Page 24 of Bewitched & Bewildered (Witches of Starbrook #1)

Chapter 24

Juniper

November is the wettest, rainiest, grossest month of the year. I love it. It’s a perfect fit for how I feel.

I’ve been without a job and a business for a week now. Phone calls have been flooding in. Neighbors are worried about me—about us—and I spend a lot of time assuring them everything is fine.

At least people aren’t asking about buying the shop. I’m not ready for that conversation, even though I know the time will come. I may never be prepared for it. Seeing the shop vacant on Main Street brings me no joy, but giving it up and seeing it turned into a sandwich shop?

I can think of nothing more gutting than that .

It is time to look for a job—or at least decide what I want to do. I settle onto the couch with my laptop. Our couch now has a permanent indent in the shape of my body.

Doing nothing has been nice. It’s the first time I’ve let myself relax, and let other people care for me, including Ozan. He’s been the shining light in all of this.

He’ll be proud of me for updating my resume. Baby steps. That’s what I have to take right now .

I stare at the long list of past jobs and all the memories that come with them. None of them were right for me. Why? If I can only figure that out, perhaps I can find something that is a good fit.

The apothecary was open for less than a month. My resume only has a month-long gap. I don’t have to add the shop to the list, but… I want to.

It didn’t work out, but it was a necessary time. Perhaps I can get a management job somewhere now that I have experience. That would be nice.

My long nails click and clack against my keyboard as I type. I lean back, staring at the words.

Hawthorne Apothecary.

At least it will be immortalized on my resume.

There’s a knock on the door. It’s so loud that, for a second, I confuse it with the thunder. It comes again, and I jump out of my skin, turning to the front door. I have half a mind not to answer it. It’s dark and eerie outside, and none of my sisters are home…

But Starbrook is the safest place I can think of. One of my neighbors may need help. That’s all it is.

I wrap my crochet blanket around my shoulders, desperately trying to stay warm, and shuffle to the door.

It’s Ozan. I should expect him, considering the time we’ve been spending together, but seeing him makes my heart skip a beat. It may not be from shock. It’s something more.

His hair is wet and shaggy, and his eyes are earnest. It doesn’t seem like he’s here for a casual visit.

“Come in.” I open the door wider. “You must be freezing. Where is your umbrella?”

“Don’t worry about that.” He steps inside, and his wet hands wring together. “ I had to come over.”

“Oh?” I lift a brow, smirking. “Couldn’t stop thinking about me?”

He shakes his head.

I freeze. This may be serious, after all. Ozan rarely wastes his time. We would typically go to my room, and he would give me something to scream about. The house is empty. Why waste it?

I touch his cold, wet shoulder. My brows furrow. “Oz. What happened?”

“Nothing. It’s not bad, I swear.”

There’s no soothing me now. I’m already assuming the worst. He’s reuniting with Vanessa. Something happened to one of his parents. He’s going back to Boston. Something happened to his shop.

“Tell me,” I breathe.

He stands straighter. His severe expression becomes gleeful as a grin spreads across his features.

“I have an idea for the shop—for your shop. I finally figured it out.”

My heart sinks. I already gave up on the shop, and I’m ready to find something new. I thought Ozan left it behind, too. Apparently, while I’ve moved on to acceptance, he’s still stuck in the denial phase.

Poor thing.

He has enough to worry about with his shop and the upcoming holiday sales. We’ll be celebrating the solstice soon.

Why is he doing this?

I shake my head. “Leave it alone. It’s over.”

“No. I’m not leaving until we figure this out. You can say whatever you want, but that shop is your dream. Maybe not the way you were running it before, but…”

“Then what?” I laugh. “What am I supposed to do? I tried it, and it wasn’t right.”

“We’re going to make it right,” he says. “And like I said, I have an idea. I think you’re going to like it.”