Page 44 of A Hexcellent Chance to Fall in Love

Until the Store Closes

Pepper

Opening night for the haunted house was a massive success, and the line for it was wrapped around the corner.

The whole town was full of tourists for the season wanting to get a glimpse of the spectacular job Christina and her students had done.

At least that’s what I’d been told all evening from people coming in and out of The Dead of Night while I worked.

They said that “Haunted Woods” by Clover Creek High would probably be the highest-grossing event the school—and the town—had ever seen, all with a little help from an app called TikTok.

I guess there had been some rumbling about them trying to shut the app down earlier in the year, but it never happened, and luckily so, because I’d never seen so many people in the store—and in the town—before.

Teens really had figured out social media, and it was working for them.

The store was also flooded with new customers, and New Guy was nowhere in sight, so as much as I had wanted to get over to the house before it closed for the night, it wasn’t going to happen.

The store wasn’t exactly my priority, but these people would be remembering me this time—thanks to Mrs.Stein—so I needed to make a good impression.

Not because I was worried about working here again.

Soon, I’d be living in this town, so I couldn’t start off on the wrong foot.

The possibilities of what I could do when I was no longer tethered here, however, were endless—well, maybe not endless in a small town, but it would all work out; it had to.

I had quickly texted Christina between helping at the register and finding last-minute items for customers, and we agreed to meet up for a celebration drink at Tipsy over on Kiwi Street when we were both finished.

A couple hours later, once we closed the store and encouraged a few lingering customers to come back tomorrow, I walked into Tipsy.

Even though there was still almost two weeks left before Halloween, and with the house and most of the town closed for the night, the bar was packed.

Christina waved me over to where she had somehow managed to get two stools.

She picked up the witch’s hat saving my seat and placed it back on her head.

Her “witch costume” was a simple black pleather skirt and knit sweater, but still I was happy to see she put herself out there like that and was having fun. Slow progress was still progress.

“I thought you’d never make it,” she said to me, and then gave me a quick peck on my cheek.

“New Guy really messed everything up. He was so adamant about being on the schedule and then—poof, he vanished.” I sat next to her, and she slid a drink my way.

“Like he ghosted?”

“Yep.” I took a sip of the martini Christina had ordered for me. “Oooh. What is this?”

“It’s called Witches’ Brew and has blackberries and prosecco and something else. It sounded sweet, so I thought you’d like it.” She leaned in and nudged me with her shoulder. Sitting in front of her was likely her usual—Sapphire and tonic with a lime.

“Enough about me. Tell me how it went.”

A smile brighter than the full moon lit up her face. “The kids were amazing, and we ended up having to shut the line down.” She took a sip of her drink—her red lipstick still perfectly intact.

“No way.”

She nodded—her eyes wide and full of pride—and she should be proud. This event was no easy task, and she handled it like a seasoned pro, not a teacher who was in her first year.

“That’s amazing. You’re totally going to break your goal for fundraising this year.” I placed my hand on her leg—right below the hem of her skirt—and leaned in to kiss her. She tasted like gin and lime.

“Thank you, but that’s why I’m going to have two of these tonight.” She raised her glass and clinked it against mine.

My hand caressed her knee and found a little spot of prickly hair. “You’re amazing.”

She placed her hand on mine. “Stop playing with my survivor patch.” That was what she called the place on her leg where the hair survived after she shaved. “Why does that happen anyway? I swear I get it all.”

“It’s cute,” I said.

“It’s annoying,” she told me, and then she laughed.

A little while later, I ordered us another round, and Christina talked about the finer details of the events from the night.

I couldn’t wait to get to see the house for myself this year.

The plan was still for the crew at The Dead of Night to head over there on Halloween after we closed.

It had been so hard not to talk about what I’d already seen when helping Christina out.

But I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone at the store, and they wanted it to be a surprise for them, too.

I could hardly believe it would be our last time going as a group of Dead of Night staff.

That next year at this time when I was at the store, they would remember this trip we’d taken together, and I’d get to laugh along with them.

I’d be in on the inside jokes, and they’d know that.

It was all so overwhelming, I almost wanted to cry. All thanks to…

And there she was—across the bar, Mrs.Stein sat at a high-top table with who I assumed was her daughter, Lindsay. She looked so different from the last time I’d seen her. She’d cut her hair short, and it wasn’t brown anymore, but colored fiery red.

“What are you looking at?” Christina asked, and then followed my gaze. “Celebrating probably,” she said, and then took another sip of her cocktail.

Celebrating? My head swiveled in Christina’s direction.

Did Mrs.Stein tell people she would be taking on my position at the store?

I supposed that could be something worth celebrating, considering her condition—if they believed her.

“What do you mean?” I asked, wanting to know what she had said that made people this excited for her to go out drinking and not running off to get an MRI of her head.

“Oh, it’s all over town. Mrs.Stein is going to be okay. There was some big mix-up at the hospital.” Christina raised her brows at me. “I think she can sue.”

“Be okay”? She could sue the hospital, because she was okay ?

I couldn’t wrap my head around those words.

She was supposed to be preparing to meet me in a few days.

She was supposed to be living it up and saying her goodbyes.

Maybe that was it. Maybe this was the story she wanted to leave everyone with before they forgot all about her.

