Page 6 of Skate the Line

That doesn’t sound good.

Her smile catches me off guard. “It means new beginnings. Maybe you’ll be taking a risk soon? Making a change?”

She slides another tarot card beside it, and I do a double-take. “The Lovers.”

I choke on air. I did not come here for relationship advice. That is the last thing I want to think about as I contemplate becoming a nanny again for another pro hockey player.

Wait. Contemplate?

Am I really contemplating it?

According to my dwindling bank account, I am.

“Relax, Allison. It doesn’t always refer to romantic relationships.”

Can she read minds?

“The Lovers card means that you’re being led to love, but it can be a friendship, family, even a pet. It just means that you have love coming to you in the future.”

I’m skeptical. I bet she tells everyone that they’re being led to love.

Still, I point to the two cards that resemble one another. “What are those?”

“Oh. This is interesting. You’ve pulled both The Emperor and The Empress. The Emperor means a new job opportunity may be presenting itself, but it also comes with stability. You’ll have the power to make your own rules and set boundaries within your new role.”

A quiet, sarcastic noise slips out.

I should have set boundaries at my last job.

“The Empress is very similar as it also means new beginnings. Would you consider yourself to be creative?”

A small smile touches my lips. “Yes.”

It’s been so long since I’ve been able to sit and lose myself in front of a canvas.

Celeste raises an eyebrow. “The Empress is typically pulled for those with creative abilities. She also demonstrates a nurturing soul.”

The more the tarot reader explains the cards, the more I start to second-guess the reading. It’s sounding very much like Ruby called this woman and told her what to tell me to get me to go to Chicago.

New beginnings, new job opportunities, setting boundaries, and creative abilities…

“And that one?” I nod to the last card.

The shimmer on Celeste’s eyelids catches the sun again with her narrowed gaze. “That is The Hanged Man.” Her blue eyes pierce me, and I’m not sure if she’s meaning to be intense, but she looks serious. “It means sacrifice. Whether that be in your future or your past. Maybe you’ve had to make a sacrifice recently, or you’ll have to make one eventually.”

I clear my throat as a distraction. Just this morning, Ruby made that exact comment to me—that I’ve had to sacrifice so much as of late. My home, my sense of self, my future, my outlook on men and relationships, and worst of all, my own judgment.

Celeste grabs me by the hand. It startles me, even though her touch is soft and warm. “The good thing that comes with The Hanged Man is wisdom. If you’re recalling a sacrifice in your life, then take comfort in knowing you’ve been through the trials already. Trust your intuition, sweet child. Let your energy lead you. Trust yourself in whatever your future holds.”

My phone vibrates again. I’d bet my life it’s another text from Ruby.

Celeste eventually releases my hand, and my session finishes. It’s donation only, and I tip her more than I planned on, but I would be lying if I said my outlook wasn’t a little skewed afterward. There’s a weird energy flowing through my body that I swear wasn’t there before.

I slip out from the purple curtains and step onto the sidewalk blanketed in sand. I shake out my hands as I make my way to the shade and finally open my texts.

It’s a photo of Ruby and me in our bikinis from last summer. The only off thing about the photo is that the background isn’t the pool that I know should be there. Instead, it’s a cityscape that isclearlyphotoshopped in. There’s a billboard behind us that saysThe future awaits.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Ruby edited that into the photo too, but I can't help but question if the universe really is giving me a sign.

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