“I’ll just drop Yoko off at my mom’s on the way to meet him. No biggie.”
I lower my voice to a whisper. “Okay, actually, yes. Please take him. He’s fine, but he’s been a little rowdy and won’t stop licking Kayla’s ear.”
Ace chuckles. “I hear Harry Wethers from Chem One had the same problem our first semester.”
I shove his shoulder. “Stop. Let me get the dog.”
“Wait. Here,” he calls, stopping me in my tracks and spinning me back toward him. “I brought some chocolate too. And a warm compress. And I know you guys had your own food planned, but I brought a couple steaks from that place you love. On the corner.”
“Brasilia?”
He winks. “That’s the one.”
“Oh my God, that’s amazing.”
“I had a feeling all of it would be beneficial today. You know, because it’s about that time of the month.”
Whenever I’m on my period, red meat is my go-to. It’s a trick I learned from my grandma Savannah. But how in the hell Ace knows all that is beyond me.
“Wait…time of the month?” My jaw drops. “Are you… Are you tracking my cycle?”
He holds up both hands defensively, a freedom he has because I’m now holding the heating pad, bag of steak, and box of expensive chocolates. “Not tracking. I just…kind of know now. I’ve been around a long time, remember?”
“Yeah, I guess you have.” I shake my head, incredulous. “Pretty wild, though, that you remember that shit.”
“Of course I remember that shit, Lia.” He wraps his arms around my shoulders and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Anyway, I thought this stuff would be comforting, but if you’re not into it, feel free to give it to the girls or get rid of it. Whatever.”
“No. It’s…great. Honestly. I can’t believe I didn’t think to get steak myself. The charcuterie was good but a little fluffy.”
“That’s what I’m here for, Jules. So you don’t have to think about it.” He winks, and I melt a little inside. Even on me, his winks have always held a certain level of power. “If you need anything else, just text or call, okay?”
I nod.
“Have fun with the girls.” He leans down and kisses me on the forehead again, and then in no more than a moment, he and Yoko are gone.
But thoughts of him linger. Dangerous, scary thoughts of what it’d be like if we were more than just friends.
I go back to the girls and the Ouija board, and of course, we start asking it questions. They’re throwaways at first—channeling our ancestors for basic hellos like it says to do in the instructions.
Is anyone there?
Are you friendly?
Can you tell us your name?
But as the night goes on, and the second margarita pitcher gets lighter, we get bolder and bolder.
Am I on the right path in life?
Do you use your spirit to guide me?
Is fate fair?
And finally, I work up the courage to test the scariest question of all.
“If you are able, and it’s not too much to ask, could you tell us the first letter of the name of our soul mate? Kayla first. Then Scottie. Then me.”
We watch as the planchette moves around the board in a circle. It stops first at the letter C, then an F, and then an A.
