17. It’s About Forever
IT’S ABOUT FOREVER
WILLOW
“S he’s almost here!” Violet practically sings, dropping her phone onto the throw pillow. Her eyes twinkle in a way that tells me she’s planned something bigger for our simple, quiet girls’ night. The porch of the house she inherited from her grandparents looks as cozy and timeless as I always remembered it.
“Vi, who exactly did you invite tonight?” I shoot her a look. “I thought it was just the four of us.” I had every intention of dropping the bomb to my friends that I’m not only playing house as Raymond Teager’s live-in nanny—nope, I’m apparently his fiancée now too. My stomach knots as the reality of that word hits.
“Calm down, Wills. Nori isn’t going to stay for long, and trust me, you all are going to thank me later.” Violet jumps on her feet in excitement.
I open my mouth to ask who the heck this Nori person is, because Vi looks like she might actually combust, but Elodie beats me to it.
“Who’s Nori, exactly?” El asks before shoveling a forkful of pasta into her mouth.
“She’s a tarot card reader. Cherrywood’s been dead as a doornail lately. There’s nothing exciting happening that’s worth reporting. So, I was sent to cover the opening of the new alternative medicine course at the university. Since many people think it’s all woo-woo stuff and no science, the head professor had this brilliant idea of inviting a whole crew of ‘healers.’ Picture a tarot booth right next to the chem lab.” Vi giggles, wiggling her fingers dramatically. “That’s where I met Nori. She’s superb. You’re going to love her.”
Elodie chokes on her food, and she and Daisy glance my way, as if silently saying, Be ready for a long night.
“Were you handpicked for the job, Vi?” I tilt my head, knowing the answer but wanting to hear her say it.
Violet rolls her eyes. “Maybe, but the joke’s on my editor, because I had a blast.”
Of course she did. I blame her grandfather. He’d spin tales about how his wife and daughter descended from a family of women with a magical touch . Grandpa Morales either watched too much TV growing up or missed his calling as a bestselling author, because he could paint an emotional backstory like no one else. The way he’d reminisce about Vi’s parents, and their love-filled life before they’d died in a car accident when she was only two, was filled with emotion and heartache.
A car pulls up near the gate, the faint crunch of tires on gravel, and Violet claps her hands, her eyes sparkling. “Promise me you’ll keep an open mind about this.”
“Vi, when have we ever not kept an open mind about the wild things you’ve dragged us into?” I give her a pointed brow wiggle, and she laughs.
“You haven’t. But don’t act like my ideas haven’t worked out.” She grins, mischief sparkling in her eyes. “Or have you forgotten the bad-boy purging ritual we did for you, Daze?”
Daisy chuckles, her hands drifting over her swollen belly. “As I have said a thousand times, thank you so much, Vi. The ritual may have worked a little too well.”
Ever since Daisy hit her third trimester, her husband, Charles, has taken the word protective to a whole new level. Honestly, I’m shocked he let her out of his sight for a girls’ night.
Daisy must catch the look on our faces, because she sighs. “I know exactly what you’re all thinking. I had to beg Alex to take Charles out for dinner, and even then, it was only on the condition that his security detail was parked outside with an ambulance on standby.” She rolls her eyes, but the little smile gives her away. She’s head over heels for his overbearing protectiveness, even if it borders on overkill.
Charles is going to be a phenomenal dad, just like his cousin, the man I’m getting to know more and more every day. Raymond.
My thoughts drift to him—not exactly a new territory for me. Except now, I’m not secretly hoping he runs out of that shampoo that keeps his hair annoyingly perfect or imagining him tripping over his own polished shoes.
No, Raymond has officially entered my dreams in a dangerously personal way.
Like the way he saved me from a faceplant outside Quill’s room or how his hands felt warm and strong, as if they’d left a mark on me that I swear I can still feel. My brain has taken liberties imagining those hands sliding up my arms, skimming over my shoulders, drifting down my back, making me?—
“Hi!” An unfamiliar, overly cheerful voice pulls me out of a spiral that’s teetering on indecent territory.
Nori walks through the wrought iron gate and pauses beside Violet on the porch. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was hereto drop off notes for a college study group. In her faded jeans and a simple white tee that says Harmony, she looks less like a psychic and more like she’s prepping for a freshman poetry class. Violet, on the other hand, could open up shop right here. Dressed in a flowy floral dress with her purple hair cascading over her shoulders and a pair of boho feather earrings swinging from her lobes, she practically screams mystical.
