by Ella Fox
My steps faltered as we rounded the corner to Aria’s tent and I saw that she was standing there holding the flap to the tent as if she’d known precisely when to expect me.
Her eyes lit up with satisfaction when she saw Jax and me. “Right on schedule,” she said, as if she were proud of me.
After saying hello to Aria, Jackson gestured toward the series of plastic benches that were about thirty feet from Aria’s tent. “I’m going to go wait there and leave you two to it,” he said.
“You’ll do no such thing,” Aria snorted. “I was expecting you, Jackson. Both of you are needed.”
“We are?” Jackson asked. His expression spoke his confusion.
“Yes,” Aria answered firmly. “Now come inside so we can get started.”
Jax and I immediately responded to the demanding tone of Aria’s voice, dutifully moving forward to follow along behind her. We exchanged a glance of confusion along the way, but no words were spoken.
The scent of citrus and clove tickled my nose as the flap of the tent closed behind us. The interior was the same as ever, the focal point of the space being a round table covered in silk scarves. Aria’s purple crystal ball sat to the side, while a well-loved set of tarot cards sat in the center.
One side of the table had a single elaborate wood seat with intricate carved detailing on the back and an indigo-colored silk pillow on the seat. On the side there were two plain wooden chairs. Aria flicked her wrist toward them to indicate that we should sit. Jax held one out and waited for me to sit down before he did. All the while my head spun as I wondered why Aria wanted to see us together.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she announced once we were all seated.
“You do?” I squeaked.
“Don’t panic—I don’t mean the exact thoughts. I’m merely saying it’s obvious that you’re both wondering why I said I was expecting you both here just now.”
I let out a soft giggle. “That’s a good guess.”
“It wasn’t random that I told you to be here at this time. Weeks ago my ball showed me that you two would come together at this specific time. I knew it was time for you to know everything, Chloe, and I wanted Jackson to be here so you wouldn’t be able to tell yourself that it’s not possible. Your feelings are real.”
“Real?” I parroted.
Aria nodded but didn’t expound on her statement. I definitely felt something, but I couldn’t imagine telling Jax that. At least not yet. Surely there was a better time than my first night back in town for me to confess my feelings for him.
“Even when you fought it, Chloe, the connection between the two of you has always been strong. That said, your souls want that connection to deepen. Being apart has only stoked that need. Now that you’re back in the same town, things are going to escalate rather quickly. Jackson has known for many years what you two are, so he’s ready. It’s time for you to understand everything in order to be on the same page with him.”
When I looked over, I found Jax watching me with a cautious expression.
I mouthed what’s going on but he didn’t get a chance to answer since Aria chose that moment to tap three times on the table. “Chloe, you came here tonight for me to read your cards. Let’s consult the deck so we can confirm the things my ball has shown me.”
I nodded, but I’d never been more confused. She reached across the table to hand the deck over to me, then set her hands over mine once I had a grip on the cards.
“Close your eyes, clear your mind of all things, and silently ask the cards one question. You may take a moment to figure your question out if you haven’t already got it in your mind.”
Oddly, the instant she told me to ask the cards a question, I knew exactly what I would ask. Closing my eyes I focused on what I wanted to know.
Will anything ever happen between Jackson and me, or did I ruin any chance by being a petulant brat for too long?
Once I’d asked the question I opened my eyes and set the cards down in front of me.
“Keep that question in the forefront of your mind and shuffle the deck,” Aria instructed. “When you feel your answer, pull that card and set it facedown on the table.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Just one card?”
I was confused because she normally told me to choose three.
“One is all you need today,” she assured me.
Realizing it was probably best not to do a whole reading with Jax sitting right there, I nodded and began shuffling. The two previous times I’d held Aria’s deck during readings, I’d questioned whether I was pulling cards because I really felt them, or if it was just random.