That had to be it, didn’t it? But what if it wasn’t?

There was only one way to settle this. I told Christina I’d be right back and headed toward where Mrs.Stein stood across the room with a champagne flute clenched in her hand.

“Pepper.” She said my name without reservation. “I’ve got great news. I’m going to live!”

The group she was with cheered, but a pit opened up in my stomach.

“You’re just saying that, aren’t you? Because we—”

“I’m sorry,” she said as she pulled me into her. She hugged me like we were old friends—which I supposed we were. “They sent me off to a specialist, but there had been some kind of mix-up with my file. I just got back. I was going to tell you. But they say I really am going to be okay.”

“And we’re going to sue their pants off,” someone in her group yelled.

My body started to quiver. Sadness, disbelief, and even a little anger all fought for the upper hand.

I was a cyclone of emotions, passing through all the stages of grief simultaneously.

“You promised.” My voice was nothing but a whisper.

This couldn’t be happening. This had to be some kind of cruel joke.

“I know, but I’m sure there’s still time to find someone else,” she said.

She had no idea what she was talking about, but there was no use saying any of that to her. “Congratulations,” I squeaked out. “I have to go.” I pushed myself through the crowd as it became harder and harder to breathe.

This was where I was supposed to finally get what I wanted. It was supposed to be me who was celebrating. She was ruining everything. Yes, it was selfish of me, but this was supposed to be my time. The anger that was only a mild sensation before took full control and heated me to my core.

I was halfway down the block when someone grabbed my arm.

“Hey, what was that all about?” Christina stood there holding our coats, staring at me with concerned eyes.

The rage inside me couldn’t be contained anymore.

“This messes everything up,” I shouted. Luckily, the streets of Clover Creek were empty.

I was angrier at myself for getting my hopes up than at Mrs.Stein.

It wasn’t her fault, and I honestly couldn’t blame her for not wanting to do this. It just sucked—for me.

“What does? I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t,” I said. “Because I didn’t think I needed to tell you. I thought I had it all worked out.” My hands shook at my sides. This couldn’t be happening. This absolutely could not be happening. But of course it was.

“Pepper.” Christina took my hand—her skin so cool against mine.

How many more times would we get to do this?

Hold hands before she forgot about me completely?

“Whatever this is, you can trust me. I got you,” she said, and my throat got thick.

The words I’d spoken to her a hundred times punched me in the gut, and I doubled over.

“Hey, that’s what you say to me all the time.

” She tried to sound comforting, which only made it worse.

“I’m cursed,” I was able to push out without crying because I wouldn’t, I couldn’t—I had to be strong for Christina. I couldn’t upset her.

“Come on. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.”

“No, Christina. It is that bad. It’s not some figure of speech. I am legitimately cursed. And when the store disappears, so will I, and you won’t even remember I exist.” Speaking the truth didn’t make me feel any better. It only made me want to throw up.

The usual pink flush in Christina’s cheeks faded. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“What? No! The stories about the store are real—well, kind of, and it takes a human soul for it to work, mine in this case. And two days after Halloween, it will all vanish. Me included.”

“You’re moving away? I thought you wanted to stay in Clover Creek.

” Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe she really didn’t understand.

Either way, the timber of her voice had gone up a notch, and it made my chest tighten harder, quickly squashing down my anger like I’d had a bucket of ice water thrown at me.

“If you don’t want to be with me anymore, you could just say—”

“That’s not what I’m saying at all.” I grabbed her hand and held it to my heart.

“Well, you aren’t making any sense,” she said, the redness returning to her face, and her eyes filling with tears. “And if this is your way of trying to not feel guilty about leaving or something, you could just tell me.”

I locked onto Christina’s gaze. There was something so vulnerable about her face—about the way she looked at me.

It was no use. Like it had been before when I’d attempted to tell anyone about my situation, Christina didn’t want to believe me.

I couldn’t blame her. Just like I couldn’t blame Mrs.Stein for not wanting it.

If it hadn’t happened to me, I probably wouldn’t believe it either.

And now we were so close to Halloween and then I’d be gone.

I’d disappear, and Christina wouldn’t remember anyway.

Did I want to spend the last few days I had with her fighting?

No. Of course not. So I did what I needed to and plastered on a smile.

“You’re right. I’m just kidding. I thought it would be funny, but I can see I was wrong.

” I pulled her toward me, wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in her hair.

“I’m sorry. Can you please forgive me and forget all of this happened? ”

“So you don’t want to break up with me?” Her voice was muffled by my shoulder, but the way it shook shattered my heart. Never in a million years did I ever want to hurt her.

“No. Breaking up with you isn’t something I ever want to do.”

She dropped our coats and wrapped her arms around me. “Good. Because I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She sucked in a breath.

“Please don’t cry,” I said. “I never want to leave you. Okay?”

She nodded. “Okay, good. Because I never want to leave you either.”

It had been a long day, and she hadn’t slept much since the haunted house started, and she probably shouldn’t have had that second gin and tonic. “Let me take you home.”

“I’d like that.” Christina pulled back, wiped her eyes, and kissed my cheek. “Can you stay the night?”

“Anything you want.” I kissed her forehead. “I got you.”