Page 22 of A Heart On A Sleeve

thirteen

Olive

Some Roads are Dead Ends

“What in the heck was so important you needed to crash my date?” I scoff, stepping out of my boots and untying my shirt on the way to my bedroom.

“Hmm, let’s see. The fact that you have a tattoo that is clearly growing, by the minute I might add, and we still haven’t found Irina.” Ari crosses her arms.

“It’s not growing by the minute!” I shout from my bedroom while rifling through my drawer for a nightshirt and sleep shorts.

“You sure about that?” Ari leans against the doorframe looking me up and down suspiciously as if she chased me in here to prove a point.

“Wha . . .” I start to ask what she’s talking about, but a quick glance tells me she’s not wrong.

Not only do I have pumpkins, candles, and a heart, but now there’s a cute little Boo added on, and the vines are longer, perfectly woven amongst the items. “No, how is this possible?” I didn’t feel it this time, maybe because I was distracted by the best first date I’ve ever had.

My heart skips a beat as I’m thinking of how easy it was to be with Sam.

He was completely different today, not grumpy at all.

Abandoning my mission to change, I throw the nightshirt over my shoulder and flop onto my bed, covering my face with my hands. What am I going to do if the tattoo keeps growing at this rate? I won’t be able to hide it forever.

I glare at her. “I can’t answer how it’s possible, I honestly can’t even believe it is.

I grew up hearing about witches and magic and all the things you’re living, but I guess I always thought it was a load of crap.

” Ari settles herself next to me on the bed and stares at the ceiling, careful not to get any of her face mask on my comforter.

“For me it’s even weirder. I mean, obviously because it’s on my body.

But also, I didn’t grow up with any of this.

I wasn’t even allowed to trick-or-treat.

” I huff a little, not ready to face the mirror or the truth.

I asked for this. It’s exactly what I wanted, except I don’t know how a book, a few pumpkins, some candles, and a ghost represent my heart.

“Are you going to ask me about my plan?” Ari shifts, bumping my arm with her face, green goop plastering itself to me.

“Ew! Go wash that off and then you can tell me.” I stand, walking to the kitchen to rinse my arm when my phone dings.

Sam

I had fun tonight. Thanks for going, I hope I can see you again soon.

I respond right away, part of me wishing our night wouldn’t have ended already and the other part glad that Ari intervened.

I don’t know how I would’ve explained my arm and what’s happening to Sam.

He made it clear he doesn’t believe in magic—it doesn’t get more enchanting than a potion induced tattoo that grows and changes.

You are so sweet. I had the best time, and I’m looking forward to doing it again.

Sam

How about Friday?

Sounds like a date.

Sam

It is!

“Who are you texting? Lover boy?” Ari waltzes into the kitchen, fresh faced and looking for trouble.

“Actually, yes. We had a nice time tonight but—”

“But what?”

“I . . . well, what am I going to do if things, you know”—I swoosh my hand in the air—“heat up between us?” I can feel the blush creeping up my neck, and I reach for a glass of water to cool down my throat.

“Um, I actually don’t know other than telling him the truth or making sure you never undress. That’s why you need to call in sick tomorrow.” Ari grabs a bag of salt-and-vinegar chips from the cupboard and moves into the living room. I follow, ready to eat my feelings.

“I can’t call in sick. What would Beau think?” I plop down on the couch, stealing a handful of the salty bits of heaven that I adore so much.

“He would think that you’re sick. You may not want to go, but we have somewhere to be.”

“Where are we going?” I can’t just be expected to risk a brand-new job. She better have an actual plan.

“Salem. To catch a witch.” Ari raises an eyebrow in challenge. She knows I’m going; getting rid of this tattoo has to be the priority, even if I’m risking pissing Beau off.

“Fine, I’ll call in sick, but we have to actually find something there.” I crunch a few more chips, and she fills me in on the plan. After a draining rundown of all we haven’t found and what could possibly happen tomorrow, I feel myself drifting off to thoughts of Sam and Irina.

I’m startled awake by what sounds like someone beating down my door.

Who the heck has the audacity? I roll off the couch, a half-eaten chip falling to the floor as I slink my way to the door, trying my best not to disturb Ari, who’s conveniently passed out on the floor.

I grasp the door handle, not thinking about my appearance or attire before opening it.

