Chapter 15 Rosie #2
I don’t know if they know about the family curse, but neither of them has been able to maintain a long-term relationship either, further cementing my need to break this curse.
In my perfect world, they’ll never find out about the curse and never have to have that dark cloud hanging over them.
They’ve had enough misery and sadness in their lives; they don’t need to know our family is cursed to loneliness too.
Deep down in my soul, I want all of us to find love, the kind that lasts and doesn’t end in heartbreak or tragedy.
But if they knew the extremes I was going to—communicating with the dead, dragging random Heartwood Hollow citizens into our world, taking my neighbor to the supernatural club in Diamond Ridge—they would have a lot of concerns.
Rightfully so, but that’s neither here nor there.
“We have time,” Poppy says, sitting back and staring at me.
“Casey saw them at Ghastly,” Violet spills, and I sigh, sitting up and putting my fingers to my temples.
God, this is getting worse and worse. I force myself to focus on the version of the truth I want to share, fighting the urge to whisper a breaking spell because that would be far too obvious, and depending on how Vi made the muffins, wouldn’t work, instead only making them more suspicious.
“What?!”’ Poppy shouts, and I groan at the hurt in her voice from not knowing. I know she sometimes feels like Violet and I are closer than we are to her, since we’re so close in age, and Vi knowing these details first won’t help that.
“Okay, okay. So,” I take in a deep breath and make my decision.
“Two weeks ago…” I try to embellish my story, to tell them that Phillip came out of nowhere, but the words don’t come, so I keep it simple.
Magic is all about knowing the rules and how to move around them, after all.
“A spirit appeared in my shop.” Violet’s eyes widen, but Poppy nods.
She’s often approached by spirits, given that the flower shop she owns is located next to the cemetery.
“It turns out, it was Jack’s grandfather.
He won’t leave me alone.” Not a lie, because Phillip has been hovering around my house all day, every day, to the point where I think he’s actually stuck within the confines of my home until I break this curse.
All the more reason to do it quickly. “He wants me to help him move on to the other side.”
“Rosie, no,” Violet says, a stern look in her eyes that I find annoying since I am the older sister, after all. But Vi was always the more responsible one.
“What was I supposed to do?” I ask. “Just let him hover in my place for eternity?”
“I don’t know, call us?” Poppy says, throwing her hands up into the air, and I give her a glare.
“I know, I know, but I don’t need to bother you two with my drama. I have it covered.”
Violet gives me a knowing glance. “I know you’re the oldest, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself.” I stare at her, her eyes sincere and settling in my chest with guilt I don’t have the time or energy to touch right now.
“So what happened?” Poppy asks, thankfully breaking the moment.
“I told him I’d help him,” I say, again, not a lie, just an omission.
Unlike my mother did, magic doesn’t seem to see an omission of the truth as a lie.
“And I needed to get something he touched from Jack’s place.
Because of our… history, he wasn’t exactly excited to give me what I needed.
So I had to prove things to him by bringing him to my place and showing him Phillip. ”
“Phillip?”
“His grandfather. After Jack fainted—”
“He fainted?” Poppy asks, looking alarmed.
“He was fine,” I say with a wave of my hand and a roll of my eyes. “But he wouldn’t agree to just give me the flask. He insisted on getting the ingredients with me since he doesn’t seem to trust me to do it on my own.” Poppy shrugs like she can’t blame him, and I glare at her.
“Do you think he’ll tell our secret?” Violet asks, interrupting my staredown with our youngest sister. I shake my head immediately; that, at least, is not even close to a lie.
No part of me thinks Jack will ever betray me and tell our secret. I know it in my gut, even if I can’t really explain why.
“No. He’s very committed to helping his grandfather pass on. They were very close.” Poppy nods. “And it seems like he saw his grandfather do magic when he was a kid and kept that secret all this time.”
“But you kissed him?” Violet asks, and I sigh again before continuing to explain.
“One of the ingredients was the tears of a vampire,” I say, and Poppy nods sagely, while Violet lets out a loud laugh.
“Let me guess: Geraldine?” Violet asks, knowing the emotional supernatural. I nod.
“I took him to the club because he doesn’t trust me to get the ingredients on my own without causing a disaster.
” I don’t tell them that I think the truth is he really just wants to experience the world of magic a bit more, but I don’t have to when Poppy’s eyes widen, and Vi gives an I can’t blame him look.
“Did he tell you about the card tower?” Poppy asks, apology in her words and on her face. I nod with a smile.
“Unfortunately, the day I came for the flask, I did the exact same thing and decapitated his warlock.”
“His warlock? Decapitated?” Poppy asks, eyes wide with panic.
“It was a cardboard cutout he made for his storefront.” Poppy lets out a sigh and leans back again, seemingly relieved I’m not a murderer.
“Anyway, you know the club rules,” I say with a shrug, desperate to tie up the conversation.
“Humans need to be kiss-bonded or else they’re free game for… anyone,” Poppy says, contemplatively.
“Exactly. And I couldn’t let him go in unprotected.”
“How was it?” Violet asks, suddenly intrigued.
“What?”
“The kiss, dummy!”
“Oh,” I say, then pause, trying to think of how to answer. “It was…” My sisters are staring at me with wide, anticipating looks, and I hesitate before answering. “F—” The word dies on my lips. “F—” Poppy lets out a loud laugh before I can even realize what’s happening.
“Loose lips muffins,” Violet says with a smug smile. “Can’t tell a lie.”
It’s not a lie! I try to say, but the words also die on my tongue, magic deciding that too is a lie.
Well, fuck.
That can’t be good.
“It was…” I work to find the right word that will answer her question, but also not break the magical bond I’ve walked into. Fuck it. “It was good.”
“Oh, she’s so gone for him,” Violet says low, turning to Poppy, who gives her a knowing nod and smile.
When I try to tell her she’s out of her mind, that I’m not gone for Jack, my mouth stays shut.
No, no, no.
I do not like Jack Haggerty. That’s impossible. Right? He’s too grumpy for his own good, antisocial, and a nerd.
But he also is nice to me, lately. And I enjoy talking to him and spending time with him.
And he’s also hot. His arms are thick and corded, muscled from carrying big boxes up and down from the storage area, those thick-rimmed glasses are a Clark Kent type of hot, and his messy hair begs for my fingers.
Oh, my fucking god.
I am so into Jack Haggerty.