She swallows audibly as she glances at me. “How did you find out?”
I shrug. “Coincidentally, him and Clove almost got into a car accident earlier today. It was Dad’s fault, but he came over, yelled at Clove, and banged on his car window.” I take a breath, trying to calm down my quickening heart rate. “I don’t think he’s changed at all.”
“No, he hasn’t,” she agrees with a frown.
“So, you’ve talked to him?” I ask, a bit surprised she didn’t tell me until now.
Guilt reflects from her eyes. “I did a couple of days ago, and I know I should’ve told you, but I couldn’t figure out how, and I …” She exhales loudly. “He’s moving back to town, Max. Supposedly, his company transferred him here, but who knows if that’s the truth … With him, you never know.” She shakes her head. “I don’t like that he’s going to be living here. And I don’t like how he thinks he can just call me up and demand to see you after years of not being around.” She swallows hard. “And after how he treated us.”
I stare down at my lap, wishing I could tell her everything my dad did. Wishing I had a long time ago. But part of me still feels so broken about it, so afraid, so ashamed.
Keep your lips shut.
Don’t utter a word.
Don’t you dare make a noise.
“I don’t have to see him, do I?” I ask quietly.
“Of course not.” She turns into the entrance of the trailer park. “First of all, he doesn’t deserve it. And second of all, you’re old enough to decide whether or not you want to see him.”
“I don’t want to,” I say quickly.
“Then you won’t,” she promises as she pulls into our driveway. Then she turns off the engine and forces a smile onto her face. “Enough talk about him. Let’s do something fun. I don’t have any plans until later, so how about we order a pizza and watch a movie?”
I nod and force a smile on my face. “Sure.”
She pats my hand. “Everything’s going to be okay. I won’t let your father come near you.”
I want to believe her, but deep down, I know she can’t keep him away from me. Not when we live in the same town, and a really small town for that matter. And while I know I’m older now and can defend myself better than I could when I was younger, I worry that just seeing my dad might rip open old wounds and the memories that are connected to them will seep out.
And I’m not sure if I can handle that.
11
Ashlynn
“Dude, this is the most disgusting concoction I’ve ever made,” I inform Clove as he drives me to my mom’s store.
We stopped by the frozen yogurt shop on our way like we said, and I tried to create the most awesome flavor, but totally failed.
“And yet, you’re still eating it,” Clove remarks as I take a bite of my frozen yogurt.
“Yeah, well, I’m hungry.” I lick the spoon clean then set the half-filled cup on my lap. “I didn’t get to eat lunch today.”
“Because you got detention … again.” Clove throws me a grin then takes a bite of his frozen yogurt as he steers the car with one hand. “You know, with as charming as you are, I’d expect you to be able to get out of that shit more than you do.”
“Hey, I’ve gotten out of a lot of detentions,” I say, pointing my finger at him. “Mr. D. just hates me.”
“Mr. D. hates everyone,” Clove points out as he finishes off the last of his frozen yogurt. Then he sets the empty cup down on the seat between us and puts both hands on the steering wheel. “What’d you do anyway?”
“To get detention?” I ask, and he nods. I shrug. “I was late to first period, but then I got it again for all of next week because I was talking to Clarissa during class.”
“Wow, that’s a bold move in Mr. D’s class. Not that I’m one to talk, but still …” He gives me a curious look. “What was so important that you couldn’t wait until after class?”
I give a shrug. “Just girl stuff.”
He looks at me dubiously. “By girl stuff, do you mean …?” He leaves the silent question hanging between us.
I shake my head. “No, I don’t mean tampons and periods,” I say, causing his cheeks to tint pink. I snicker. “Ha, so you do get embarrassed. Good to know.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. I’m so not embarrassed.”
I smirk. “Yeah, tell that to your pink cheeks.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not embarrassed,” he insists as he steers into the parking lot located on the side of my mom’s store, which is nestled between a railroad track and a rundown gas station. “That’s totally from a sunburn.”
I can’t help chuckling. “Whatever, dude, you’re so blushing.”
He shoves the shifter into park then shovels up a spoonful of my melted frozen yogurt into his mouth. “Say what you want, but I never blush.” He licks his spoon clean as he stares at the side of the brick building that’s decorated with graffiti. “You know, it’s weird. I’ve driven by this store a shit ton of times, but I never knew your mom owned it.”
“Yeah … I wasn’t a fan of people knowing that,” I divulge, feeling shameful. “Because I was … embarrassed, I guess.”
A crease forms between his brows as he glances at me. “Why would you be embarrassed about that?”
I shrug, unbuckling my seatbelt. “I told Queeny about it once, and she started making jokes about my mom being into witchcraft.” When the creases between his brows deepen, I add, “The store brings in a lot of people who are into witchcraft and stuff, and I guess in Queeny’s eyes that means my mom’s into it.”
He lifts a brow. “She’s kind of stupid, that one.”
“Yeah, she is.” I smile, reaching for the door handle. “Thanks for the ride. Clarissa told you she was gonna pick me up after work, right?”
He nods then juts out his bottom lip. “It totally bummed me out. I really like my Ash time.”
