Page 4 of Come Back To Me
“True, and it will be a relief to see someone having a worse week than me.”
“Well, today is your lucky day, because you will see a lot of people getting tortured and slaughtered.”
“Can’t wait.” I’d normally say, “better them than me,” but it’s hard to feel lucky being alive right now when it’s almost too painful to breathe.
Leo sets the popcorn on his left leg and I lower my hand inside, spilling some when a man in a black mask jumps out of nowhere.
Laughing, Leo shakes his head. “Somebody’s been suffering through way too many romcoms lately.”
“Romcoms are the last thing I want to see,” I whisper back.
“Good. They’re terrible.”
A lady nearby shoots us a look and Leo mouths an apology, staring back at the movie. He jumps against me and snickers, earning me a side glare. Not as many people die as I was expecting, and I scorn Leo about it as soon as the movie ends.
Laughing, he helps me gather our trash and follows me out the exit. “Hey, what can I say, the previews gave false promises. We can always go back to your place and watch Leatherface.”
“We can.”
“Or, actually . . .” He looks across the parking lot. “Let’s go over to that Wiccan shop and get a palm reading done.”
“You serious?” I sputter.
“Yeah. Why not? Could be fun.”
“I’d prefer a haunted house, but sure.”
“Haunted houses are for later in the month. You’re still going on the haunted hayride with us in two weeks, right?”
“You and Glen?”
“Yeah. I promise not to make you feel too much like a third wheel. He’s been acting weird and less touchy feely anyway.”
“Sure. Sounds fun.” And the kind of normal thing I should be doing. It’s better than moving around the house and stumbling upon weird hidden gifts I don’t understand. What if it was for someone else? Like a lover . . . My heart sinks. I can’t think that way. He wouldn’t do that to me. Or would he?
“You okay? I can always just take you home.”
Letting out a sigh, I shake my head. “No. Just having a hard time staying out of my head is all.”
“Well, maybe we’ll find something in that shop that’ll help, like healing stones or incense or something.”
I snort. “Suppose it’s worth a shot.”
“Yeah, even though you don’t believe in that kind of stuff.”
Who knows what I believe now. I no longer know who I am. I don’t recognize my face in the mirror or my voice when I talk. I’m a stranger to myself.
Ushering me forward, Leo leads us across the way, and I run with him as cars speed toward us. He reaches the shop door before me, opening it to let me step in first. It’s warmer in here, the air smelling woodsy and smoky. There’s a strange feeling drawing me to an area in the back, so I follow it, while Leo takes off in another direction to browse a collection of candles.
I stop in front of a row of leather-bound books, reaching for one in the center as if by instinct. I pull it all the way out, restingit on one hand to flip through the first few pages. The front door opens, letting in a gust of wind and the book’s pages flip on their own. I’m about to go back to the beginning but then something on the top of a page catches my eyes.
“Bring them back spell.”
My fingers run over the words and my breathing catches in my throat when it shows someone rising from a grave.
A weird sensation stabs at my chest, and I quickly close the book when a voice startles me from behind. “Can I help you?”
I turn to face a woman with silver and black hair pulled back into a clip. Her eyes are a gray blue, and her face constricts when her gaze falls on the book in my hand.
