“Lily, is Sebastian a genie or not?”
“Fine.” I throw my hands up. “He’s a genie.”
Her eyes widen like she wasn’t expecting those words to come out of my mouth. “Are you serious? I mean, I thought he was, but I didn’t actually believe….” She flings her arms around me. “What happened? How did it happen? Is he okay? Are you okay? Oh my god.”
“I don’t know,” I tell her. “I woke up this morning and there was a lamp on my night table, but no Sebastian. I rubbed the lamp and he appeared, back as a genie.”
Her face falls. “I’m so sorry. So, like…what happens? I mean, is he going to leave you?”
I nod. “Most probably.”
Her hold tightens around me. “What are you going to do?”
I puff out my cheeks and lead her to the couch. Sebastian isn’t sitting there anymore. He must have left to my room to give Macy and me some privacy.
“I’ve been trying to find a way for Sebastian to stay, but I’ve had no luck. I don’t know what to do…if there even is a way,” I say, my voice choked up. “We’re going to be together until he leaves. I know what you’re going to say, that I’m torturing myself, but I just want to be with him.” Tears pool in my eyes. “I want to squeeze in as much time with him as I can.”
She rubs my arm. “Are you going to forget him?”
I nod. “That’s what we think. We don’t understand why he’s a genie or why I’m his master again. We just want to be together. He suggested we break up, but I don’t want to let go of him.” I let the tears fall. “Maybe I’ll remember him. Maybe we’ll one day find each other again. I don’t know, and I don’t really want to think about it. I just want to be with him.”
She nods slowly. “I know how you feel.”
“Andy.”
She nods again. “I don’t want to turn this to me and my problems, but yeah, I’d do anything to be with Andy again.”
“You mean…he moved out?”
She inhales, then lets it out. “I couldn’t write him a letter. You know I suck at them. I ended up throwing many different versions into the garbage and decided to talk to him instead. I just wanted to communicate with him. He told me he wasn’t interested in talking, that I should leave him alone. I yelled, he yelled, and the next minute, he was gone. When I came home from work today, all of his stuff was gone.” Tears fill her eyes. “I don’t understand. He told me he forgave me for kissing my neighbor.”
“He sounds like a different person,” I say.
“I know.”
“Do you think something else is going on with him?”
She’s quiet as she thinks about it. “Other than the whole Max thing, no.” She covers her face. “Maybe it’s just gotten to the point where we’re fed up with one another. Everything I say seems to piss him off. Love sucks.”
“It can be great, but it can be awful, too. I never expected to feel the way I do about Sebastian. I’ve read it in books and seen it in movies, but I never thought it could happen to me. Then it did, but it’s not here to last.” I take her hand. “It’s different for you and Andy. He’s not going anywhere, and you can fight for him.” I swallow my tears. “Your man isn’t going to disappear from your life forever.”
“There’s really nothing you can do?”
I rub my forehead. “Sebastian doesn’t think so, but I refuse to accept it. I’m not going to give up.”
She hugs me again. “I wish there was something I could do.”
“I wish there was something I could do for you, too.”
She smiles sadly. “I’m going to be okay. Are you?”
“I don’t think I have a choice.”
“How long do you think you have until…?” Her voice trails off.
“I already used up a wish,” I say. Her eyes widen and I tell her what happened, how I had to wish in order to save Sebastian’s life. “It can be days, it can be months. I have no idea.”
“How does he feel about all of this?”
“He’s really upset. Angry. All this is very frustrating. But all we want is to be together. I don’t care about anything else.” I don’t know how I’ll feel if he leaves, if my heart will remember him. Maybe I’ll remain single my whole life. I just can’t imagine tossing him aside like last night’s garbage and moving on to another guy. No one will match up to my wonderful genie. No one.
“Do you think this happened because the two of you had sex?”
I gape at her. “What? How would that make sense? I don’t think so. Wouldn’t he be more human if that were the case? No, I think his powers started getting stronger before we had sex.”
“Oh.”
“I think no matter what we did, he was destined to turn into a genie again.”
She pats my arm. “How about I help you with dinner?”
“You sure?”
“Why not?”
“Okay.” I’d do anything to get my mind off the future.
We head to the kitchen. She sets on cutting the vegetables as I start on the main dish. I’m in the mood of beef lo mein.
Sebastian enters the kitchen. His hair is messy and his eyes are heavy with sleep. “Hi,” I say.
“Hi.”
Macy’s eyes trail to where I’m looking. “Is that Sebastian? Hi, not that I can see you.”
He chuckles softly. “Tell Macy I say hello.”
“He says hi,” I say to her.
“How are you doing?” She asks him.
“Not too great.”
I translate that for her.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she says. “Maybe this yummy dinner will make you feel better.”
He frowns.
“Macy, he can’t eat.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
He moves closer to her and sits down on the chair near her. I tell her he’s sitting beside her and that he’s sorry for everything that happened between her and Andy.
She waves her hand, but her shoulders are stiff. “I’ll be fine.”
“He says if there’s anything he can do, please let him know,” I tell her.
She smiles a little. “Thank you. You’re really kind and sweet. I’m sorry for everything that happened to you. It sucks. You and Lily deserve to be together.”
