“Why me?” I asked, whispering the words.
Her face was wet with tears when she let me go. “I never would’ve met Ben if it weren’t for you.” The mistletoe sent another jolt of warmth through me, confirming my thoughts. My path to Ben led him to her.
She wiped the tears off her cheeks with her shirt and I cupped her face. “You have no idea how thankful I am that I met him on that trail. Seeing you happy means the world to me.”
“And seeingyouhappy would mean the world to me,” she replied. “Ben and I are going to the Mistletoe Mania Festival tomorrow. Do you want to double date with us?”
“Sure,” I answered.
Violet raised her brows. “Do you know who you want to go with?”
I could only think about Jake, but I had to give Max a chance.
“I’ve already asked Max to go with me,” I told her. I tried to hide the uncertainty in my tone and failed.
Her lips pursed. “Something’s going on with you. Why do I get the feeling you want to go with someone else?”
“Jake told me he was in love with me,” I blurted out.
Violet squealed with exhilaration. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding. “You wouldn’t believe everything that happened yesterday. I overheard him and Hailey talking. He tried sabotaging mine and Max’s dates, and even went so far as to walk around my house in a bath towel when Max showed up.”
She burst out laughing. “I can totally see Jake doing that. Did you say you loved him back?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s complicated, Violet.”
“No, it’s not,” she argued. “He loves you and you love him. What’s so hard about that?”
“Do you believe in fate? Or magic?”
Her eyes narrowed curiously. “To a certain extent. Do I think there are forces in this world that are beyond our imagination? Yes.”
If anyone in my life was open to the possibility of magic, it was her. But even then, I knew I couldn’t tell her about time traveling.
“What if Max was put in my life for a reason?” I asked.
“Do you feel like he was?”
I nodded. “I do. I feel like I owe him a chance, you know?”
She sighed and placed her hands on my shoulders. “I get that, Lydia, I do. If you feel that way, then see where it goes. I just hope you don’t lose Jake in the process.”
That was my fear. My heart already felt empty without him.
“I hope not, either,” I whispered. “He means a lot to me.”
Violet nodded. “Then figure it out. Have you kissed Max yet?”
“No.”
She squeezed my shoulders. “Tomorrow at the mistletoe festival will be the perfect time for it. You’ll know where your heart truly lies.”
I already knew where my heart wanted to be. I just didn’t want to ruin someone’s life because of it. Max didn’t deserve that.
All I needed was to talk to Margaret, but she wouldn’t appear for some reason. I didn’t know how to get her to. Until then, mine, Jake’s, and Max’s lives all hung in the balance.
22
