Page 77 of Spell Ya Later

“Laura!” Mom snaps. “I refuse to risk you girls. I will not lose you.”

It’s like a little crack is finally showing me exactly why the crazy woman is acting this way. She’s so scared that we’ll die just like Dad. So scared that she isn’t realizing she’s getting in her own damn way.

“You’ve already almost lost me, Mom. You’ve pushed me so far away we can’t even talk to each other anymore. And I want a chance to fix it. That’s all I’ve wanted—to fix this family.”

Laura’s eyes roll so far back in her head I swear they’re going to get stuck. “You’re both morons. You’re the same fucking person and neither of you can see it.”

Maybe she’s right, but I refuse to lose Noah like Mom lost Dad. Her fate can’t be mine. I turn from Laura to my mother. The woman who promised to protect me, who kicked me out of the house. The woman who lost everything.

“Please, Mom.”

A single tear falls down my mother’s cheek. Just one. “What do you want me to do?”

“Just.” My voice breaks. “Just help me.”

“I’ll call Grandma. She’ll want to know that hell is freezing over.” Laura walks toward the living room, but my eyes are locked with Mom’s.

I’m too scared to do anything but stare at her, as if she’ll change her mind if I make any sudden movements. As if the spell will be broken.

“Did Draven leave any instructions? What do you know?” Mom continues, not moving a muscle either.

I think we’re both just scared shitless of each other.

I try to breathe, to regulate my heart that’s been beating like a drum ever since I realized Noah wasn’t in bed with me. “He left a note. With an address. I...may have destroyed it, but I memorized it.”

“Where?” she asks. The pulse point in her neck bounces.

“Some warehouse in the middle of nowhere.”

She sucks her teeth.

The memories of my dreams—my nightmares—flood my mind.

I’ve been so stupid.

“We were there once before, weren’t we? All of us?”

She nods, a shaky hand coming up to cover her mouth. She sways as if she might collapse to the floor at any moment.

“Mom.” I wait until she meets my gaze once more. “I’ve been dreaming of that night ever since it happened. I was convinced my mind was trying to make sense of the loss of my dad. But that’s not true, is it? You took those memories from us, just like you made the ones of the shop disappear. Didn’t you?”

Another nod.

The lengths this woman went to are astounding. But for the first time in my life, part of me understands her reasoning. Part of me gets that I will lose a crucial part of who I am as a person if I lose Noah. That I would never be the same. My worst-case scenario is my mother’s everyday life.

The fact that she’s still standing is a testament to her determination. I don’t know if I’d have the same strength.

Despite it all, though. It’s wrong.

“You took parts of my father from me. Parts of myself from me. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to forgiveyou, Mom, despite understanding you better than I ever have. For now, we need to save this family.”

“I understand. Your Grandma should be here soon, and we can come up with a plan.” She pauses. “As a family.”

As we should have done from the beginning. But we’re making progress, so I’ll keep that to myself.

“We were there?” Laura’s voice is small, meek, as she stands in the corner.

It is with pure selfishness that I find myself continually forgetting Laura’s lack of knowledge in all of this. For the first time in my life, I’m utterly consumed by my own journey and my own reactions. It’s as if I have no concern for her needs at all.