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Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

RIO

My heart races like a horse on a track as I pace the floor of my bedroom.

I almost kissed Sasha. I really wanted to kiss Sasha, but then I heard someone and panicked. And now I feel confused and a bit like an ass. I wonder how Sasha is feeling after I ditched him like that. I start turning to walk back.

The buzzing of my phone pulls me from my panicky state, and I pull it out to check the message.

Sasha: I guess I've never actually told you this before, but I like you. I'm sorry that our almost kiss scared you. If you want to go out on a date sometime and see if there is something between us more than friendship let me know. If you don't respond I'll just assume it was a sleepy mistake and I'll forget it happened. Everything will go back to normal and there will be no hard feelings. I just didn't want to leave you wondering how I felt.

My body is frozen as I stare at my phone, reading the message over and over again.

Sasha likes me.

I mean, I had my suspicions from time to time, but he's a flirt, so I didn't think it actually meant anything. And he said he wanted to go on a date, which means I really mean something to him, because he doesn't date. He fucks and moves on to the next. Which isn't something I would be comfortable with doing. But is dating Sasha a smart move?

I'm spiraling when my phone vibrates again, but this time, it's a message from BooBoo and not another from Sasha. This leaves me feeling conflicted. I want Sasha to send another message and tell me how much he likes me and why he suddenly wants to date me.

BooBoo: My mom asked if you are free today for a tarot reading.

Maybe the cards will be able to tell me what I should be doing.

Me: Sure. What time?

BooBoo: I can pick you up in an hour.

Me: Sounds good.

I shove the phone back in my pocket and take a deep breath when I suddenly remember my dream from last night. It was the typical dream of me running, but it wasn't a koala chasing me this time. It was Sasha. Which I guess makes sense. I'm definitely afraid of the feelings I've been having for him, especially since I wasn't sure if he was on the same page. But for some reason, knowing he feels the same doesn't ease my fear.

Letting out a sigh, I throw myself onto my bed and stare at the ceiling.

Why does life have to be so fucking complicated?

Exactly one hour later BooBoo is at my place, and I climb into his car, ready to meet his mom.

"Saying my mom is eccentric would be an understatement," BooBoo states as he drives us to his parents' house. "She's honestly crazy, but she's so loving and kind that it makes up for her weirdness."

I chuckle. "I'm sure she's fine. Aren't all kids supposed to think their parents are weird?"

BooBoo shrugs. "Maybe… But she's like extra weird. I just don't want you to say I didn't warn you."

"Dude, I'm going to her for a tarot reading. I know what I'm getting into here."

He hums his acknowledgment. "I guess you're right. Is there anything you're hoping to get from your reading?"

I flip the quartz he gave me in my hand a couple of times before responding. "Clarity, I guess. I don't think this rock is doing that for me."

"Why do you keep carrying it around then?" he questions with a stupid smirk on his lips.

"Because I don't want to tempt shit either. I'm worried if I stop carrying it around shit is going to hit the fan, and I don't want that."

BooBoo laughs, but he knows exactly what I'm talking about. Athletes aren't stereotyped as superstitious for no reason.

The rest of the drive is quick, and my palms start to sweat as we pull into a driveway for a cute little house. Flowers line the sidewalk and a wreath of lavender sits front and center on the door.

"Ready for the weirdness?" BooBoo whispers before opening the door and shouting, "We're here."

"About time," a woman in a flowy dress with long raven hair says before pulling BooBoo in for a hug. When she lets him go, she turns to me and offers me the brightest smile I've ever seen. It instantly eases the majority of my anxiety. "You must be Rio."

I nod. "And you're BooBoo's mom."

She giggles and grabs my hand. "I am, but you can call me Karla. Come on, I've got everything set up."

Karla gently pulls on my hand, and I follow her to a room that smells like a garden and is filled with herbs and plants. Beside the big bay window, a table is set up with a black tablecloth and a couple of boxes on top. There are two chairs, one on either side of the table.

"Have a seat and pick a tarot deck," she instructs before telling BooBoo to go help his father in the backyard. He stomps off, clearly unexcited with his new task.

Karla lights some incense while I look at the boxes. I'm not sure what the aroma is, but it's somewhat sweet and wraps around me like a blanket of calm. My eyes keep coming back to one box, and I feel like it's calling me, so I tap it, and Karla smiles.

"My simplest of decks," she tells me while putting the other boxes away. "Are you a simple man?"

I shrug. "I guess you could say that."

She hums, then removes the cards from the box and starts to shuffle them. "Have you ever had your cards read before?"

I shake my head. "I've always thought stuff like this was made up," I admit, making her snicker.

"I've heard that plenty of times before. I was like you once," she tells me, and when I narrow my brows at her in my skepticism, it only makes her laugh. "When I was your age, I didn't believe in magic or the spirit world. I thought it was all garbage until my last year of university.

