Page 122 of A Dead Girl's Guide to Living
“Mad?”Ida asked, incredulous.“You’re fulfilling Margaret’s final wish, Dove. Why on earth would I be mad?”
“Well… I mean… I took her ashes without telling you. I’m scattering them… without you.”
Ida sighed down the line and clicked her tongue, and I could imagine her shaking her head in that way she did when I missed something obvious.
“I said my goodbyes to Margaret when she was alive,”Ida said, her voice firm and clear.“I have my closure. You have a job to do for her, so do it without guilt, okay? You’re giving her what she wanted, and you’re going to scatter her in the same place as Diana. I only ask that you do the same for me when I eventually kick the bucket.”
Tears filled my eyes at her words, and I bit the inside of my lip, clenching my jaw to keep it together as I looked down the deserted road.
“I will,” I promised, my voice gravelly.
“Good,”Ida said gently.“I have a customer coming in, Dovey. I love you. Stay safe, and have fun scattering, okay? And have fun with your new girlfriend.”
“Ida!”
She cut the line, and I could just picture her laughing with glee at having gotten in that last word. My eyes flashed to Ellis, who was tracing something into the dust on the sign while Liv sniggered beside her, and my chest squeezed.
The faintest sizzlingfrom another campsite and the wafting smell of BBQ’d meat had me grimacing at our humble packs of ramen, bread, and peanut butter, but I reined in my envy. We were on a strict budget, and Liv had sprung this camping trip on us. There was no room for hot food, especially since we’d invested in the pop-up kettle and tea.
One hundred percent worth it. And the scent of BBQ’d sausages wasn’t going to change my mind.
I glanced over at the tent, which had gone up in under five minutes. I doubted its ability to provide any real warmth tonight, given the cost and ease of construction, but it would do for one night. Still, watching how easily our little camp had come together left me sitting in a deep state of mistrust.
Nothing on this trip happened that easily.
Not stealing the ashes.
Not driving across the country with a ghost.
Margaret’s ashes were safely stowed in the trunk of the car, wrapped in the tote bag. I knew I wanted to scatter some of her at the halfway point before we left tomorrow.
The sun had already started slipping beneath the horizon, and the first few stars of the evening were beginning to prick their way into the light navy wash of the sky. I was perched on a cheap camping chair I’d swiped from lost and found, the worst one. I’d given Ellis the more put-together chair.
My iPad rested haphazardly on my knees as I continued working on my tarot deck, having now moved on to the Eight of Swords. I was halfway through sketching the blind and bound woman when I realized I’d been drawing Ellis—paying special attention to the details of her red hair—but it was too late to stop now.
At the thought of her, I glanced up, taking her in as she lounged in the camper chair, her back against one armrest and her legs draped over the other. She was editing a video on her phone for her channel, brows knit together in concentration, earphones in as she worked.
The glow of the screen lit her face softly, and I caught the smallest quirk at the corner of her mouth, an almost smile tugging at her cheeks, tugging at something in my chest in return.
She looked content, which was surprising, given that Liv had once again derailed our trip and now had us in the great outdoors instead of a motel room.
Still, dinnertime was set and planned around Ellis’s medications.
The compromise.
Otherwise, she was just… actually enjoying herself. Starting to let go of the death grip she had on her trip binder.
I moved out of my illustration and clicked into the video I had uploaded earlier, eager to see the interactions and reach, to make sure I hadn’t fallen off the FYP with my lack of posting.
“It’s your weekly card if you’re an Aries, Taurus, or Gemini—don’t scroll.”
I watched as my hands shuffled the deck.
The Chariot came out.
“Aries, come on, you’re not impulsive—you’re just efficient. Just pick a lane and floor it, okay? Text later, but decide now.”
The interactions were still pouring in, people hearting the video and saving it to their bookmarks. My views were still climbing.
