Dex’s gut twisted. “The first open home is today, thank god, but I can’t stop feeling shitty about it.”
“There’s nothing to feel shitty about,” Ollie said.
“I know. I’m not having second thoughts. I need to do this to move on, and I’m ready. But being ready doesn’t mean it’s easy. You know?”
Ollie squeezed his shoulder. “I know.” His gaze wandered to Harper and lingered.
That was odd. Maybe Ollie had told Harper about his parents’ deaths? Dex didn’t mind. He got sick of explaining it to people. Maybe Dante knew, too.
Ollie’s attention returned to Dex. “I’ve got something to tell you.”
The air in the room seemed to shift, settling heavily over them. Dante placed a hand on Ollie’s thigh as if in support.
What the fuck. Did Ollie have bad news?
Dex’s heart raced, and his palms broke out in a sweat. Was Ollie sick? What if he had cancer? What if it was terminal? For a second, Dex couldn’t breathe.
“What is it?” he choked out.
Ollie took the mug from Dex’s hand and squeezed his fingers. “I’m okay. I didn’t mean to scare you. Fuck, it’s not bad.”
Dex sucked in a lungful of air, not bothering to pretend his mind hadn’t gone exactly where Ollie suspected. He nodded and got himself under control.
“It’s something Dante, Harper, and I all want to share with you, actually,” Ollie went on.
Huh?
Dex looked around at each of them. The tone was serious, but it wasn’t like Ollie was about to make some big announcement about the three of them. Maybe about him and Dante, butHarper had his own boyfriend, so including him seemed random.
Ollie turned to Dante. “I don’t know how to start without sounding like I’m pulling a prank.”
“Want me to try?” Dante asked.
Dex couldn’t take the suspense. “Please, someone tell me. I don’t care how it sounds.”
Dante turned to him with a soft expression, wrinkles forming around his eyes and reminding Dex that he was older than the rest of them. “Ollie learned a secret several weeks ago, and he’d like to share it with you.”
“A secret?”
“Yes, one that Harper and I are already aware of. That’s why we’re all here.”
Dex looked to Ollie for guidance.
Ollie smiled, but his dimples didn’t appear. “Keep an open mind.”
“Sure. Of course. I won’t judge you guys.” Maybe they were all into some obscure secret sex thing? Dex definitely wouldn’t judge them for that.
“Magic is real,” Ollie blurted out. “Harper and Dante can both do magic.”
Dex wasn’t sure his mind could openthatfar. He laughed. “I see why you were worried. Come on. Don’t mess with me.”
“We’re not,” Ollie said earnestly. “I want you to know the truth, so I don’t have to hide anything from you. This way, you can get to know Dante and Harper for real. Magic is part of who they are.”
Dex shook his head. “Magic isn’t real. It can’t be.”
If it were, why did his parents die in a stupid boating accident? Why couldn’t magic have saved them? Unless… Maybe it wasn’t too late to change the past if magic were real.
Ollie squeezed his hand again. “It is real, and we can show you so you don’t have to take our word for it. But magic isn’t perfect. It can’t do everything.” Ollie hesitated, tone serious. “Some things are still impossible and can’t be stopped or undone.”