I roll my eyes, but the corners of my lips twitch. “You say that now, but trust me, if you spent more time with me, you wouldn’t be saying that.”
He dismisses me with a flick of his wrist. “Nah, that’d never happen.”
Shaking my head and trying not to smile, I push open the door and start to climb out.
“Ash,” he says, and I pause, glancing back at him. “How are you doing after that whole ordeal with Max’s dad?”
I grab my frozen yogurt cup off the seat. “I’m fine. I’m just worried about Maxon. He was being really quiet after it happened.”
Clove nods. “Yeah, I’m worried about him, too. His dad is … Well, you saw for yourself. And if he’s back in town for good, then …” He shakes his head, frowning. “It’s not a good thing … We need to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t turn into … well, into bottling-everything-up Maxon.”
I nod, agreeing. “I’ll keep an extra eye on him.”
A grin spreads across his lips. “I’m sure you will.”
Rolling my eyes, I start to shut the door. “See you later.”
“See you at the party!” he shouts as the door shuts.
I wave then turn and head for the store as he steers out of the parking lot. Thoughts of Maxon fill my mind, taking over almost every other thing I’ve been worrying about today. Of course, the moment I step into the store, I’m reminded of them as my phone dings inside my pocket.
I fish it out and frown.
THS: Tonight, at your little get-together, I want you to befriend Ava. And I’m not just talking about letting her into you and your friends’ group. I want you personally to befriend her.
I grit my teeth. Are they freakin’ kidding me? What’s their deal with Ava and wanting her to be friends with me?
Me: I can’t befriend someone who despises me.
THS: Sure you can. You’re Ashlynn Wynterland. You can charm your way into anyone’s life, right? At least, that’s what your friends are always telling you.
My heart plummets in my chest as I recall how Clove and Maxon tell me this a
ll the time. But how does The Heartbreaker Society know? Unless they’ve somehow been listening to our conversations. Well, either that or Maxon or Clove have been feeding them information about me.
I shake my head. No, there’s no way they’d do that.
At least, that’s what I try to convince myself, but I can’t help thinking about my situation with The Heartbreaker Society and how I’m basically doing what they ask because of what they’re offering me. If they offered Clove or Maxon something enticing, they might just do what they ask.
But then I think about all the speeches Clove has given me about what a good friend is and how they’d never betray each other.
I chew on my lip, contemplating what to type back.
Me: What if I say no?
THS: Then we’re going to call and inform your mother right now of all the things you’ve been up to, starting with the detentions you got today. And that will be followed up with how you’re planning a party tonight.
The muscles in my jaw pulsate.
When the society first contacted me, I assumed they were good. Now I feel like I’m being blackmailed. And while I want to tell them to go screw themselves, I don’t want my mother to find out about the detentions and the party. If she does, she might not go to the doctors with my dad, and she needs to be there for them.
Sighing, I text back.
Me: Fine.
THS: Smart choice. And Ash, just remember, everything that you do, we know, so don’t try to screw us over. If you do, we’ll screw you over. Cooperate and you’ll be showered with rewards.
Again, I have the urge to tell them to go screw themselves, but then my mom walks out of the back room, reminding me of the consequences if I do.
12
Ashlynn
My mom is freaking out about leaving. She’s acting as if I’ve never worked here a day in my life, and I have a lot. Honestly, at this point, I’m wondering if she’s ever going to leave.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” she double-checks for, like, the twentieth time.
I nod and shoo her toward the doors. “Yes, I’ve got this. Now go or you’re going to be late.”
She slips the handle of her purse over her shoulder, still wavering. “I know, but … Did I tell you how to lock up the register?”
“Yes.
“And that you need to drop off the money at the bank?”
“Yes.”
“And Clarissa is picking you up so you don’t have to take the bus, right?”
I nod. “Yep.”
Anxiety creases her forehead. “And—”
“Mom,” I cut her off, gently pushing her toward the door. “I promise I can do this. And you can call me when I’m locking up. But standing around and repeating everything over and over again isn’t doing anything but wasting time. And Dad’s waiting for you.”
She lets out a heavy sigh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re right.” She offers me a small smile. “That was some good advice.”
“Yeah, I know,” I tell her, gesturing at my face. “This is more than just a pretty face.”
Smiling, she pulls me in for a hug. “Call me if you need anything.”
“I will.” I hug her back.
“You’re a good kid, Ash,” she tells me as she steps back. “You really are.”
I force a smile on my face, feeling sort of guilty. Sure, I’ve gotten better at being a better person, but with the detentions, not telling Maxon about the society, and agreeing to befriend people I don’t like to benefit myself, I feel like I might be regressing a bit.
Maybe if I knew more about what the society’s end game was to all this blackmailing and manipulation, I’d be able to feel better. Or worse, depending on what it is.
“Love you, sweetie,” my mom calls out as she distractedly leaves the store.
If she hadn’t been so distracted, she probably would’ve noticed my mood shift. Fortunately, though, she doesn’t, because all that would lead to is more procrastination to leave on her part.
