A rap sounded at the front door. Gramps grumbled again, muttering under his breath when I pushed out my chair.
Monday stood on the front porch with a wide smile. “Hey.” She peeked over my shoulder. “What arya doing?”
“Breakfast. Would you like to come in?”
She pointed behind me and whispered, “Is Benny in there?”
“Yeah, come on. I made extras.”
“No, thanks. Old people freak me out, with their skin and arms and legs,” she shivered, “They’re like the people version of a pleated skirt.”
A laugh slipped out from between my lips. “Then what are you doing here?”
“Checking on you,” she paused and released a breath, “Okay, that’s a lie. I know you’re good. Youaregood, right? After the cliff and the ocean…”
I leaned into my hip against the door, thinking about what Julian had said. I knew it was my fault, jumping into the ocean. I’d made the decision, never expecting anyone to come in after me. But it didn’t deter from the truth: none of them did. Was it selfish of me to hold on to something that was my fault? That was my decision?
“I’m good,” I told her, but the words didn’t feel good coming out. They felt like a lie. I was good, but I didn’t know ifwewere.
“Good,” she said through a long breath. “Because a body was found early this morning on the cliffs, and I could really use your help at work. I know you’re not supposed to come back until tomorrow, but I’m so used to having you around and all. I feel like a shit friend for not checking on you, but I wanted to give you space. You seem like the kinda girl who needs space, and I can be overpowering, and I’m working on that—”
“I’ll go in,” I interrupted, seeing her face turning red from not taking a solid breath. Plus, I was ready to get back into my old routine. It had only been days, but days inside this house alone with Gramps, and the occasional drop-ins from Mina Mae, could drive the sanest person into The Institute of the Insane.
Relief flashed in Monday’s eyes. “Night shift?”
“I’ll be there.”
The heavy door slammed behind me, rattling the shelves of the apothecary store. I darted my gaze around as if I’d get in trouble for not being careful, looking for Agatha Blackwell. A messy, black-haired bun attached to a girl popped up from behind the counter, and I froze in place.
“Sorry, the door—”
“It does that all the time, don’t sweat it,” she said with a wave of a hand. “Can I help you with something?”
My smile was easy but lopsided. “Please,” I continued toward the counter and pulled my satchel on top between us, “Agatha made me this tea for Benny’s cough, and I have no idea what she put in it, but it helped!” I craned my neck, looking into the back room. “Is she here?”
“No, my mom won’t be back until tonight.”
My brows jumped. “Your mom?”
“Yes.” She pulled a binder out from under the counter and set it between us. “Schools out for the week, so you’re stuck with me.”
If Agatha was her mom, then that made Julian her brother. I tilted my head, examining her features. She was young, black hair with a defined Italian nose. She was very pretty, all her features the opposite of my own.
“What’s your name?”
“Jolie. And you’re Fallon, right?”
“Right,” my shoulders relaxed, “you know my name.”
Jolie shrugged, flipping through pages, eyes scanning butchered lines. “Everyone knows your name. And you don’t look like what I expected.”
“How do you mean?”
Her eyes snapped up under her lashes. “The way people talk about you, it’s as if you had three heads or something. Unless they pop out without warning.”
“Nope. Just one head,” I said with a raised pointer finger.
“Call off the hellhounds,” she said through a laugh and shook her head. “I’ll tell ya, people are ruthless. And I doubt my mother wrote the recipe in here. She’s always mixing up new concoctions, so I never know for sure what she gives anyone. Maybe you could come back tonight,” Jolie went on, her fingers flipping through pages some more.