That wasn’t the case right then, though. I felt a buzz when I touched the right card, a jolt that worked its way up my arm. Pulling it out, I set it facedown on the table and then set the rest of the deck to the left of it.
Aria hummed something as she reached forward and picked up my single card. Turning it over, she made a triumphant sound.
“It’s just as I thought,” she murmured.
Looking down, I saw the wheel of fortune card. A wave of disappointment washed through me because I’d been hoping for a love card.
“Turn that frown upside down immediately,” Aria ordered. “This isn’t a bad card, Chloe. In fact, it’s perfect. I hoped this would be the one you would pick. This confirms what I already knew, dear. By taking that time away, you grew up and were able to reset yourself, which changed everything. Fortune is now at your side instead of miles ahead of you. That which your soul has craved all these years is finally ready to unfold.”
I felt wired and my senses were on hyper-alert. I didn’t realize my right leg was going a million miles an hour until Jax set his hand just above my knee. I stopped moving as the heat of his palm against my leg soothed me while at the same time it sent a totally different but far more potent sensation through my body.
“Now I’m going to tell you what you and Jackson are. Open your mind and listen with your heart. I promise all will make sense soon.”
Chapter Five
Jackson
By the time Madam Aria was finished explaining about us being devoted souls, Chloe looked shell shocked.
She looked over at me as if in a daze. “You believe this?”
At some point during Aria’s explanation I’d taken Chloe’s right hand into mine and linked our fingers together. I gently squeezed to comfort her as I nodded. “After the reading with Aria when I was thirteen, I started paying attention, and when I did things got a lot clearer. I’d always known that I tried to get your attention and approval, but other than understanding that I had a crush on you, I didn’t fully get why I felt so strongly about it. The harder I tried, the more spectacularly I failed. Alec started insisting that I must’ve been repeatedly dropped on the head as a child because when it came to you I refused to give up.
“Once Aria told me how connected we were it all made sense. How even when I would pull your braid and you’d holler at me, I always felt more comfortable when you were close. I’ve never cared about anyone the way I care about you.”
Her eyes filled with tears and her lower lip wobbled. “I… I don’t know why. I was so mean.”
“There are many things Chloe has to tell you, Jackson. You have much to talk about tonight, but I promise it will be worth it,” Aria said kindly.
Chloe blushed and looked away as she grumbled something about sounding stupid. Aria made a hmph noise.
“You’ll come to understand that there is nothing you can’t tell your other half. Your souls connect at the deepest level, and the love between you is unconditional. Nothing bad will ever come from honesty between the two of you.”
When she finished speaking, Aria stood. “Although there’s nothing as exciting as the two of you to look forward to for the rest of the evening I do have more readings scheduled so I must bid you adieu.”
After we said our goodbyes and left the tent, I felt as if a weight had been lifted from my entire being. Eight years ha
d passed since the night Aria told me that Chloe and I were connected, so I’d had plenty of time to wrap my head around it. So while I was relieved that everything was finally out in the open, I could see that Chloe was overwhelmed. She needed to be put at ease and I instinctively knew how to do that. Reaching out, I took her hand in mine as we walked. The instant we were connected I felt some of her tension— and mine—ease.
She made a sound of frustration as she stared at our hands. “How did I not notice this before?”
I shrugged. “It’s like Aria said— sometimes we ignore things that are right in front of us because we aren’t ready to deal with it.”
Chloe stopped walking and gestured with her head toward something in the distance. Following the gesture, I saw Alec and Caroline were about seventy feet away at the bushel basket toss booth. Chloe needed some time to come to terms with all that she’d heard in Aria’s tent and the carnival was the perfect distraction.
“Let’s go let off some steam with our friends,” I suggested. “Afterward, we can go back to my place and talk—or we can wait and do that tomorrow, or whenever you feel ready to do it. There’s no rush, Chlo. We have time.”
She bit her lip and looked at me tentatively. “You’re okay with that?”
