AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I slide the phone back into my pocket, contemplating whether or not I should relay the last piece of dialogue.
Aspen watches me expectantly, like a kid who’s waiting to find out if she’s on Santa’s naughty or nice list.
“Is she okay?” she murmurs.
I’m starting to realize the witch only becomes soft when it comes to Gwen.
“Judging by her still horrible lying skills, she’s doing great.”
“I’m glad she didn’t take after you in that department.”
“Or you.”
“Or me.” She smiles a little and fuck it.
Fuck this.
I grind my back teeth. “She says hi.”
Aspen’s eyes widen. “W-what?”
“Do you have hearing problems?”
“No, but…I’m thinking this is a dream.”
I pinch her cheek and she swats my hand away with her free arm. “Ouch! What was that for?”
“Proof that it isn’t a dream.”
“Jerk,” she spits out, but she doesn’t remove her hand from beneath mine.
And she’s still smiling, brighter now, like a much younger version of herself.
A version that’s engraved deep inside me.
A version that I intend to bring out.
7
ASPEN
“Earth to Aspen, hello?”
I stare up from sipping my coffee that’s spiked with tequila at Caroline’s expectant face.
We’re sitting in my apartment with her two huskies on either side of her like guardian angels—or devils, considering their names—Lucifer and Cain.
The excuse Caroline came up with is that her giant house is too cold and lonely and she needs a warm body to hug.
The victim has been me for a week now. I tried kicking her out the first few days, but I eventually gave up.
Caroline is way softer than me, liketoosoft, so she’s been squashed more times than either of us can count, but she also happens to be a stubborn little thing when it comes to those she cares about.
Part of her freeloading bribe is bringing alcohol and putting on a rerun ofFriendsevery night. There’s barely any watching involved, though, since she uses the time to talk about the past, her train wreck of a life, and attempts to milk me for information.
“I was listening, Callie.”
She throws down a plush pillow—that she brought with her because God forbid I have those fluffy things around—and attacks another slice of chocolate cake. In her rabbit pajamas and with her hair pulled into a bun, she looks creepily young. Especially when she scowls at me. “Oh, yeah? What was I talking about?”
