AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“People are talking about you and Wes outside the hotel yesterday afternoon.”
“People are always talking about me and Wes.” I put my purse under the register and started getting things set up for the start of the weekend rush. I made a mental note to order more essential oils; they were flying off the shelf in greater quantities than last year. “I’m starting to get a little bit of control over my magic and the side effects of using it.”
“That’s good. Is it true that the stones are cracked, and the light is gone?”
“Yep, there’s no magic left in them. The curse made an appearance.” I lit a stick of amber incense. Today felt like a good day for healing.
“Did it try to get in your head?”
“Not yet.” I gave her the basics of what happened with the black smoke, once again providing the G-rated version of how things worked when we tapped into our powers. “I don’t know if the curse is partially contained, or if it’s just using the cave as a home base of sorts.”
“Home base makes sense since the area already has built-in human repellents.” She toyed with one of her Garfield earrings. “It sounds like you’re working well with Wes. Does this mean you’re finally ready to forgive him for the favor he did you four years ago?”
“A favor?” I raised my eyebrows. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
She jumped off the counter and squeezed my face between her hands, like she used to when I was a child and she wanted to tell me something very important. “I’ve held my tongue for years, letting you do your Scorpio thing of marinating in your hurt until it’s finished settling, but it’s misdirected.”
I took a step back, breaking her grasp. “Since when have you held your tongue? You’ve made no secret about being Team Wes all these years.”
“And I should’ve told you nine years ago that you picked the wrong Latham brother.”
I let out a laugh that had no humor behind it. “Trust me, you made your feelings about Seth very clear when you nicknamed him Pit Stop.”
“It was true, I apologize for nothing.” She lifted her chin, daring me to argue. “But I should’ve been more straightforward. Your relationship was doomed from the start.”
I stiffened. “I’m aware that Seth and I weren’t a good fit.”
We started out okay. He was handsome and charming and put in a fair amount of effort trying to get me to go out with him. I didn’t say yes the first time because, truthfully, I thought there might’ve been something between me and Wes. Back when I was young enough to mistake his playfulness for interest. But he didn’t even make a move on me the night we went skinny dipping in my junior year. He was in college at the time, and I should’ve known then that he probably thought of me like a puppy, cute and mildly annoying when I wanted attention.
On the other hand, Seth was closer to my age, only a year older, and he seemed really into me. Everyone told me it would be stupid not to give him a chance. He was a Latham. As close to royalty as it got on our island. So, we started dating after he put together an elaborate, and very public, promposal involving the marching band at halftime and over fifteen thousand rose petals. That’s not exactly something you can say no to. Not with everyone watching.
Then, somewhere along the line, we became Seth and Audrey. No longer individuals, but an established couple who did couple things and only existed as halves of a whole.
Unfortunately, those halves never ended up fitting right. Seth was restless. He always wanted to go different places and do different things, while I preferred staying in and watching movies or cuddling on the couch. He wanted to travel, and I wanted to settle down. He didn’t want kids, and I wanted several. There were times when he could be critical, to the point of hurting my feelings, and he’d never acknowledged that he’d done anything wrong.
It was a wonder we managed to stay together as long as we did. Over the course of five years, Seth never talked about marriage or the future in long terms, just where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do next, assuming I’d accompany him on the ride. Without ever once asking what I wanted. I was like a luggage tag he could slap on his suitcase and carry along. To be honest, it had been a relief when he left. Deep down, for the first time since I’d been in high school, I felt like I could just be me again.
The worst part about the demise of my relationship with Seth had been losing my friendship with Wes. I was afraid to examine that fact too closely, though. I had a feeling there would end up being a lot of things about myself that I didn’t want to see.
I shook off the sour mood that had descended on me. “And I didn’t pick the wrong brother because that implies there was an option to begin with. Wes had no interest in me.”
My grandma frowned. “I raised you to have better insight than that. That boy has been bat-shit crazy in love with you since you were sixteen, and everyone knows it except you.”
This wasn’t the first time I’d heard the “Wes is in love with you” mantra. It was a small island, and gossip was its own currency. There was a reason why I didn’t listen to that particular rumor, though. Word spread that he had encouraged Seth to leave the island, and people just assumed it was because he was in love with me, but I’d been there that night. I knew exactly why Wes didn’t want Seth to be with me, and love had nothing to do with it.
“I’m sure Wes was desperately in love with me in high school, which was why he asked me out.” I gave her a bland stare. “Oh, wait. That didn’t happen.”
“Maybe he had good reason not to, which you’d know if you asked him.”
Nope. There was no way I’d dip so much as a toe in those waters. I loved my grandma, but I could not continue to entertain her delusions. “As much fun as it would be to ask my ex-boyfriend’s brother why he didn’t ask me out ten years ago, I think I’ll pass.”
“And as long as you do, it’ll continue to be your loss.” She patted my cheek. “I’ve said my piece now, but I do hope you’ll reconsider. Only because you’re my grandbaby, and I want what’s best for you.”
And her idea of best for me was Wes. I thought back to last night, dancing in the rain, the feel of his lips against my forehead, and my heart tripped over itself. I wasn’t ready to forgive him for the past—I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to do that—but I wasn’t opposed to the idea of moving forward. We’d be partners until we dealt with the curse. There was a lot more riding on my ability to trust and depend on him than my feelings.
The glass pane on my front door rattled as Violet tapped a finger on it. Her enormous sky-blue eyes peered inside, and her delicate face lit up when she spotted me. I rushed over to let her in. It had been over a week since I’d last seen her. A lifetime ago, really. She always spent the first few weeks of summer helping her parents run their bait and snorkel shop while they trained the summer help, and she put in long enough hours to practically make her a ghost until the second week in June. This was about to be one hell of a catch-up session.
“Are you free from snorkel purgatory?” I asked.