I looked her square in the eye so she’d know I was telling the truth. “I’m fine with it. Let’s have some fun.”
Of course, our friends immediately noted the fact that Chloe and I were holding hands. I could tell by the expression on Alec’s face that he was going to have some fun at our expense.
“You two lovebirds are quite a sight. Does this mean you might finally forgive me for the seven minutes in heaven incident?” he asked Chloe.
I reflexively covered my junk with my free hand as the memory of the night in question played out in my mind. It had gone down at Heather Miller’s thirteenth birthday party—which had taken place just six weeks before Madam Aria told me Chloe was my soulmate.
When the game started, I’d conspired with Alec to make sure that Chloe didn’t kiss anyone but me. The plan worked, and Chloe and me shared our first kiss in a closet in Heather’s basement. I still remembered the silky soft feel of her warm lips under mine, and the sweetness of her taste on my tongue. It was the best first kiss in history— right up until the moment the door opened and she realized she’d been kissing me. Unfortunately, her immediate reaction was to knee me in the balls. Even though I’d dropped to the floor and held back tears of pain, it had been worth it to me to ensure that our first kiss was shared with one another.
Three years passed before we kissed again. That time she’d known exactly who she’d been about to kiss. We’d hooked up at a party and had spent two hours making out in the dugout at the little league. I’d thought we’d turned a corner but the next day when I called her, she told me it only happened because she was drunk on wine coolers. Two wine coolers, to be exact. That hadn’t been enough for her to be drunk and I’d known it, but there was no arguing with her. Those kisses held me over for years, while my desire for her had grown exponentially during that time.
I can say without any hesitation that I’d been hers long before either of our kisses. Had, in fact, been hers since that first day in our preschool class. She’d been wearing a bright yellow dress with little daisies around the hem and her chestnut colored hair had been in two uneven pigtails. I remember watching from across the room as my mom fixed the pigtails so they hung just so. The smile that spread across Chloe’s face as she beamed up at my mom in thanks made my heart beat funny against my chest. I’d been a goner from that moment on, even though our first fight happened approximately twenty-eight minutes later when I put a small handful of sand on the back of her dress. Instead of laughing the way Alec did whenever I dumped sand on him, she’d turned around and punched me in the stomach.
The sound of Chloe’s soft laughter ended my trip down memory lane.
“The only person I wanted to kiss was Jackson,” she admitted. “I was mostly mad because I thought you two were making fun of me and it hurt my feelings.”
Fuck, looking back I could think of so many times when I’d tried to show my interest and to her it must’ve come off like I’d been fucking around like a snot-nosed little prick. Of course I hadn’t been. Where Chloe was concerned, I was always serious.
“I was never, ever making fun of you,” I said earnestly. “I’m sorry I gave you any reason to think I was.”
She squeezed my hand. “I see that now,” she assured me. “I was just… sensitive.”
“Alright kids, let’s not get too serious here,” Caroline chided. “I’ve got Alec trying to win me the stuffed unicorn from the top row but as everyone knows, his throw is painfully bad.”
“Hey!” Alec laughed, affronted. “I’ll have you know that the Red Sox wanted to draft me.”
All three of us burst out laughing. Alec and I had played little league and later high school baseball together, and his lack of throwing ability was legend in Bliss. It didn’t matter where he was positioned—once the ball left his hand, there was a good chance that someone’s car would be dinged up. By our senior year, the coaches had begged him to try basketball instead. That hadn’t been any better.
“I’ve got you covered, babe,” Chloe laughed.
Together, the four of us fanned out along the bushel basket toss counter. I paid a small fortune for twelve weighted bean bags and handed them to Chloe. I wasn’t too proud to admit that she had better aim than I did. Always had, and probably always would.
It took forty-five minutes and sixty-one dollars to do it, but Chloe managed to win Caroline the unicorn she’d wanted. I was there to be supportive but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I spent the entire time hoping time would speed up so I could get her back to my place. It felt incredible to be able to talk with and touch her without there being any kind of anger between us, and I was dying to be alone with her.