“Nori, meet my friends.” Violet is all smiles as she introduces us. “And thanks again for coming on such short notice.”
Nori shrugs, eyes bright with way too much energy for the hour. “You got lucky. I had one booking today, and they canceled last minute. Apparently, her husband didn’t think a tarot booth was ‘appropriate’ for a work dinner party.”Nori’s eyes roam over the porch, finally settling on the table where our takeout boxes are piled up. “Mind if we set up out here? I love doing readings outside, closer to nature.”
Violet nods, and in a matter of minutes, we clear away the takeout boxes and empty drinks. Nori transforms the table with a green silk cloth draping it, her colorful crystals glinting on the side. She fans out her deck with a graceful, practiced sweep.
“Who’s brave enough to go first?” Nori glances at us from where she’s settled cross-legged on a cushion, as calm and collected as the summer evening.
I immediately cower, trying to hide myself behind some invisible wall. If she’s as good as she said, I’d rather be out of this game. I don’t want a psychic to remind me of the one-eighty turn my life has taken.
“Daisy, you first.” Violet self-appoints herself as the host. “We can go in alphabetical order.”
“Totally makes sense,” I add, even when I think it makes no sense. But I’ve used this excuse plenty of times in my school. There’s one perk of a name starting from the letter W .
Daisy shrugs and moves to the spot across from Nori.
“We can finally find out if the baby is a boy or girl!” Violet sits straight. “I don’t think there’s anything else in Daisy’s life that needs to be figured out.”
“Not a chance.” Nori laughs, shaking her head. “Besides, you don’t get to ask questions until it’s your turn.”
“Actually, I do have a concern.” Daisy surprises us all, because if anyone’s got her life on lock, it’s her. “It’s about my dad…and his health.”
Shit! The weight of her words settles over the porch.
Nori nods as if she understands that Daisy is talking about her dad suffering from Alzheimer’s. “Think about your question and ask your spirit guides to help with the answer.”
There’s a glimmer of a smile on Nori’s face as she looks down at the drawn card. “Your dad will be with you for many more years. There’ll be tough moments, but you’re going to make so many memories together—you, him, and your family.”
Daisy’s hands fly to Nori’s, as she grips them tight. “Thank you. That’s everything I needed to hear.”
Suddenly, hope fills the space around us, like a wave that lifts everything in its path. It’s amazing what people can endure, what they can accomplish when they have a little hope to hold on to. It turns the unbearable into something you can carry, even if just for a little while.
When Elodie takes a seat across from Nori, our guest once again spreads the tarot cards across the table with a flourish.
“Got a specific question in mind?” Nori’s voice is warm and inviting.
“Not really,” Elodie says, demonstrating the same flat enthusiasm one would use for cleaning out the garage.
“Totally fine. I’ll just see what your spirit guides have to say about your life right now and what’s coming next.” Nori’s completely unfazed, as if she’s used to reactions like this.
El picks a card and places it face up on the table. I lean forward, intrigued by the intricate, colorful designs even though my tarot knowledge is a big zero.
“Are you an artist?” Nori asks, but before Elodie can respond, Violet snickers.
“El is an anti -artist. I did all her art homework in school, and I’m terrible with colors,” Violet adds with a laugh.
Nori just smiles, not missing a beat. “No, I don’t mean artist like a painter. I mean more like a performer. This card reminds me of a time I read for Dreamcatcher.
Dreamcatcher? As in The Dreamcatcher ? The famous ballad singer who’s won multiple Grammys? Sold out arenas worldwide? Has a voice that could break hearts and mend them in the same breath?
I exchange a wide-eyed look with Daisy. Where on earth did Violet find someone with connections like Nori?
“This card is the one I’d love to draw for myself every single time,” Nori continues. “It speaks of talent, fame, and wealth. Lots of it.”
El shifts uncomfortably in her chair. I’d be uncomfortable too if a stranger dissected my bank balance through a piece of art on a card. “Um, I’m really grateful for everything I have,” she mumbles. “But you won’t be seeing me on a shopping spree anytime soon.”