“Wow . . . that’s not what I expected you to look like at”—Sam glances at his watch—“8:53 in the morning.” He takes me in, looking me over thoroughly, probably assessing if he wants to run for the hills.

I swipe a hand at my hair, trying to tame whatever it is surely doing, and toss him an awkward smile.

“I, uh, yeah. I usually don’t, but I guess I slept in.” I shrug in an attempt to play it cool, even though my stomach is rioting as a reminder that it is wholly unacceptable to be seen in such a state of disarray. I have no clue what he’s doing here.

“I heard. I brought you this and came to see if you were okay.” He hands me a steaming cup of pumpkin spice latte from the Brewhouse. I grasp it greedily, sucking down a sip as quickly as possible.

“Ahh. Shi-oot, it’s hot.” I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, my face twisting in discomfort from the scalding liquid as I set the cup down on the entry table.

“Sorry. I thought you’d want it fresh.” He reaches out, running his fingers through my hair, removing a potato chip and handing it to me. “Looks like you were maybe saving this for later.” There’s that million-dollar smile.

“Oh, um, yeah actually.” I toss the chip in my mouth like a lunatic and crunch it down.

“Oh my God. Why did you eat that? It was a joke.” He looks horrified. I am really selling myself here.

“I-I don’t know. I think I’m still asleep.

” I laugh at the ridiculousness of this interaction and how I must look before realization settles in that I’m wearing only a thin layer of panties and my long-sleeved sleep shirt.

I casually tug the bottom hem down and then my sleeve as mortification settles in.

The tattoo shouldn’t peek out, but I also can’t be sure it didn’t grow again while I was sleeping.

“Clearly. I just came by to see if you needed anything.” He eyes me suspiciously. “You don’t look sick, so what is it? A case of the brown bottle flu?”

“Well, I don’t look good.” I peer down at myself, wincing at just how disheveled I really am.

Sam grabs my face, his rough palms scraping the sides of it gently as he pulls me closer to him.

We are a very bad morning breath away from kissing.

Is this seriously how our first kiss is going to go?

He looks deep into my eyes. I can’t fight the way I’m staring back into his.

There’s something about him that’s so disarming, it’s like every interaction makes me want to open up to him more even, though opening up to anyone is about as foreign to me as it gets.

“You are every bit as gorgeous right now as you were the first time I met you at the store.” He presses a tender kiss to my forehead and then releases me.

“There’s no way that’s true.” I practically purr the words out. He has me all hot and bothered from one little touch. Maybe it’s the leftover tension between us that Ari so rudely interrupted last night.

“It is, Olive. Now, I don’t know what you’re up to, but I do know that you called out of work, which doesn’t seem like something you would do. If you’re not sick, which we both know you aren’t, can you at least tell me what’s going on?”

“It’s my fault,” Ari yells from her spot on the floor.

Sam and I both look to where she’s lying. We can’t see her body since the couch is obscuring the view, but her hand is up as she wiggles her fingers in greeting.

“I see. That makes sense.” Sam nods toward Ari, and I slink out the door and onto the porch, closing the door behind us.

“She’s, um . . . She needs my help with some girl stuff today. I didn’t want to call out, but she really needed me and I didn’t know what else to do.” I’m trying to reassure him that we’re okay without giving him any details.

Sam runs his finger down my cheek. “It’s absolutely okay.

You’re a good friend, I admire that. Just don’t let Beau catch you out and about.

That old man can be a little grumpy when he doesn’t have someone to cover his lunch break.

Oh, and if you ever are actually sick, please let me know.

” He’s so close, my body is responding in a visceral way.

My stomach does a flip, warning me that maybe it’s too fast for my feelings to be more than just physical.

Maybe this is the lesson the strange voice wanted me to learn; if I’m vulnerable, I’ll learn the hard way.

Sam must notice that I’m lost in thought. He lifts my chin between two fingers so that I can’t avoid looking him in the eyes. “Hey, where’d you go?”

“Sorry.” I bristle at myself, shaking off the negative energy that comes with thinking about Irina and the mystery voice.

“I will, I promise. But, um, I should probably get back in there before anyone sees me and calls the landlord on me for indecent exposure.” Sam chuckles, raising an eyebrow in challenge.