Page 34 of Charmed, I’m Sure (Witches of Bellevue #1)

His laugh was warm through the speaker, washing over me like that first breath of fresh, balmy air in spring—the kind that carried the scent of honeysuckles and azaleas.

I closed my eyes and just existed for a moment, letting go of everything that had plagued my mind since we left Baton Rouge.

I let my worries over what would come from Sophie seeing us together vanish.

Just for a minute, I allowed myself to be.

Taylor and I talked for a while, about nothing and everything simultaneously. It was easy—effortless—and just what I needed.

When an hour had passed, the front door creaked open, and Maddie poked her head out. “Hey, we need you in here. Mer is planning a coup.”

“I’ll be right there. And tell her to keep away from my recipes,” I said with a chuckle. When the door clicked closed behind her, I returned my attention to my phone. “Hey, I’ve got to go. Mer is threatening to dismantle my dinner for tomorrow, and I’d rather not have to resort to takeout.”

I could hear his stifled laugh, and if I closed my eyes, I could picture it. I could see his megawatt smile and the little creases forming by his eyes, the way he would shake his head before it fell forward, his shoulders moving with amusement. I could see it all, and I missed it. I missed him.

A burning sensation filled my nose, and I tilted my head back to stare at the porch ceiling, trying to quell the tears threatening to spill over.

Maybe I wasn’t as silent as I thought, or maybe he just inherently knew, but whatever it was, Taylor’s voice softened as he asked, “Mags, baby, what is it?”

“Nothing,” I squeaked, sniffing back emotions that wouldn’t surrender to my control. It had to be hormones. My period was coming or something because I did not cry at the drop of a hat.

“Mags.”

“I just… ugh. I miss you, okay? Happy now?” I swiped a hand beneath my eyes as traitorous tears began to fall.

“Ecstatic.” I could hear the smile in his voice, and I pinched my eyes closed, waiting—and hoping—for him to continue. When he did, my heart leapt into my throat. “I miss you too, baby.”

Taylor

The sound of Magnolia saying she missed me echoed in my brain long after the line had disconnected, a smile etched on my face as I stared down at my screen.

The last few weeks had been rough. Our lives felt more out of line than ever.

She was busy at work—more than usual with the upcoming holidays and all the extra catering gigs.

My job was always busy, so that wasn’t anything new.

But she’d been steadily pulling away since the incident in Baton Rouge, and though I understood to an extent, it still hurt.

From where I stood, nothing around town seemed different. Then again, as she so pointedly pointed out, I’d never been on her side of things when it came to the people here. Since we’d barely had a moment to talk, I had no clue what was going on on her end.

Blowing out a heavy breath, I stood from the wicker loveseat my mom had set up on the back deck.

“Soooo, who’s the girl?” Addy drawled, her sudden presence nearly making me jump out of my skin.

“Jesus f-ing Christ, Adelaide!” My hand flew to my chest, my heart hammering against my ribcage. “Why do you insist on sneaking up on me?”

I whipped my head in her direction just in time to see her give a nonchalant shrug and slide a spoon from between her lips. “Why do you make it so easy to startle you?”

“Do you need something, oh loving baby sister of mine?”

She padded over to where I stood, plopped onto the cushion I’d just vacated, and held out a second spoon. “I was going to see if you wanted to share this ice cream with me—”

“That’s my ice cream, Addy.”

“It’s in the main freezer, TayTay, therefore it’s now communal ice cream,” she said with another shrug. “Anyway, I will still share, but now it comes with a price.”

“You’re blackmailing me over my own ice cream?”

“I am.” She nodded decisively. “Now, who’s the girl? And don’t even try to deny it. I heard you, Taylor.”

The fact that my sister was asking me who I was talking to made my heart feel a little lighter.

“I told you I would tell you when there was something to tell.” A small smile tugged at my lips as I sank down next to my sister and snatched the proffered spoon. Perhaps Sophie hadn’t told every Tom, Dick, and Harry about seeing us. Maybe, just maybe, she’d changed her ways like I had.

That misguided thought died with the next words out of my sister’s mouth.

“Fine. But you wanna tell me why Claire is saying you were in Baton Rouge with Magnolia Bellevue, of all people?”

Shit.

Shitshitshitshit.

“What?” I countered, trying to sound calm as I dug the spoon into the silky, frozen cream.

Every second felt like an eternity as Addy took another bite of Rocky Road and adjusted her position. My nerves prickled as I waited, my breath catching in my lungs, my mind spinning on how to direct this conversation.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Addy said, “Claire texted me a bit ago and said that Sophie wouldn’t shut up about how she had ‘the gossip of the century,’ or some bullshit like that.

” When I just stared at her, she rolled her eyes and continued.

“Evidently, she swears she saw you and Magnolia in Baton Rouge a few Saturdays ago.”

“Addy, you know better than to believe anything that Sophie Larson says,” I said with a slight scoff, trying to mask the rising panic in my chest.

“True, but then Claire sent me this.” Her phone screen illuminated her face before she turned it toward me.

That fucking bitch. Everyone knew that Sophie was a blabbermouth, and most people brushed aside whatever she had to say.

But this time, she’d apparently taken it upon herself to acquire proof.

I’d seen her pull out her phone, but I never suspected she’d stoop that low.

Thankfully, the picture glaring at me from my sister’s screen was blurry at best. My face was obscured by pixels, and Magnolia’s was blocked by the bill of her hat.

But there was no mistaking the hair peeking beneath the edge of the cap.

I could feel Addy’s eyes drilling into my face as mine stayed glued to her screen.

It was as if she were testing me, trying to see which path I would take when the facts were staring me in the face.

I could either tell her everything and hope that Magnolia would understand, or I could continue to feign ignorance.

I knew which way I wanted to go, but it wasn’t just me in this scenario, and the words tasted like acid as they fell from my lips.

“Why on Earth would I be hanging out with Magnolia Bellevue?”

Shock widened Adelaide’s eyes, her mouth gaping slightly before she tongued a canine, bobbed her head in disbelief, and let out a mocking scoff.

Disapproval flashed in her eyes, her lips turning down at the corners as she patted me on the shoulder before unfolding herself from the cushion. “I’m going to bed.”

“What about my ice cream?” I called after her as she rounded the edge of the loveseat.

“You don’t deserve ice cream,” she shouted over her shoulder.

“Oh, and Taylor?” When she reached the French doors, she turned halfway, narrowing her eyes at me in the best impersonation of our mother I’d ever seen.

“I may not have all the details, but you and I both know you’re lying.

So do us both a favor and just stop, mmkay? ”

I’d love to, sis. Trust me.

With a heavy sigh, I nodded. “Goodnight, Addy.”

“Night-night,” she sing-songed, throwing a finger wave over her shoulder as she walked back into the house.

With Addy gone, I was once again left with my thoughts—only this time, worry edged every single one.

Gossip would eventually trickle out and die.

But what do they say about a picture? That it’s worth a thousand words?

I had a feeling that pixelated image of Mags and me would be worth a lot more than that in this podunk town we called home.

Life’s about to get real, indeed.