I got lucky, because Alec and Caroline started showing increased signs of wanting to be alone together as well. That was made obvious by the fact that with each passing minute they got a little more touchy-feely. When it got a little too heated for the carnival goers, I shut it down.
The ride back to my apartment passed quickly—which was a really good thing since our friends had decided to make out in the back of my Volvo. When I pulled into the parking lot I hurriedly parked so I could get out and open Chloe’s door. I didn’t wait for Alec and Caroline since they’d yet to notice we were parked. Once Chloe was out I leaned my head back in and coughed dramatically. The way they sprang apart was comic relief.
“Time to take this to Alec’s apartment because I’ve got a no bodily fluids in the Volvo policy.”
As soon as they were out of my car I locked it up and Chloe and I waved them off. The way our apartment complex was laid out meant that Alec and I lived right next door to one another in separate buildings. With the way he and Caroline were looking at each other I was glad we didn’t share an apartment.
With them gone, I took Chloe’s hand and walked her up to my apartment. After closing the door behind us, I turned and watched as she looked around.
“Wow— this is really nice.”
I’d bought all of my furniture on a weekend run to Ikea. It was pretty basic, but all brand new, which was nice. “Not what you were expecting?”
“I half expected you to have decorated with the furniture from your grandma’s basement,” she joked.
“Because I kept the Volvo?” I asked as I guided her to the couch. Once she chose a seat I sat on the cushion next to her.
“Totally because of the Volvo,” she laughed.
“You remember that my grandma’s furniture was mauve and cream with heavy emphasis on floral patterns, right?”
She nodded. “I do, but it was also comfortable— and expensive, as I recall.”
“It didn’t go far,” I laughed. “She gave it to Alec for his apartment. It pairs well with his air hockey table and his duel sixty-inch flat
-screens so he can keep up with two games at a time.”
Chloe giggle-snorted as she rolled her eyes. “His obsession with sports makes me feel bad about the fact that he can’t work with a ball to save his life. Football, baseball, basketball, heck, even soccer wasn’t for him.”
“It all works out in the end though,” I told her. “He found out last week that he got a job with the Red Sox home office. He won’t be on the field—there isn’t enough liability insurance in the world for that—but he gets to work in a profession he loves. He’s overjoyed.”
“It’s crazy that we’re all adults now,” she said softly. “God willing, soon we’ll all have real jobs with benefits and vacation days. I’ve got two interviews lined up next week and I’m hoping one of them pans out.”
Chloe had earned her education degree with a minor in art education, so I knew she was hoping to get into the local primary school.
“I’ve got my first interview at Bliss Elementary next Wednesday to takeover for the retiring kindergarten teacher. My other interview is on Thursday with Early Intervention Services to be an art therapist.”
“I’m surprised that you sound more excited about the early intervention place than you do about Bliss Elementary.”
A small smile spread across her face. “You’re very observant. After reading the mission statement for EIS, I’ve really felt that’s where I can make the biggest difference. I’d make less at EIS, but I feel drawn to it anyway. I think that’s because I understand all too well how hard it is for children to communicate verbally when they’re overwhelmed.”
As she finished speaking she turned and looked away. I could tell she was nervous by the way she lifted the diamond encrusted gold heart necklace she’d worn since her sixteenth birthday and began moving it side to side on the chain by the bottom of the heart.
The necklace was a reminder of how complicated our relationship had always been. She’d been right earlier when she’d commented on the fact that I’d always saved my money. One of the few things I’d spent real money on as a teen was the necklace. For her, I hadn’t thought twice about taking the short drive to Boston to drop four hundred and fifty dollars on a necklace. My mom tried to tell me I was going overboard, but I couldn’t be talked out of it. I wanted the girl I loved to have something special and since it was my money, I could spend it as I saw fit.