Nori looks genuinely stumped, her eyebrows practically touching her hairline as she studies El. “No hidden passion for singing or acting?”
Elodie shakes her head, looking almost apologetic. “I think I might’ve picked the wrong card or something.”
She’s probably right. El is as classic girl next door as they come—the type who says sorry when someone bumps into her and thanks the waiter a hundred times over before leaving the restaurant. The idea of her standing up on a stage is unimaginable. She’s more of a blend-into-the-background type, totally content to be the most normal, down-to-earth person in the room.
But Nori isn’t backing down. “If a chance to do such a thing ever crosses your path, please take it. It’ll be huge, life-altering.”
“Your turn, Willow,” Violet says, giving my shoulder a pat.
“I thought we were going alphabetically.” I narrow my eyes at her.
“But you’re sitting right here.” She raises an eyebrow, practically daring me to wiggle out of it.
Fine. I can do this. Anyway, after El’s reading, my faith in Nori’s talent isn’t exactly soaring. And thank God for that, because the last thing I need is an all-knowing stranger seeing through me.
Nori’s gaze settles on me, sharp and unflinching. “You’ve had a huge change in your life recently.”
Her words hang in the air, and I shrug, as if this change is about me switching laundry powder at Whispering Willow and not pretending to be engaged to Raymond Teager.
“So how is it? Good or bad?” I ask, forcing the words out as casually as possible.
“It’sincredible, Willow! The trajectory of your future has shifted, and these people who’ve walked into your life will fill a void that’s always haunted you. The ache from past losses, from people you’ve had to watch leave…it’s finally going to be healed. These new bonds are forever.”
Holy hell. I can’t believe Nori went from tripping over Elodie’s life to reading mine with such confidence. As if she could read my thoughts, Nori’s gaze flits to Elodie, her expression almost apologetic. “I swear, this has never happened before.” And then she turns her attention back to me. “Please tell me I’m not again going astray.”
“No, you’re…not wrong. I just don’t know what to make of this change yet,” I admit slowly, trying to sound casual as my friends eye me with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. They’re loyal to a fault, so I know they won’t pry now when we have an audience.
“You have nothing to worry about,” Nori assures me with a pat on my hand before looking to Violet. “Alright, hostess, your turn.”
And the spotlight shifts.
“Finally! I thought I’d be waiting until next year.” Violet practically bounces into the spot I just vacated.
“You could’ve gone first if you were this excited,” Daisy teases from the corner of the couch.
“No way. This is the grand finale. Now Nori doesn’t have to rush.” Violet plops herself down with a grin. “Take all the time you need, Nori. I want the full breakdown—the complete future-of-Violet report.”
“I’m digging the enthusiasm.” Nori chuckles, shaking her head as Violet draws a card before laying it out with such care, you’d think it was a ticket to her dream life.
“I want to know everything, Nori,” Vi repeats. “How many kids I’m having, when I’m finally getting married.” Violet’s eyes twinkle.
But I catch the way Nori’s smile falters, her forehead creasing slightly. That’s not exactly the look you hope to see from someone about to read your future.
A prickling unease fills my stomach. “Uh…is everything okay?”
“It’s—” Nori starts.
Violet cuts in, her dramatic flair on full display. “Oh God. It’s bad, isn’t it? I’m going to die a spinster. I should just get a dozen cats already.”
“No, not that,” Nori says quickly, stopping Violet’s spiral. “I see love—a big, epic, once-in-a-lifetime love. But you have to be careful, Violet, because before you get there, you have to go through deep reformation. It’ll be like forgetting everything you are and becoming a new you.”
“Really?” Violet’s smile drops, but only by an inch. “Well…that kind of sucks. I’m really fond of myself as is.”
And she means it. Vi is one of those rare people who genuinely love who they are, flaws and all. You won’t ever find her standing in front of a mirror, wondering what could be if any of her features were leaner, chubbier, or more angular, or if her life was a bit different. It’s kind ofimpressive.
Violet looks at us, then back at Nori, flashing that signature grin again. “But you did say ‘love of a lifetime,’ right? Can you tell me a little more about him? Like what he’s gonna be like? Oh my God—he’s not a puppy, is he?”
I have no idea how Vi keeps finding the silver lining, butyou don’t become that person by accident. You have to go through life’s challenges repeatedly to develop such an innocent, positive heart.
