Page 31 of How to Flirt with a Witch

Maybe there’s hope that it’ll one day feel like home.

With a few hours left in the day, we hit the Christmas market downtown. Snowflakes drift gently, dusting the ground and making the North Shore mountains look even more picturesque. I’m wrapped in my ski jacket, which now hopelessly reminds me of the chaotic day I met Natalie.

“Hey, brought you something,” Pearl says, nudging me with her arm. “I had to fight Nicky for the last one.”

She pushes a sandwich bag into my hands. In it is a slightly crumbled butter tart—Auntie Jan’s famous recipe.

I gasp. “You’re the best.”

“You owe me,” she sings, skipping off to join the others.

A huge, unstoppable smile tugs my cheeks. It’s the simple things that make me miss home so much—family recipes, Pearl’s energy, the non-stop chatter.

I share the butter tart with Hazel as we wander through displays and vendors, overindulging in sugar and taking ridiculous photos that will end up on my shelf. The air is filled with the scent of soft pretzels and gingerbread, bursts of warmth hitting me as we pass heat lamps.

Eventually, my parents and sisters go in separate directions to explore different stalls, leaving Hazel and me with our hot chocolates.

“Have you met someone?” she blurts, seizing the moment to ask about my love life.

I laugh. “No.” My traitorous thoughts jump to Natalie. I sip my hot chocolate. “How’s Sean?”

Hazel grins, oblivious to my deflection. “Great! I met his parents a few days ago.”

“Ooh, big step! How’d it go?”

She recounts the slightly awkward dinner while we browse the vendors. Tables are full of candles, soap, ornaments, flavored popcorn, candy… It’s all disappointingly normal.

“Are you looking for something in particular?” Hazel asks, maybe noticing the way I’m studying everything we pass.

“I’ll know it if I see it.” I’ve done this a couple of times since the doll—once in a used bookstore and once at a consignment store I walked by. Nothing has triggered the same reaction as the doll and Lucy. “I’ve still been trying to figure out what happened to Lucy. I don’t believe it was a disease.”

Hazel nods, looking thoughtful. “Same. I told Sean about that whole thing, and he—”

“You did?” I exclaim.

She chews her lip. “Was I not supposed to?”

I hesitate. I guess I never told her not to tell anyone. It’s just such a bizarre situation, and after Natalie warned me to keep quiet about it, I feel like we should be careful. “It’s okay. Go on.”

“Well, he plays Dungeons and Dragons, and he said it sounds like Lucy was carrying like… a jinx, or a hex, or a curse.”

I grab her arm as a wave of relief hits me. “I had the same idea.”

Her validation is like a hug, a reassurance that I’m not losing my mind.

Hazel leans in, flashing a smile. “Have you told Natalie what you think?”

“I’ve texted her my theories, and—”

“You’ve beentexting?” She balls her fists in front of her mouth, her eyes gleaming.

“Theories! And she won’t confirm or deny anything I say.” Frustration creeps back, and I crush my empty cup and toss it away. The hot chocolate’s warmth is dissipating, leaving me hunched against the cold.

“Hm…” A table of candles lures Hazel in. She picks up a pine-scented one and smells it. “You should try to find another pet with the same problem so you have an excuse to give her another call.”

Here we go—the part where I tell her I already found another curse, and her name was Rebecca.

I bury my chin deeper into my scarf. “The thing is, I kind of stumbled on something…”