My head snapped up. “You what?”
Anger burned a hole through my haze of heartbreak. Dahlia swore, over and over again, that she didn’t use her magic on me. She insisted that I wasn’t under one of her love spells gone wrong. And now she admitted that she lied! I could’ve killed her. Hell, if her mismatched lovers felt this terrible when their love spells didn’t work out, they probably wanted to kill her, too! Well, they would’ve if they knew what she did to them.
“Relax,” she said, holding up a hand. “I didn’t influence him or anything. We just talked.”
My stomach twisted as my thoughts spiraled back to that first night. I knew something felt off between us, but I think I hoped our connection was real and I was just scared. “Talked about what?”
“Him, mostly.” She leaned back, swirling her wine. “I don’t think I’ve ever explained but with my magic, the world is a sea of colors. People’s auras don’t light up until they’re near their soulmates. That’s how I know who to pair together. That night,Liam lit up gold. It confused me because no one else matched his spirit.”
Gold. Like the threads of magic that wrapped around us. I stared at her, my heart pounding. Hoping. Fearing. Wanting…
“Then, he asked about you,” Dahlia continued, her gaze steady. “And I had a hunch. One that was confirmed during our last girls’ night. When I saw you light up gold, too.”
I reached for my glass of wine and nearly spilled it because my hands were trembling so badly.
“Holly,” Dahlia said softly, leaning forward. She took the glass from me and set it on the table, then held my hand. “I didn’t meddle in your love life. I never have, and I never will. But you’re being a fool if you let Liam go. He’s the one you’ve been waiting for.”
Tears burned my eyes. I bit down hard on my lip, hoping the sting would hold them back, but all it did was send the flood spilling over. “What happens if I don’t accept the bond? Will he be lonely for the rest of his life?”
“No,” Dahlia said, shaking her head. “He’ll be broken for a while, but eventually, his soul will split. One piece will always belong to you, but it will search for another rejected bond to match with.” She hesitated, the truth pressing heavy between us. “But it willneverbe the same. It will never feel as right as it could have with you.”
My breath hitched as the ache in my chest grew unbearable.He’ll move on.The thought was supposed to be comforting, but it only hollowed me out. I squeezed my eyes shut, as if that could block out the truth.
“I…” I looked at her again. “I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want to break him.”
“Then don’t,” she whispered.
But fear had already taken root, its thorny vines tangling in my heart. I didn’t want to ask the next question. Didn’t want togive voice to the terror that gripped me, but it tore free, raw and desperate.
“What if you’re wrong?” My voice cracked. “What if I start a life with Liam—build something real—and then in March…” My breath caught as a sob hitched in my throat. “What if my magic stirs? What if Mom was wrong? What if there’s no escaping this curse, no running from this life?”
“Holly,” Dahlia said firmly, her eyes blazing with determination. “You can’t live your life in a world of ‘what ifs.’ You have to decide what you want and say, ‘fuck the consequences.’ You’ll never find happiness if you live in that grey area. It all comes down to, what do you want?”
I stared at her, my heart in my throat. What did I want? For the first time since my magic stirred to life, I let myself imagine what it would be like to settle down. To be with Liam.
I took a deep breath, already knowing the answer and hoped I wasn’t too late.
HOLLY
By the time I finally mustered the courage to face Liam, three agonizing weeks had crawled by since I’d ghosted him. Two days since Dahlia’s—for lack of better words—intervention. Every single day had been a battle—fighting with my heart, arguing with my head, and losing to both. But today… Today, I was done fighting. I was ready.
At least, that’s what I told myself as I gripped Abbott’s door handle, my fingers trembling so badly that I almost dropped my keys.
The familiar scent of hops and worn wood greeted me as I stepped inside, but something was off. It was still early—only six o’clock on a Friday—but the energy was different. Subdued. Muted. Patrons I assumed were regulars sat in their usual spots, nursing beers and murmuring to one another, but the electric hum of life that usually pulsed through the place was… dimmed. Maybe it was because the night was young. Or maybe it was because something was missing.
I swallowed hard, my heart thundering as I scanned the room.
Liam wasn’t behind the bar.
He wasn’t at any of the tables.
Could he have been in the back? Was he even here? Panic fluttered in my chest.Why hadn’t I checked for his car?The nerves that had turned my stomach to knots in the parking lot had been so overwhelming that I’d barely noticed my own reflection in the rearview mirror, let alone thought to look forhim.
“Holly!”
I jumped at the sound of my name.
Ralph came from the hallway that led to the lounge and office. I hadn’t even noticed he wasn’t out front at the door. Had he been watching for me? Waiting? Warning Liam I was here so he could run?
