Her eyessparkle. “There must be a connection!” She says excitedly. “Spirits go to rest in theplacethey felt the most comfortable in life! Did living here make you feel safe? What happened after you moved away?”
She’sspot on. Her theories are confirmed by the goosebumps forming on my arms. Ihadn’tput it together before, but the card must be right. Everything changed after we moved away. Claudia and Iweren’tascloseanymore;my momalmost exclusivelyspenther time with her at dance lessons and recitals, and I was stuck at home alone. No friends in a new town, having to start over. I never had a special talent, and it hurt somuch,feeling like a loser. I remember writing in my journal every day, making lists of all the hobbies I could try. Something that would give me fulfillment or purpose. Something that would help me feel less alone.
Now I’m back in Shadow Hills. I’m a ghost with a second chance, and maybe that means I can finally find what I’ve been looking for.
Without answering Simone’s question, I flip over the next card.It’sthe Ace of Wands. It depicts a hand protruding from a fluffy cloudholding a long staff covered in new plant growth.
Simone’s eyes grow wider as she leans over the cards. “You have a new path to follow,” she tells me. “Or a seed that needs to be watered.” She meets my gaze. “It’syour past and your present. So that means the last card is your future.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I take the final card and turn it over.It reveals two men holding out chalices to one another, as ifthey’remaking a toast, while a lion’s head with angel wings floats above them.
She hums to herself, intrigued. “This is theTwo ofCups. You will find a partnership in which both of you balance the other. It could be a friendship or a romance, but it willdefinitely bea beneficial relationship!”
Letting out a deep breath, I relax my posture and lean back on my hands.It would seem that all of my cards are pointing toward a future in Shadow Hills.I think of my sister again. Being here could mean repairing our relationship and becoming closer than we ever were. And if the second card is right, following the new path my spirit has put me on will bring me fulfillment.
“Just out of curiosity…” Simone grabs the stack of tarot cards from her bedside table and taps the top. “Pull this next card. I have a feeling you need it.”
My head is already spinning with so muchnew information, but I grab it anyway, trusting her intuition.
My heart freezes in my chest.
Simone sees my reaction and snatches the card from my fingers, then she gasps. “The Lovers!”
I know what it means before she even says it.
“I knew it! This is a romantic partnership in yourvery nearfuture!” She gives me a knowing wink.
Immediately, I see his face.
Theo. The ghost that’s slowly startedopening upto me. The one I feela deepdesire to help in some way. The one I keep feeling a pull toward.
I keep mybodylanguage casual, but Simone is smarter thanthat. She knows exactly whoI’mthinking about, butshe’sa good enough friend not to put me on the spot.
“Hey.” She reaches for my hand and takes it in hers. “None ofthisis set in stone,” she says comfortingly. “It’sup to you in the end.It’syour life.” She cocks her head. “Well, afterlife.”
Her comment not only makes me smile, but it puts me at ease. Idon’tknow how I got here, and Idon’tknow why, but being dead trulyisn’tthe end. Not for me.So,I’mgoing to do whatever I can to make this second chance count.
Chapter Thirty-One
THEO
I’mjust putting away the last book on the shelf in the library when I hear Kennedy calling out from downstairs. My stomach does a childish flip at the sound of her voice, and out of nowhere, I suddenly feelnervous to see her.
Aidan, Joanna, and I spent all day cleaning the second floor of the house. We managed to get most of the necessary cosmetic tasks done, but Aidan broke the news that the house needed a lot more than just a good scrubbing. He wants to come back with a team to inspect the structural soundness of the home, and instead of fighting him on it, I wholeheartedly agreed. My eagerness to start the process surprised both Aidan and hismate, butbased on the knowing look they exchanged on the way out, theyseemed to havea pretty goodideawhere my change in heart iscoming from.
Kennedycallsme again, and I hear her bounding up the stairs. “Theo? Are you up here?”
I shifted back into my physical body only a few moments ago, so Iwalkout of the library casually,handstucked into my pockets. “How was your day?”
She stops in her tracks at the top of the stairs. I also changed my clothing for the first time since she arrived, and clearly it was a good decision. Kennedy looks me up and down, slowly dragging her eyes from the black sweatpants hanging on my hips up to the matching hoodie clinging to my chest.
It had been so long since I’d worn anything else from my own wardrobe that nothing felt comfortable. Everything I tried on grated against my skin or sat awkwardly on my frame. After spending nearly an hour changing, I finally had the idea to use a bit of magic and duplicate an outfit I saw Aidan wear one time that I liked.
Clearly Kennedy likes it too, because she’s still staring at me.
“W-what did you say?” she stammers.
I approach her steadily. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m hoping that by following my instincts, I won’t make a fool out of myself.