“Thank you.” His voice is low. He looks at me and gives me a small smile. “You’re a good friend to Lily and I’m glad she has you in her life.”
When I tell that to Macy, she laughs lightly. “Believe me, I can be a better friend, but thanks. She’s a great friend to me, too. I don’t know what I would do without her.”
I hug her. “We’ll get through this,” I say. “We’re strong.”
She draws out of the hug. “I don’t know…because the way I’m feeling, it’s like the world is coming to an end.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty accurate.”
We continue working on dinner. I leave the kitchen to get something for the soup. When I return and am at the doorway, I hear Macy whisper, “Sebastian, watch over Lily. I know you love her and will probably love her all your life. I don’t know what’s going to happen if and when you leave, if she’ll remember you, or remember the pain she’s feeling. I’m just worried she might do something to hurt herself. I don’t know how these things work.” She snorts. “I don’t know if I’m making any sense. I just hope she doesn’t go down a dark path, you know, with the loss of you in her heart or something.”
Sebastian must be revealing himself to her because she gasps. “I will watch over Lily and make sure no harm comes her way.” I lean against the wall as tears enter my eyes. I can’t bear to hear them talking like that. I can’t bear the thought of my Sebastian no longer being part of my life. My heart is definitely always going to cry for him. There’s no way it will forget him.
“Thank you,” Macy says.
When it’s quiet, I rid my tears and step into the kitchen to finish dinner.
Chapter Twenty-Three
It’s hard for me to leave Sebastian home alone the n
ext morning, but I can’t miss another day of work. He can always “persuade” my boss to give me the day off, but that’s not fair to my coworkers who would have to cover my shift, and it’s not right for Sebastian to control my boss. Not to mention I need the money.
Mom called last night and wanted to talk to Sebastian, as she did all the other times she called. I told her he wasn’t home, that he was working. I hate lying to her, but I couldn’t tell her the truth. If Sebastian leaves, I’ll have to let her know we broke up. But for now, we’re still together, and I’d like to act like we are.
As I walk the few blocks to Inferno, a chill runs down my spine. I don’t know what it is, exactly, but it feels like someone is watching me. Peering to my right and left, I don’t see anyone. But that doesn’t stop a sick feeling from entering my stomach.
When I’m a block away from the restaurant, something black enters my peripheral vision. I whirl around, but there’s nothing there. Checking all around me, I see people rushing to work and kids running to camp.
Maybe I’m just imagining it. Or freaking out a little because I had the meadow dream again. It was short, maybe only lasting for a minute. I didn’t tell Sebastian about it because I don’t want him to worry. We have enough to deal with right now.
“Welcome back!” Macy says once I enter Inferno. My other coworkers gather around me, letting me know that they’re glad I’m feeling better. I know I’ve missed many days lately, and I feel so bad that they had to take my shifts, but I’m sort of dealing with a crisis. My boyfriend is a genie. He’s going to leave after I make my last wish. I know I told myself I wouldn’t think about this, but how can I not? I have no idea when he’ll need my third wish. It could be months.
“Lily Richards,” a voice says. I turn around and find Chef Charleston standing outside his office. His lips are pressed together tightly, and his eyes aren’t exactly friendly.
I swallow. “Yes, sir?”
“Into my office.”
I feel like a kid being reprimanded for breaking the school rules as I follow him into the office. He motions for me to take a seat. I shakily do so, forming different possibilities in my head. The fact that his face is stern tells me that this meeting is going to be anything but pleasant.
He clasps his hands together and leans back. “Lily, I noticed you’ve been skipping quite a few days.”
“Sir—”
He holds up his hand. “I expect my employees to take their job seriously. Now, a few days ago you asked me to give you some time off so you could visit your mother in California. I gave you those days and in return you promised to make up the work. Yet you keep calling in sick.”
“Sir—”
Again, he doesn’t let me talk. “When you first applied to this job, I saw the fire in your eyes, how determined you were. I even considered you for the sous chef position, which you declined. You’re slacking off, Lily. Tell me, why should I keep you here when I have many other potential people willing to work harder than you do?”
“But I do want to work hard. I just…I just…have some issues…”
“Everyone has issues. I don’t care what they are. Your personal life is your personal life. I expect you to come in and work.”
He goes on and on about what a great opportunity this is, when I notice something in the window. Sebastian is sitting there. He gives me a small smile and a wave. What’s he doing here?
“I gave you a few chances,” Chef Charleston continues. “But you let me down. I’m afraid I’m going to have to let you go.”
Let me go? My lungs grow heavy and I can’t breathe. I’m fired?
“Chef Charleston, please give me another shot. I promise I’ll be the best worker you’ve ever had.”
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Lily.”
Sebastian jumps down from the window. He steps closer to my boss and stares into his eyes. Is he controlling him? I want to tell him not to get involved. If I got fired—painful as it is—I need to accept it. I shouldn’t have it easier than anyone else because I have a genie.
Sebastian blinks and frowns. “It’s not working,” he tells me. “My magic. It doesn’t seem to…” His eyes light up. “Because getting your job back can’t be temporary. When I do things for you, they don’t last. Only wishes do. You need to wish for it.”
