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Like always, she gave me space to feel what I was feeling after the intensity of a session, only this time what I was feeling was something completely different. “Jaz, are you all right?” I asked, when I saw her dab at her eyes, her hands trembling slightly. She soothed my pain, and I made her cry.

She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, all good.”

The urge to pull her close and comfort her grew fiercer. “I’ll go grab the note,” I said and quickly walked away before I did something I shouldn’t, then took the few moments in my room to try to get my shit together.

When I strode back out, she was in her coat, ready to leave. I didn’t want her to go, though. I wanted her to stay. I handed her the note.

“Thanks.” She opened it and frowned down at it. “Halcapio.” She looked back up at me. “What does that even mean?”

“No idea.”

She blew out a frustrated breath. “Cool, thanks for nothing, Agatheena. I’ll show Mags, maybe she’s heard it before.” She shoved the note in her pocket and smiled up at me. “You’re making great progress. I hope you know that. I don’t know how much you feel yet, but I saw it during the session. Your original wounds are looking so much better.” She frowned. “This new one that appeared—”

“The new one doesn’t have anything to do with what happened. I don’t want it gone. I want to keep it.” I never wanted the sting of giving up Jasmine gone. Never.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive.”

She nodded, her gaze searching my face like a doctor would their patient. “Right, well…” She aimed her thumb over her shoulder. “I need to head off. If I don’t see you before then, I’ll see you in a week’s time.”

“If you find out what the note means, let me know, yeah?”

“Sure thing,” she said, then walked out.

I gripped the back of the couch to stop myself from following her, because if I saw her with someone else right now, I would kill them.

I would end them right in front of her, and there’d be no coming back from that.

Jasmine

* * *

Xavier sipped his whisky, his very nice lips tilting up on one side. “So, any luck finding your souls?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

He sat back. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Not as sorry as me.” I thought about them constantly, so much so, I’d started dreaming about them, about finding them, about Zinnia stuck in Limbo forever, about her calling my name.

He inclined his head. “I can see how much that distresses you. Let’s change the subject to more pleasant things? How was your dessert?”

I smiled at his attempt to make me feel better. “Amazing. I’ve never had anything like it.” Xavier was handsome and extremely charming. He was an intelligent guy, well read. Interesting. He also could wear the hell out of a suit. I really liked talking to him. I wasn’t nervous around him, which was surprising. I was shy by nature, yes, that had improved over the last few years, but going on a date? I should be a sweaty, blushing mess.

“This is one of my favorite restaurants,” he said. “I really wanted to share it with you.”

I sipped my wine. “I’m glad you did.” I studied his features, his contained expression. “So why did you ask me out?”

His brow arched. “You don’t know?”

I shook my head and smiled. “Nope. Only you know that. I’m a medium not a physic.”

“Well, let me enlighten you, then, Jasmine. First, you are stunningly beautiful. Honestly, after you left the first time you turned up on my door, I wasn’t able to forget about you.”

Okay, now I was blushing. “That’s…really nice of you to say.”

He chuckled. “I tell you I think you’re astoundingly hot and you think I’m being nice?”