Chapter 20
Twenty
“Have a good night, you two. Don’t get into any trouble!” Lori called as she backed out of the driveway in her red truck, the pavement crunching underneath her tires.
“We won’t,” I called back from the rocker on the front porch. Theo sat next to me, a giant basket of candy in between us.
She shot me a knowing smile before sticking her head back through the window and driving away.
It was the busiest night of the year for her.
Theo and I had offered time and time again to go to her shop and help, but she’d insisted we stayed back.
Said she wanted kids to be able to stop at her house.
Since she was on the path to Main Street, and that her older home had a certain creepiness factor, it was a bit of a hot spot for groups of trick-or-treaters to stop by.
Theo still wasn’t grasping the concept of this custom. I’d tried explaining it to him earlier while we ate dinner. I’d attempted to cook him pasta but it had come out mushy and bland. He was kind enough not to comment on it even though everything he’d ever cooked for me was infinitely better.
Last night, he’d gotten home later than usual after helping Lori prepare for everything. I was already almost asleep in my room and I’d nearly melted when he’d knocked hesitantly and asked if he could sleep in my bed.
The attachment had happened swiftly and intensely. I knew it, but couldn’t help it.
I could think of nothing better than keeping Theo for myself.
The first group came barreling down the driveway. They were older kids, maybe twelve. The age when their parents finally let them set off unchaperoned and prayed they came home without getting into trouble. They ambled up to the house, two boys and two girls, breathless from excitement.
“Trick or treat!” they yelled, shaking their bags expectantly in front of us.
“You all look great!” I brightened as I placed a candy bar—full-sized of course—in each of their bags.
There was a football player, a doctor, and some TV show character that looked vaguely familiar but I couldn’t quite place.
The last girl wore all black with a large cone hat.
A witch. I smirked as they scampered off, comparing their hauls.
“What’s the accuracy on the hat?” I asked when they were past the end of the driveway.
He shook his head. He looked so cozy in his sweatshirt and if it weren’t for the kids sure to approach the house at any moment, I would have gladly curled up in his lap.
“Actually, it was an old custom. So pretty accurate,” he said. “Back before the realms were separated, witches would take practicing very seriously since they couldn’t do it in public. The hat was a small sign of rebellion. Not striving to fit in like they had to in everyday life.”
“Huh. That’s cool. I wish I could visit.”
His gaze flickered to mine before he resumed staring straight ahead. “Me too.”
“And outsiders are strictly forbidden? You can’t even sneak one of us in?” I tried to play it off like the question was no big deal.
“I’m not looking to break any additional laws.” He smiled sadly. “There’s been talk of opening the portal up, considering our dwindling population. But they’ve been discussing it for years and haven’t come any closer to a decision.”
“And you can only access it on a full moon, right?” I asked, hoping I was wrong and there was some loophole he’d forgotten to mention. One that would allow him to move back and forth freely and for him to visit me whenever he wanted.
“Right,” he said, eyes downcast.
The next full moon was in six days. I’d looked it up. So soon, it mocked me.
“What about cell phones?” I asked, sitting on my hands to keep them still. “Or letters? Carrier pigeons maybe?”
He shook his head sadly.
Another group of older trick-or-treaters raced down the driveway, all dressed as different Pokémon. I smiled tightly, holding out the bowl and letting them each take a candy bar.
As they jogged back down the driveway, I looked back over at Theo. He let his head fall into his hands, shaking it slightly.
I bristled at the sight of his posture, ready to go on the defense. His body language reminded me alarmingly of someone about to let me down. I’d seen it enough to be familiar with it.
“The past few days with you have been…I don’t even have words,” he started.
“They have,” I added hurriedly. He didn’t have to say it eloquently. I knew what he meant. “I’m going to miss you.” I tried to keep my tone utterly unaffected.
“But…” Once again he paused as his brow furrowed. He shook his head and glanced at me before returning his eyes to the old wooden porch floor. “I know it’s been a lot living under the same roof these past few weeks. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable at any point.”
“You haven’t at all,” I insisted too loudly, jerking upward from my slouched position. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I know I was a pain at the beginning questioning your whole existence and all.” I laughed nervously.
“You’ve never made me uncomfortable,” he said simply.
“Good.”
Another awkward silence ensued. He wanted to say something but was holding back.
“It won’t be easy to leave.” He said it like he was hoping I’d tack something onto the end of his statement.
“Hard to leave all this?” I joked, gesturing to the gloomy weather in front of us.
He opened his mouth and then closed it, wincing.
“Hard to leave you,” he said quietly.
That nearly killed me.
Stay, I wanted to beg.
But that was crazy. Only an insane person would ask that. We were five steps into the honeymoon phase and he was a literal warlock. This would never work—we could never work.
Selfishly I wanted to ask him for another month. Or two. Why did he have to go back on this full moon? Why not wait a bit?
But I knew deep down that any additional time would make a goodbye harder. He was already in my bones. If he stayed any longer, I’d never be able to get him out of my system. He would settle further in, making getting over him even more impossible.
No. Time would not do us any favors unless it was unlimited.
“At least we still have a few more days. We can make the best of the rest of the week.” My voice sounded strange and I realized with horror it was shaking from held back tears. I would not cry right now.
“Is everything okay?” He leaned in closer to me, resting his large hand on my thigh.
“Look, I’m not delusional or anything. I know you’re leaving. You have a life to get back to. No sane person rearranges their whole life for someone they’ve known less than a month.”
His eyes darted back and forth processing my words. “Right,” he finally said. “Of course.”
“But it’s been fun. And we still have a few days. I’m thoroughly glad fate landed us here at the same time.”
He nodded, eyes unfocused as they stared through the ground. He looked a million miles away.
Shit. Was I still managing to freak him out even when I was doing my best impression of playing it cool?
Before I could ask him anything else, a large family with multiple parents and tons of kids came bounding down the driveway, shrieking with laughter and excitement. They were completely unaware of the cloud that now loomed over Theo and me.
Something had changed in the air between us. A heaviness had been introduced. One I wished I could wipe away.