Is he serious? I’m not going to waste a second wish so soon. We hardly have enough time together as it is. I shake my head.
“You’re dismissed,” Chef Charleston says. “Goodbye and good luck.”
Getting fired from a restaurant such as Inferno isn’t the greatest thing. Working here can open many doors for a culinary student wanna-be like me. I can get another job, but I don’t know if it’ll be as good of an opportunity as this one was.
But I won’t wish to get the job back. I shouldn’t cut corners. It isn’t fair.
I don’t want my genie to go home.
“Miss Richards,” Chef Charleston says. “Please pack your things and leave.”
“Lily.” Sebastian holds up his hands, pleading. “Please wish. You lost your job because of me. Please let me make it right.”
Chef Charleston is staring at me as though I lost my brain. With the way I’m gazing at the barren walls, I don’t blame him. “Thank you for the opportunity, sir,” I say before I leave his office with Sebastian behind me.
Since it’s early and not that many customers have arrived, my coworkers stop what they’re doing and look at me. Macy rushes over. “What happened? You look like you saw a ghost.”
“Lily.” Sebastian strokes my cheek. “Please.”
I’m not mad at him, nor do I blame him for what happened. How can I? It’s not his fault he’s a genie. I definitely don’t regret falling in love with him.
“Lily, please.”
I shake my head and move away from him. I wish I could sink through the floor and enter another dimension where I don’t have to deal with my problems. I feel like everything is crashing on top of me. First my boyfriend turns into a genie, now I lose my job. What’s next?
Tears enter my eyes, and I run outside to the alley behind Inferno. I drop to the ground and bury my face in my hands. What’s the best decision? Do I take advantage of having a genie around? It’s not fair that I lost my job, but that’s life. Do I have a right to take the easy way out?
Macy and Sebastian are outside within seconds. She falls down beside me while Sebastian stands behind me. Macy rubs my shoulder. “What’s going on?”
I lift my head. “He fired me.”
Her eyes bug out of their sockets. “What?”
I nod.
“The jerk. I’m going to march over there and demand—”
I place my hand on hers. “Macy, I deserved it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I promised to make up the hours I missed when I went to California, and I didn’t. So he fired me. Can you really blame him?”
“I sure can. He has no idea what you’re going through. He had no right to do that. No right.” Well, technically he did, since he’s the boss.
“Sebastian wants me to wish to get my job back,” I tell her.
“Wait, Sebastian’s here?”
I nod.
“Oh, hey, Sebastian,” she says. I guess he revealed himself to her.
“Macy, please convince Lily to wish,” he says. “I feel awful for everything I’ve caused. She needs this job.”
Macy looks from me to Sebastian. Back and forth and back and forth. Until, I’m guessing, Sebastian vanishes before her eyes.
“Go inside,” I tell her. “Before you get fired, too.”
She touches my arm. “I don’t know what to tell you. If you should wish or not. But I do know one thing—you didn’t deserve to get fired.” She hugs me. “I hate to leave you, but—”
“Just go.” I’d never forgive myself if she got fired because of me.
Sebastian lowers himself next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Lily, I know you don
’t feel right wishing to get your job back. One of the things I love about you is your determination to do the right thing.” He gazes into my eyes. “I wish I could do this for you, but I can’t. Lily, will you please wish?”
“I don’t know, Sebastian,” I whisper.
He rests his cheek on mine. “I’m going to need you to wish soon, you know that. Let it be for something you really need.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right.”
He closes his eyes. “If I wouldn’t have returned to you, you wouldn’t be in this mess. All I do is ruin your life.”
“Don’t say that.”
He opens his eyes. “I won’t be able to live with myself.” He takes my hands. “Don’t you see how easily that can be fixed?”
I lower my eyes to the ground as I ponder his words. While I don’t think it’s right to use wishes to make my life easier, the truth is that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I do. I have a genie who can grant me three—well, two—wishes. Is it bad to use them? I look into Sebastian’s eyes and see how much pain he’s in. He’ll always blame himself for my losing my job, especially because working at Inferno can open many doors for me. Maybe another chef position will open up one day. If I’m fired from there, Chef Charleston wouldn’t so much as look my way. If I was employed here, I’d have a shot.
I don’t want to hurt Sebastian, and if my wishing makes him happy, I’ll do it for him. He might live his whole life yearning after me. The least I can do is make him happy.
“Okay,” I say. “I’ll wish.”
He nods as a swallow makes its way down his throat. I know what he’s thinking, that this is my second wish. One more and…
No, I won’t think about it.
I stand up. He does the same, and we face each other. I take a deep breath and then let it out slowly. Once I make this wish, there’s no going back. I’ll use up my second wish, and Sebastian will be one step closer to leaving me forever.
Gazing into his eyes, I say, “Are you sure you want me to do this?”
“Very sure.”
“I can always get another job…”
He runs his thumb across my lips. “When I leave, I want to be assured that I did everything I could for you. Working at Inferno is important to you and I won’t let you give it up.”
Loving the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 2) Page 13