About a minute later, my phone vibrated and Dahlia’s face popped up on my screen. I swiped my thumb to answer the call, but now I was too fired up to sit still. My hands shook with anxious energy and there was a heaviness in my chest that only eased when I stood up.
“Are you dying?” Dalia asked, irritation dripping off her words. She was in a grocery store with rows of cereal boxes behind her, which explained why she didn’t answer.
Dahlia hated talking on the phone in public. She always said her conversations were personal, and even though bystanders could only hear one side—her side—she didn’t like all the nosey Nellies in town.
“Are you sure you didn’t meddle?” I asked, pacing my bedroom. The floor creaked under my bare feet, a sound that usually comforted me but now only added to my restlessness.
“Holly,” Dahlia said with a sigh, but I could hear the amusement in her voice.
My life was funny. Great. Next time she had a crisis, you could bet your ass I was going to use this same light-heartedlife isn’t this serioustone.
“For the last time, no. Your love life is your business. I wouldn’t interfere even if I wanted to—which I don’t, by the way.”
“Then how do you explain this?” I pressed, waving my hand to the empty air as though she could see the crazy, ooey-gooey feelings practically smothering me. “He remembered me, Dahlia. Even after midnight when I was supposed to be a hole in his mind. He remembered. That’s not normal.”
“Maybe this guy is your soulmate,” she replied, her tone light but laced with something deeper. Her words hit me like a thunderclap, and I froze mid-step. My heart stuttered, then picked up in an uneven rhythm when she added, “Ever think of that? Maybe that’s why he remembered you.”
“My soulmate?” I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Why not?” Dahlia asked. “It makes sense. You’re borderline obsessed. If you’re calling me this much it’s because you’re thinking about him and that scares you. No one has ever scared you, Holly. Only one person could ever scare you.”
I didn’t respond right away. The idea settled over me like a heavy blanket, both comforting and suffocating. I didn’t think my soulmate was real. I knew about the loophole, but I thought it was just one of those gentry tricks our kinfolk like to play. Lure innocent souls with a promise of release when really there was no chance in hell of getting out of whatever they agreed to.
My sisters and I agreed to nothing. We were born with our blessings that are also our curse.
But Liam remembered me. More so, he seemed to really want me.
To like me.
“Or,” Dahlia added, her teasing tone returning, “he’s just a really good guy who happens to remember pretty girls. Either way, you should enjoy yourself.” She looked past me to someone in the store then said, “We can talk more at dinner, but I gotta go. Love you.” And then she hung up.
I stuffed my phone into my back pocket and headed downstairs into the kitchen. My mind churned with possibilities as I rummaged through the fridge for something to eat for lunch. Enjoy myself? Did she even hear herself? I was not the kind of person who just threw caution to the wind. I planned. I evaluated. I kept things under control.
And yet, my heart raced just thinking about Liam—his dimpled smile, the warmth in his eyes, the way he’d looked at me like I was the only person in the world. It was too much. Too fast. Too...perfect.
“Damn it, Dahlia,” I muttered, pulling out a bottle of water and slamming the fridge shut.
My sister’s words replayed in my head.Your soulmate.The very idea sent my mind spinning. Was that what this was? Could it be? But how? Why now? And why him? My heart felt like it was racing to outrun my thoughts, a flurry of questions with no answers.
I pressed my palms flat against the cool countertop, taking deep breaths to steady myself. “This is insane,” I whispered to no one but Daisy, who sat perched on the back of the couch, watching me with her usual feline judgment.
Her wide green eyes seemed to say,Finally catching up to your feelings, huh?
“Nope.” I straightened, shaking my head like I could physically dislodge the thoughts threatening to overtake me. “Not tonight. I can’t do this tonight.”
I needed to focus on the here and now—like the fact that my sisters would be here in just a few hours, expecting pizza or lasagna and a spotless house. They didn’t need to see me unraveling over a guy I barely knew, no matter how perfect his smile was.
HOLLY
The lasagna was gone—every cheesy, saucy bite devoured amidst our tipsy laughter and the occasional outrageous shout over aCards Against Humanitycard. The growing lineup of empty wine bottles on the counter felt like a monument to our excellent choices, and the lingering scent of garlic bread was a warm reminder of the perfect dinner we destroyed.
River leaned back in her chair, a rosy flush tinting her cheeks, and threw down a card with a triumphant smirk. “This one is gold. Prepare to lose.”
Dahlia read the card out loud, “A middle-aged man on roller skates.”
It shouldn’t have been funny because it didn't even match the prompt, but the wine had worked its magic. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt, all while tossing down my own nonsensical response:Grandma’s last surprise party.
“Okay, that’s disturbing,” River said, holding up her hands in mock surrender, her laughs coming through like breathy cackles. “You win. My bladder can’t handle all this laughing anymore.” She set her cards on the coffee table and hurried to the bathroom, still laughing as she shut the door.