Nori laughs. “He’s definitely not a puppy, and he’ll love you in a way you’ve always deserved, Violet. It’s going to be…magical. But…” She hesitates. “You’ll have to almost lose yourself to find that love.”
We all hold our breath for a second, feeling this odd mix of hope and worry for her. But Vi squeals, leans across the table, and wraps Nori in a quick hug.
“I can’t wait to meet him.” Only Violet could get a future full of upheaval and turn it into a fairy-tale ending in her mind. And honestly, I can’t help but love her for it.
After Nori leaves, Violet is practically glowing with curiosity. “So, what did you think of her?”
Daisy shrugs, giving a half-hearted smile. “I mean, I want to believe in what she said about Dad, but after El’s reading, I’m not putting too much stock in it.”
“I don’t know about you all, but I’m actually looking forward to this new ‘version’ of me.” Violet flops into Nori’s recently vacated spot.
I tilt my head. “Did you forget the part where she said you’d have to go through hell and back to meet this mysterious, life-altering love?”
“No pain, no gain, baby. If I have to completely lose myself to meet my soulmate, then so be it. Just don’t you guys dare forget me, okay?”
Elodie snorts, nudging Vi with her shoulder. “Forget you? I think you’d hunt us down if we even tried.”
“Damn right, I would,” Violet shoots back with a laugh.
My friends continue the back-and-forth while I’m biting the inside of my cheek, trying to figure out how to break my own news. It was going to be hard enough before, and now, with Nori’s prophecy about my “big life change,” it’s like I’ve been derailed before I even got on track.
“Wills.” Violet’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “What did Nori mean about that big change?”
I shake my head, trying to keep my tone casual. “Something did happen, but it’s…not as monumental as she made it sound.”
Daisy gives me a suspicious look. “What is it?”
I don’t give myself a second to chicken out. “I’m staying at Raymond Teager’s house. As Quill’s nanny.”
The collective “What?” from all three of them is loud enough to shatter glass, but I push forward.
“There’s more.” I look away because the shock on their faces is a bit too much. “Today, I agreed to be his fake fiancée.”
Daisy gasps. “Holy crap!”
“Are you freaking serious?” Violet practically rockets out of her spot.
“I’m worried about Raymond’s place,” Elodie says quietly, and we all whip around to stare at her, stunned. She shrugs. “Whenever you and Raymond are in the same zip code, it feels like a countdown to some epic explosion.”
“But how did this even happen? And why didn’t Charles tell me?” Daisy’s brow furrows as she tries to piece it together.
“It wasn’t planned, Daze. I was trying to pitch my idea for the wedding estate, then suddenly…I was…receiving congratulations for my engagement.” I recount every detail of the whirlwind week, watching their faces go from shocked to utterly floored.
Violet’s jaw drops. “I’m so stunned I can’t even be mad that you waited to tell us!”
“I…still can’t believe it,” Daisy murmurs. “In all my time working with Elixir, I have never heard of Raymond breaking a single rule in business. Not one.”
“He’s doing it for Quill,” I say quietly.
Daisy gives me a look that pierces straight through me. “You sure that’s all?”
“They say there’s a thin line between love and hate,” Elodie murmurs, her voice all serious, and suddenly, all three of them are staring at me like this is the most important conversation we’ll ever have.
“Yeah,” Violet chimes in, nodding. “And that line can get smudged real quick.”
Goose bumps race across my skin, and it’s definitely not from the temperature. Sure, I don’t hate Raymond anymore—but not hating him isn’t the same thing as being in love.
“Then, in this case, that line is in permanent marker. I feel nothing for Raymond.”
That’s true. When it comes to Raymond, I’m blank. Empty. Void of feelings. I’m?—
“Is that Raymond on the cover of the Elite Gazette ?” Violet tilts her phone toward me, showing off a black-and-white shot of Raymond in a perfectly tailored suit, with a dark cravat replacing his usual tie. And, for some reason, my heart chooses this moment to thump out of rhythm.
“Just so we’re clear, you feel nothing for this man?” Daisy raises a brow, watching me carefully.
I shake my head, trying to dispel the heat rising in my cheeks. One has to be blind not to find the man attractive. Yes. That’s it. Just attraction. Simple, basic attraction. Full stop.