Once she’s gone, I make my way back to the cash register that’s located near the far back wall of the store. To the left of it is the storage room and to the right is the restroom. And in front of it are rows of shelves and glass display cases that contain all sorts of herbs, special stones, crystals, and strange-looking knickknacks that are supposed to bring good luck, calmness, open up your mind—weird shit like that.
My mom calls her store a natural healing supply store, and I think that’s what she believes it is, but I’ve worked here enough to realize that a lot of the people who come in here are purchasing supplies for spells. I even had a lady come in who claimed to be a psychic. She couldn’t pay for what she needed—some supplies she believed would heal her daughter of cancer—so she made a trade with me, giving me a deck of tarot cards in exchange for what she wanted. I ended up putting my own money into the register, knowing my mom would need it.
As the silence of the store starts to get to me, I decide to take out my tarot cards and practice.
About a half hour later, I have my cards spread out in front of me on the counter and I’m stuffing my face with candy. No one has come in since my mom left, which isn’t too uncommon.
Finally, the bell to the front door dings, and I feel sort of relieved to have a customer because the silence is getting to me. When I glance up to greet them, though, I find Clarissa entering the store.
She’s dressed in the same outfit she had on at school, but her hair is pulled into a high ponytail.
“Hey,” I greet her, hopping off the stool I was sitting on. “You’re, like, super early.”
“I know.” Her gaze sweeps the store shelves as she walks farther into the store. “Will was getting on my nerves, and I needed a break. I was going to go hang out with Clove, but he was at some auto part store doing … Honestly, I’m not sure. I kind of zoned out when he started yammering on about cars. Seriously, he can go on for hours about that shit, which is cool; we all have our interests. I just have zero interest in car stuff.”
“Me, too,” I agree, rounding the counter.
Her gaze lands on me. “Is it cool that I’m here?”
I nod. “Yeah. No one’s even been in here since my mom left, and the silence was starting to drive me crazy.”
Her brow arches. “Crazier than you already are?”
Grinning, I nod. “Yeah. And I’m starting to worry that, by the time my mom comes back, I might be straight-up crazy if things don’t pick up around here.”
“Well, that’s gonna suck,” she says. “Because if you get any crazier, we might have to admit you to a psych ward.”
“I know,” I say solemnly. “If things end up that way, please promise me you’ll take care of Maxon and Clove for me. Maxon is pretty low maintenance, but Clove needs to be fed and watered every day, amongst a lot of other things.”
She giggles, and I laugh, too, briefly forgetting about all the problems I need to talk to her about.
As her laughter fades, she glances around the store again. “So … is this like a witch supply store or what?”
I waver. “That depends on who you ask.”
“I’m asking you.”
“Then I’m gonna say it kind of is. Although, my mom calls it a natural healing store. But most of the people who come in here are looking for magic spell supplies.”
She nods, peering around the store again, and a bit of nervousness rises inside me.
I never brought any of my old friends to the store, knowing they’d all make fun of it. Hell, Queeny made fun of it and she’d never even been inside. And while I know Clarissa isn’t Queeny, I sometimes have a hard time fully comprehending that not all friends are assholes.
She chews on her bottom lip, looking at me. “Have you ever tried to use any of this stuff to cast a spell?”
My brows rise in surprise. “Huh?”
She shrugs. “I mean, it’s not like I believe in magic spells, but I think it’d be kind of cool to gi
ve it a try. Just for fun.”
I eye her over. Is she being serious right now? Sometimes it’s hard to tell with Clarissa. “We could do it tonight at the party?”
“Really?” She grins, looking pleased. “Cool. We should look online and see if we can find, like, an amateur spell or something.”
Well, okay then. I guess we’re gonna do a spell at the party tonight. Definitely not something I’d ever do with Queeny and my old friends. No, if I were still friends with them, I’d be going out and getting drunk then making out with Knox.
Man, I really do love my new life.
“Awesome.” I turn toward the counter and Clarissa follows, digging out her phone.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were into tarot cards,” she says as she notes them scattered across the counter.
I shrug, telling myself not to get embarrassed, that this new life I have is filled with people who won’t make fun of me for liking tarot cards. “Yeah, it’s just something I do for fun.”
I move behind the counter and gather my cards into a deck.
She stands on the other side and rests her arms on the front desk. “Are you any good?”
I shrug. “Sometimes I feel like I’m accurate. I actually was a little bit when I read Maxon’s, back before I was totally honest with him. His reading said his new girlfriend was going to have a secret.”
“Aw, it’s like you two were destined to be together,” she teases with a smirk. “You just had to cut those puppet strings Queeny had control over.”
I nod in agreement, shuffling the deck. “And I’m so glad I did.”
She gives a short pause. “You know, I’m surprised Queeny never noticed you had a crush on Maxon.”
I set the deck of cards down on the table. “I wasn’t that obvious, was I?”
She snorts a laugh. “You were completely obvious to anyone who wasn’t self-absorbed. Or, well, and Maxon. He didn’t notice that you basically spent every chance you got staring at him with hearts in your eyes, only because his confidence with girls is really low.” She hesitates. “There’s also one more person … or, well, person might be a stretch, who noticed your little crush on Maxon back in the day.”
The Heartbreaker Society Curse (The Heartbreaker Society Series Book 2) Page 9