Page 13
Story: Petty AF
The glow of streetlights and neon signs painted his features in colorful hues as we navigated the streets, and I caught myself stealing glances at him. It still seemed impossible that this amazing person belonged to me, and even more unbelievable that he seemed to be okay with it.
“I’m guessing you’re not in the mood for anything that requires a translation guide to order,” I teased as I scanned the storefronts for a suitable option.
“Definitely not,” he answered, his laughter warm and genuine. “I want comfort food. The greasier, the better.”
“How about there?” I asked, pointing out an unassuming diner with a sign that promised the best burgers in town.
River’s eyes shined with approval as he bobbed his head. “Perfect.” Then he glanced up at me, his expression filled with earnestness and the barest hint of uncertainty. “I like this.”
I raised an eyebrow in question.
“Us,” he clarified, his voice nearly inaudible over the thrum of traffic. “It feels…easy. Natural, I guess.”
My chest swelled, even as my shoulders relaxed, his words sinking deep into the space I hadn’t realized I’d reserved for doubts. “I know exactly what you mean,” I admitted. “It feels right.”
The way we had met didn’t fit into a tidy little box. It had been messy, chaotic, and maybe even a little ridiculous.
And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
five
~ River ~
Asitturnedout,the curse had not been temporary.
Every morning for the past week, I had awoken with the hope that this would be the day. That the magic would lift, and I would get my life back.
Or at the very least, my filter.
A couple of times, I even fooled myself into believing it. As I had come to find out, however, the hex only activated around other people. Alone, I didn’t spontaneously narrate my every thought, but as soon as I had an audience, all bets were off.
My mood didn’t seem to matter, either. Angry, excited, horny—it all came spilling out at the most inappropriate times. Which had led me to another uncomfortable truth.
Those two certainties in life? Yeah, there were actually three.
Death, taxes, and the possibility that I would absolutely say something unhinged every time I opened my mouth.
Desperate, I had even turned to MNSTR, hoping to find a witch or a warlock to undo the spell. It seemed the news ofmy encounter with Joss Weller had spread through the magical grapevine, though, because every request had been denied without explanation.
Not trusting myself to engage with civilized company, I had canceled my appointments for the week and rearranged my schedule to avoid leaving my house too often. I hated it, but honestly, removing myself from society practically counted as community service at this point.
That didn’t mean I’d been completely alone, though.
Through it all, Deaton had been right by my side. He had kept me from losing my mind, and he didn’t take offense when I said something outrageous. I truly didn’t know what I would have done without him.
He had also helped me draft messages to Otto and my parents, explaining why I would be unavailable for a little while. The fact that I couldn’t even text without my inner monologue being on full display was a whole new level of pettiness I hadn’t anticipated.
It didn’t end there either. I couldn’t watch a movie, play a board game, or seemingly exist without it becoming a problem, which made finding ways to spend time with Deaton challenging. Though he repeatedly assured me he didn’t mind my outbursts, it had to be exhausting.
Hell, I stressed myself out, and I lived with me.
Still, we had found ways to occupy our days that didn’t end with me wanting to melt into the floor. Cooking together seemed to be okay since I didn’t really give a damn how he chopped onions or seasoned our steaks.
Basically, I tried to avoid anything I had strong opinions about and opted instead for activities that required minimum commentary on my part. Which had somehow led to us giving my tiny front yard a spring glow up.
It had sounded like a good idea at first, but as it turned out, Deaton and I had very different ideas of what constituted “gardening.” I had been envisioning a quiet afternoon of planting colorful flowers and maybe pulling a few weeds.
Not trimming trees, edging the lawn, shaping bushes, and spreading new mulch.
“I’m guessing you’re not in the mood for anything that requires a translation guide to order,” I teased as I scanned the storefronts for a suitable option.
“Definitely not,” he answered, his laughter warm and genuine. “I want comfort food. The greasier, the better.”
“How about there?” I asked, pointing out an unassuming diner with a sign that promised the best burgers in town.
River’s eyes shined with approval as he bobbed his head. “Perfect.” Then he glanced up at me, his expression filled with earnestness and the barest hint of uncertainty. “I like this.”
I raised an eyebrow in question.
“Us,” he clarified, his voice nearly inaudible over the thrum of traffic. “It feels…easy. Natural, I guess.”
My chest swelled, even as my shoulders relaxed, his words sinking deep into the space I hadn’t realized I’d reserved for doubts. “I know exactly what you mean,” I admitted. “It feels right.”
The way we had met didn’t fit into a tidy little box. It had been messy, chaotic, and maybe even a little ridiculous.
And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
five
~ River ~
Asitturnedout,the curse had not been temporary.
Every morning for the past week, I had awoken with the hope that this would be the day. That the magic would lift, and I would get my life back.
Or at the very least, my filter.
A couple of times, I even fooled myself into believing it. As I had come to find out, however, the hex only activated around other people. Alone, I didn’t spontaneously narrate my every thought, but as soon as I had an audience, all bets were off.
My mood didn’t seem to matter, either. Angry, excited, horny—it all came spilling out at the most inappropriate times. Which had led me to another uncomfortable truth.
Those two certainties in life? Yeah, there were actually three.
Death, taxes, and the possibility that I would absolutely say something unhinged every time I opened my mouth.
Desperate, I had even turned to MNSTR, hoping to find a witch or a warlock to undo the spell. It seemed the news ofmy encounter with Joss Weller had spread through the magical grapevine, though, because every request had been denied without explanation.
Not trusting myself to engage with civilized company, I had canceled my appointments for the week and rearranged my schedule to avoid leaving my house too often. I hated it, but honestly, removing myself from society practically counted as community service at this point.
That didn’t mean I’d been completely alone, though.
Through it all, Deaton had been right by my side. He had kept me from losing my mind, and he didn’t take offense when I said something outrageous. I truly didn’t know what I would have done without him.
He had also helped me draft messages to Otto and my parents, explaining why I would be unavailable for a little while. The fact that I couldn’t even text without my inner monologue being on full display was a whole new level of pettiness I hadn’t anticipated.
It didn’t end there either. I couldn’t watch a movie, play a board game, or seemingly exist without it becoming a problem, which made finding ways to spend time with Deaton challenging. Though he repeatedly assured me he didn’t mind my outbursts, it had to be exhausting.
Hell, I stressed myself out, and I lived with me.
Still, we had found ways to occupy our days that didn’t end with me wanting to melt into the floor. Cooking together seemed to be okay since I didn’t really give a damn how he chopped onions or seasoned our steaks.
Basically, I tried to avoid anything I had strong opinions about and opted instead for activities that required minimum commentary on my part. Which had somehow led to us giving my tiny front yard a spring glow up.
It had sounded like a good idea at first, but as it turned out, Deaton and I had very different ideas of what constituted “gardening.” I had been envisioning a quiet afternoon of planting colorful flowers and maybe pulling a few weeds.
Not trimming trees, edging the lawn, shaping bushes, and spreading new mulch.