Page 22

twenty-two

rue

“R ue, why aren’t you wearing that dress that I chose for you? It would be so much more flattering than what you currently have on.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes at my mother’s comment. Angeline Blackwood has been criticizing my appearance since I was a kid, so you’d think I was used to it by now. The familiar sting of her words begins to settle in. Don’t get me wrong, I know that my mother loves me, but her disapproval has been something that I wish I didn’t need to navigate.

“Thanks Mom, for that helpful feedback,” I say, hoping my retort stops her from going further.

“Sweetheart, I’m just trying to be helpful. Here, let me fix your hair.”

Now there’s apparently an issue with my hair. Screw this, I’m supposed to be having fun at my best friend Ada’s bonding party, but here I am being poked and prodded by my mother.

Swatting her hand away from my tight curls, I narrow my eyes in her direction letting her know to drop it. “Mom, I love you. Let’s just have fun. I mean, look at how many people are here to celebrate Ada and Ulgan.”

That’s right, I’m the queen of deflecting.

My mom loops her arm through mine and gives me a little nudge. “You’re right. Our Ada looks so happy, doesn’t she?”

Ada has been like a sister to me since we first met in college. I was a sad and lonely witch in a new city, but the Goddess smiled down on me when she brought Ada’s sunshiney self into my life.

“Yeah, she looks so damn happy. I’m going to go talk to her. I’ll catch up with you later.” I lean over to kiss my mom’s cheek and walk across the lively party to where Ada is chatting with her new mother-in-law Edie.

“There’s my best friend!” Ada shouts, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me in for a hug. Ada always makes me feel happy and seen. Being her friend is easy.

“Here I am! You miss me?” I ask, wiggling my eyebrows up and down to make her laugh.

“Of course I did. I was just telling Edie that I would join her book club next week for their monthly meeting. Want to come?” she asks.

“Is this the same book club that reads about monsters with big dongs and sexy aliens?” Please say yes. Ada and our friend Hannah have me hooked on the smutty books that they read.

“Oh! I love that description of our book club,” Edie says excitedly. I remember spending so much time around her when I was a kid. Ulgan, Theo, and I used to be friends when we were young. We’d spend every day after school together, playing and laughing. That all changed right before I left for college. My heart aches just thinking about it, so I decide to shove that feeling deep down to unpack later…or maybe never.

“Rue, we would love to have you join us,” Edie says. “I think you’ll really enjoy this month’s selection. I can stop by The Enchantress later this week so you can borrow my copy and catch up. Plus, I’ve missed chatting with you. It’s been way too long since we’ve caught up with each other.” She gives me a soft smile. I miss our talks probably more than she does. Edie understood the difficult relationship that I have with my mother and always gave me the best advice.

“I’d love that. Maybe we can grab lunch together too?” I ask.

“It’s a date, dear.” She leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Miss Edie Durzum is one of a kind. A mischievous look crosses her face as she tries to make her voice sound as innocent as possible. “Rue, doesn’t Theo look dashing today?” she says, turning her body to face the dance floor where I’m already painfully aware of his presence.

Humoring her, I begrudgingly turn my body to look in the direction that she’s pointing. I become lost in the moment, watching the man who I thought I’d have a future with charm everyone around him.

“You should just go and talk to him.” I jump and clutch my heart, startled by the sound of Ada’s voice in my ear. My apparently stealthy best friend has caught me staring at a certain handsome elf across the room.

Damn Theo for looking so effing good today. Almost the entire town gathered at my family’s house today to celebrate Ada and Ulgan finally going through with their bonding ceremony. Those two took their sweet time to realize how perfect they are for each other. Goddess, my heart is ready to burst with happiness seeing the two of them together and so in love. Ada and Ulgan are two of the best people that I know, and deserving of all the support they are receiving today.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I try to play it cool, running a hand through my tight brown curls.

“Rue, are you really pretending that you haven’t had your eyes locked on Theo since he got here?” Ada narrows her eyes at me, pursing her lips. Edie gives me a wink before excusing herself.

I can feel myself becoming flushed as Ada’s gaze intensifies. This is all his fault. He’s the one who broke my heart all those years ago, and he keeps popping up in my life being all charming and sexy. What an asshole.

“Fine. I was looking at him, but it’s only because he’s dancing with Miss Laurel, and she looks beautiful today.” I refuse to admit that the real reason is because my heart is melting watching him twirl the elderly dryad around the dancefloor. He makes it hard for me to hate him when he goes and does something sweet like that.

“Sure you were.” Ada rolls her eyes and gives me a nudge in the side with her elbow. Clearly, I need to work on my lying skills.

As if he can sense I’m looking at him, Theo swiftly locks eyes with me. I don’t know if it was a trick of the light, but I swear his typically blue eyes flash violet for a moment.

That’s weird. Breaking our eye contact, I shake my head trying to shake the memories of him away like an Etch-a-Sketch. Damn that beautiful elf and his stupid gorgeous face. Turning around, I start to make my way to the refreshment table for a glass of iced tea when a hand gently lands on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.

“Rue.”

And just like that, my heart pounds in my chest. I’d recognize that voice from across the room, especially since it’s been haunting my dreams for years.

Fingers crossed I don’t hex his ass for bothering me.