"My roommate for that year was this vibrant young woman who was a firm believer, and I thought she was insane." As Karla talks, cards fly out of her hand, but she doesn't move them, just continues with her story like nothing happened. "She didn't care what I thought about her but asked if she could read my cards one day, and since I was bored, I agreed, thinking nothing would come of it."

"I'm guessing something did come of it?" I check, and she dips her chin with a wide grin.

"Everything the cards predicted came true and it opened up my mind to listening to her more. I realized that what I quickly wrote off as crazy wasn't that at all. Now, it's not going to be for everyone, but I've learned that if we are less judgmental, the world is a much better place. All you need is an open mind or heart. Sometimes, even if your mind is closed, your heart can be open, and the cards will resonate with you."

I know my mind is leery of all of this, but I think my heart is open. Hopefully, that means something will resonate with me during this reading.

There are five cards on the table now, and she stops shuffling to look at them.

"Ready to see what the spirits have in mind for you?" she checks, and I swallow before nodding.

The first card she flips is one that has something that looks like a compass in the middle and gold creatures with wings on each corner. At the bottom, there is writing that says Wheel of Fortune.

Karla hums but doesn't offer any words before flipping the second card. This time, the card has a man and a woman standing side by side with an angel hovering over them. On one side of the card, there is also an apple tree with a serpent coiled around it . The words beneath this one are the lovers.

The third card she flips shows what looks like a dove diving into a gold cup and is apparently called The Ace of Cups.

The fourth card has two people facing each other, each holding gold cups. At the top is a red lion head with wings. The writing tells me this card is The Two of Cups.

The final card she flips has me gasping. But Karly shakes her head with a smile. "Don't fret."

"The card says death ," I bark out. "How am I not supposed to fret?"

"Things aren't always literal," she assures me as I stare at the card.

There is a skeleton in a knight's outfit on top of a white horse with red eyes. Beneath the horse are dead bodies, and in front of the horse is someone offering a head to the horse. It's creepy, to say the least, and if it doesn't literally mean death then what does it mean?

"We start off your reading with Wheel of Fortune, which represents change, and we end with Death, which also can mean change or the end of a cycle. Together Wheel of Fortune and Death encourage us to embrace change and let go of what no longer serves us. They are bookending your other three cards, which all have to do with love. Do you have a new love interest in your life?" I press my lips together but eventually nod. "Could they have something to do with why you were having the dreams about running?"

"I think so. Last night, it wasn't the koala chasing me it was Sasha. He's actually the new mascot for GSU, which could make sense as to why the koala was chasing me in the first place."

Karla hums her agreement. "That would make a lot of sense. How come you are afraid of a relationship?"

"I don't really have a lot of experience with dating, and Sasha is known for being a player. I'm afraid that if we try something, it will blow up, and it could wreck the friendship circle we have built. I'm also afraid that if I let him in, he'll end up hurting me."

Karla nods with a soft smile. "I think what the cards are trying to tell you is to embrace this and let go of your fears. That this relationship is what is meant for you, for right now. I'll be honest and tell you it might not last forever, but I do have a strong belief that it will be good for you for however long it lasts."

Her words resonate with me, but the fear still sits heavy in my gut. I guess the cards aren't able to get rid of that fear for me.

"If you push aside your fear and embrace this new love I see great happiness for you, and isn't that what we all want?" Karla questions, and I nod.

"Thank you for this," I tell her, pushing my chair back and standing.

"Anytime," she assures me and places her hands on my shoulders once she's also come to a stand. "You are worthy of love and happiness. Anything your heart desires."

Her words are like a salve to my heart, and I nod again because I can't think of what else to say.

Karla guides me to the backyard, where BooBoo is helping his dad cut firewood.

"As much as I love manual labor, I think it's time for me to go," BooBoo tells his dad once he sees me.

I chuckle and Karla shakes her head. "Come visit soon," she tells me before my friend grabs my arm and ushers me out of their house.

"Dude, I didn't think my mom was going to put me to work today, or I never would have offered to bring you," he grumbles when we get in the car.

"What were you expecting to do?" I question.

"Listen in on your tarot reading, obviously," he responds like it's a no brainer. "Did you find out anything cool?"

"Kind of," I mumble. Apparently, the key to my happiness is to get over my fears and accept change."

BooBoo lets out a full belly laugh at my words. "How come that sounds exactly like most of my readings?"

I can't help but laugh along and shrug. "It's kind of life, isn't it? If only it wasn't easier said than done."

"Tell me about it," BooBoo mumbles, keeping his focus on the road.

The drive home is just as quick as the drive there, but my head isn't any more clear, which kind of sucks. I was wanting clarity in my reading, and all I got was more things to think about.

"Good luck on facing your fears," BooBoo says when he drops me off.

"Thanks," I reply before slowly heading toward my apartment.

Is my true happiness really as easy as pushing my fears aside and letting Sasha in? It can't be that simple, can it? Should I just respond to Sasha's text and see what happens? Maybe things are that easy.

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