The Price Guide to the Occult(13)

Afterward, Reed and Nor had carried their coffee cups to an empty table near the back.

“I didn’t think you knew who I was,” Nor had admitted.

“It would be difficult not to know who you were,” Reed had said with a smile.

“I guess it is a pretty small high school,” Nor had said.

“And I think your French class is right after mine,” Reed had added. “But even if neither of those things were true, I’m pretty sure I’d still figure out a way to get to know you, Nor Blackburn.”

Later that night, Nor had been surprised to find a slip of paper tucked into her bag. It read:

Tu es si belle, ?a me ferait mal à chercher ailleurs.

You are so beautiful, it hurts to look elsewhere.

It had taken her a long time to write a response. She’d checked her translation over and over again to make sure she’d done it correctly. But when it had come time to give it to him, she’d panicked. All she could think about were the wool fingerless gloves she wore to hide the bandages on her wrists, or how she sometimes lost her train of thought in Mrs. Castillo’s class because her plants were always complaining that she overwatered them. If he knew her — really knew her — how could she be sure he’d still like what he saw? She couldn’t. So she’d torn it up and never brought up the first note with him, either.

Historically, Blackburn love stories lasted three days. Nor’s had lasted less than twenty-four hours.

Understandably, Reed had never spoken to her again after that. The following year, Nor had dropped out of school, and then, just like everyone else, he’d left the island shortly after graduation.

And now — now he was back?

“What am I supposed to do with that?” Nor muttered to herself quietly.

As she and Savvy approached the Milk and Honey Spa, Nor could hear the gentle ping of cascading water from the tiered water fountain. The sweet perfume of lavender hung in the air. There was basil and rosemary and mint as well — an entire garden sat beside the spa, full of carefully tended herbs and flowers Vitória Oliveira used for her essential oils.

The tranquil ambience continued inside with bamboo wood floors, warm sconce lighting, and soft harp music. On the front desk sat a menu of spa services, everything from mineral mud wraps to deep tissue massage.

Savvy jumped up to sit on the counter. “Yoo-hoo!” she called, swinging her legs and knocking her platform shoes rhythmically against the glass.

“Yoo-hoo, yourself,” a voice replied.

And there he was. He’d always been tall, but he seemed leaner — as if he’d lost part of himself while he was away. His dark-brown hair, long and disheveled, hung past his ears, and he had a large silhouette of a bird — a crow, maybe — tattooed on the inside of his tawny right forearm. The rich brown color of his eyes was the same as Nor remembered, as was the twinge of sadness behind that confident, easy smile of his. The way Nor could feel the nearness of him in her pulse — that was the same as well.

“You know no one ever willingly comes back to this place once they escape, right?” Savvy teased.

“I’m just breaking all the rules, I guess,” he said, smiling. He motioned toward the flyers Nor held clenched in her hands. “I’ve never gone to one of Madge’s infamous séances. Am I missing out?”

“Nor makes a point of boycotting it every year,” Savvy answered. “It’s her birthday, you know. October thirty-first.”

“Is it?” Reed smiled at Nor, and she could feel her face growing hot under his gaze.

“Madge asked me to pick up some essential oils,” Nor blurted out. She thrust Madge’s list in Reed’s direction.

“We’re particularly interested in those dealing with love. Attraction. Seduction,” Savvy added.

“Need some help in that area, do you?” Reed said.

“Some of us still have to finish our senior year and are too focused to be distracted by the pangs of love.” She sighed dramatically. “There’ll be time for that later.”

“Whatever you say.” He smiled, making Nor’s pulse jump again, and held up Madge’s list. “I’ll be right back with these.”

Nor breathed an audible sigh of relief before realizing that Savvy was staring at her, amused. “What?” she hissed.

Savvy smiled. “You’re blushing.”

Oh, damn. “Am I?” she asked, feigning sudden interest in peeling the dark-blue chipped nail polish from her thumbnail.

“Please tell me you two were secret lovers, and you had a special spot near the waterfall where you would meet every night,” Savvy whispered excitedly.

“What? No! People don’t do that.”

“People totally do that,” Savvy interjected. “I will do that.”

“I’m sure you will. But it was nothing like that. He just —” Nor paused. “He called me beautiful once.” She cringed and waited for the laughter.

“Oh, my God, Nor,” Savvy breathed.

Nor’s blush deepened. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“But it is. Oh, my God, it so is. Maybe you aren’t going to die without ever having been in love. I’ve been worried about that, you know.”

Nor scowled. “Maybe I want to die without ever being in love.”