, spurred on by the dress and the mention of my father. Mum looked at me, jolted out of her own head, and her expression softened further.

‘No,’ she said, with a laugh at my shocked expression. ‘Falling in love with your father was like stepping off a cliff. Remember when I told you he had a motorcycle, absolutely no ambition beyond wanting to own his own bookstore and he always had a plan for something mischievous? He was my parents’ nightmare.’

‘But you took that risk?’ I asked, my voice tight with emotion. ‘Why?’

Mum smiled. ‘Everyone faces risks in life. One day you’ll know which ones are worth taking.’

‘I thought you always wanted me to be safe,’ I countered, an edge entering my voice.