“Raegan? Oh, good. I caught you.”
Her haughty voice comes in a little too loud and clear, so I have to turn the volume down. “What’s up?”
“Well,”here we go, “Mavis called earlier saying you’re thinking about ending your lease.”
“That’s not what I—” I groan. “I told her I’d let her know.”
There’s a moment of silence. “And?”
I’m trying my best to understand how this concerns my mother, but I’m coming up short. “And then I put the car in drive,” I say sarcastically.
I hear a dramatichumphthrough the speaker, and I can imagine she’s rolling those scrutinizing eyes of hers to the back of her head. “What did you decide, Raegan?”
Jamie is throwing his hands in the air, silently pleading to know what we’re talking about, but I hold up a finger. “That was only a few hours ago,” I tell her. “I’ve got some other stuff I’m dealing with right now.” He comes over to where I’m pacing back and forth in the living room and gestures for me to put the phone on speaker, so I do.
I place it on the back of the couch and he leans over the device like an eager child.
“You know your room is still empty,” she suggests, her voice laced with sickly sweetness, but I can discern the manipulative tone.
“I don’t want to live with the coven.”
“There was no reason for you to leave in the first place. I know you’re struggling to keep up with rent. Why do you insist on making things harder for yourself when you could live here for free?”
“I like having my own place,” I state bluntly.
Ever since I left home at twenty-seven, my mother has been trying to guilt-trip me back under her roof. For some reason, in her mind, I think my not living with the rest of the coven only shines a spotlight on the fact that I’m not a witch. Secretly, I know she’s disappointed her only daughter doesn’t have magic, but she’ll never admit it.
While I think it’s her just being selfish, Jamie has tried to convince me that in reality, she just feels left out. All of the other witches her age have daughters to teach their magic to. Sometimes I can see where he’s coming from, but then I remember what it was like to live with her.
There was zero space or privacy in that house. As much as I like cozy small spaces, I prefer them alone. And quiet. The coven was constantly full of yelling and things breaking. I had to get out of there the second I could. Plus, I felt out of place. I couldn’t relate to anyone else, and the things I was going through as a teenager in high school just didn’t matter to the other girls. They could solve all their problems with a spell here and there.
Jamie can see the tension on my face at having to rehash my reasons for leaving all over again, so instead, he takes a step back and pretends he’s yelling from the other room.
“Hey, Rae! I think the oven is on fire!”
“Sorry, mom. Jamie’s trying to cook again.”
I hang up with a relieved sigh, and Jamie wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. “Time for movie night.”
So, after stopping by my apartment to grab a few more things, we spend the rest of the day watching movies, trying new recipes from Jamie’s food delivery service, and just enjoying one another’s company. Throughout the night, I forget about my confusing feelings, and by the time he passes out in the living room after an all day marathon of watching our favorite boy wizard, I’m reminded that at the end of the day, we’re just Raegan and Jamie: best friends first.
Everything else comes second.
Chapter Six
JAMIE
The weekend passes quickly—a little too quickly for my liking. Raegan and I were able to stop by her place and gather a few necessities, and it’s good we did. On the way to her complex, I caught the subtle iron scent that signals the beginning of her monthly cycle, so I casually suggested she grab supplies in case of an emergency. The next day, when she inevitably started her period, she called me a witch. Rather that than the truth I guess.
Saturday and Sunday was spent mostly hanging around the house. We made two separate runs to the closest market for snacks, but other than that, Raegan opted for staying in. I assumed it was because of how she was feeling, but secretly I think she wanted to stay away from anyone who might ask questions. I had no qualms with this, because it lessened our chances of running into Patrick. My hope is by the time Raegan returns to the bookstore, he will have moved on to his next target.
But now Monday morning is here, and I’m hesitant to let her leave. I know the feeling is ridiculous, and it’s just as possessive as Patrick, so I have to remind myself she’s a grown woman.Raegan is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but that doesn’t stop me from reminding her I’m only a phone call away.
“Even if your gut tells you something is wrong, you listen to it,” I tell her for what feels like the hundredth time.
“I will, Jamie. I swear. But honestly, I think you’re overreacting.” She closes the lid on the tupperware I lent her for her lunch and slides it into her bag. “Patrick might be overbearing, but he’s also lazy. He constantly wanted to know where I was and what I was doing, but he never actually put in the work to see me. He wanted me to come to him. And after what happened Friday, I’m probably too much trouble. I bet he’s already moved on to some other insecure girl who will do whatever he says.”
I don’t like that she backhandedly just referred to herself as being insecure, but I don’t push her on it. She slings the straps of her tote over her shoulder, and I follow her to the door. Though she’s probably right about Patrick having moved on by now, I refuse to completely let my guard down.
