Addicted to You

by Belinda Boring

  “Sedona. Please. Don’t make me chase after you in these shoes. I won’t ever forgive you!”

  Callie.

  I’d run past the consignment store, and of course, she’d seen me racing by, a complete mess. She wasn’t someone who gossiped, and I didn’t need my empathic gifts to recognize her intentions. She was worried, and her chasing after me came from a place of compassion.

  Slowing down, I shortened my stride and gave her a chance to catch up. A few moments later, her arm looped through mine, and her friendly energy reached out calmly. It was enough to bring me to a complete halt.

  I didn’t deserve this kindness.

  Not now.

  Not today.

  A lie started forming in my mind. The last thing I wanted was to have a complete meltdown in the town square instead of going somewhere more private, like I’d hoped.

  But there was no holding back my emotions now as I sniffled, tempted to wipe my nose on the back of my hand, grossness be damned. Luckily, Callie had come prepared with not just one tissue, but the entire box.

  “Here. Knock yourself out.” She didn’t study me too hard, and I was grateful for that. We stood there together—side by side—before I started walking again. This time it lacked the frenetic pace from before. The anger and bluster had ebbed, and like the tide, it swept back out from my heart.

  “Sorry,” I murmured, picking a spot on the ground to focus on. That was the thing about holding someone’s gaze. If you knew what you were looking for, you could read a person’s mind and get a sense of what they were feeling. You didn’t need to be magical or an empath. You just needed to be patient enough for the truth to reveal itself.

  Callie understood.

  I wasn’t ready to be that vulnerable with her.

  Taking a deep breath, I blew my nose again, and attempted to steady the riot that had exploded inside me. I felt chaotic. All it had taken was a small tap-tap at the wall, and a crack had appeared in the dam around my psyche.

  I hated feeling like this—so out of control and uncertain.

  “You’re going to think I’m being stupid,” I began, hoping she’d believe the fib I was about to give her. “It’s this freaking purple pig plate design I’ve been working on.” Casting a quick sideways glance at my friend, I silently hoped she wouldn’t ask too many questions.

  “You mean for Plate Painting in the Park?” Callie asked, her surprise showing. “That’s the reason you’re rushing down the street like someone kicked your dog?” The strength in her stare almost unraveled my nerve. “Sedona, it’s all about having fun. I’m sure your plate’s going to kick ass like usual.”

  For a second there, I thought she was talking to someone else, because while I had many talents, artistic skill with a paintbrush was not one of them. I’d be lucky if the traditional pig even resembled one.

  “I’m surprised the witch hasn’t come back to haunt me.” A few more fat tears rolled over my cheeks, and I snorted. “Her plates sucked souls into the painted scenes. Mine just suck.”

  There were many traditions here in Havenwood Falls, and despite my exaggeration, I actually enjoyed the plate painting event held in April. I’d been doodling for the past few months, hoping that inspiration would strike, and maybe, just maybe, this was the year my design would be featured. It hadn’t happened yet, but a girl could dream.

  Callie stood there silently, studying me.

  She cut straight to the chase. “Liar.”

  “Excuse me?” I fired back. The sinking sensation in my gut told me she’d seen right through my story. I couldn’t lie to save my life.

  “You heard me. I don’t believe that’s why you’re this upset.” Callie refused to break eye contact with me, and my resolve weakened.

  “I’m an empath,” I blurted. “I feel things passionately and deeply.” My cheeks were starting to tingle from the cool air hitting them. Whereas most of the country was beginning to warm up, with spring melting away the last effects of winter, the weather in Havenwood Falls was still quite brisk. The forecast app I had on my phone had warned me not to expect anything higher than forty degrees today, so I’d dressed warmly. Right now, I wanted to wrap my black crocheted scarf around my face.

  “I think we need to go on an excursion.” Callie spoke so matter-of-factly that I didn’t argue. Instead, I let her guide me around the town’s square until we stopped in front of Eloise’s shop, Into The Mystic. It housed all kinds of new-age things, including psychic readings.

  My tears had finally abated, and I rubbed at my tired eyes, wishing we were standing in front of my apartment door instead. The sudden need for the privacy of my own home was overwhelming, but when I went to step back, Callie clicked her tongue in disapproval.

  “Be brave, dear friend.” And with that, she pushed me through the door, the smell of white sage incense hitting me square in the face.

  “But,” I began, trying to explain that this was the last place I wanted to be. Memories of the fair and the events that happened afterward tugged sharply at my heart, and more tears filled my eyes. Eloise had organized the fair, and while it wasn’t her fault, everything associated with that night and my being shot made it tainted for me.

  Callie stopped guiding me, and instead turned me about so she could face me. Her eyes were more hazel today than the green they usually were. There was such a confidence bursting from within them that I wished I could somehow reach down inside her and claim some for myself.

  “Do you trust me?”

  I was slow to answer, purposely trying to avoid eye contact. “You don’t . . .”

  She cut me off, not wanting to hear the excuse I was prepared to deliver. “Yes or no, Sedona. Do you trust me?”

  This time I threw aside the fear that had controlled me and boldly kept her gaze. “Yes.”

  “Then believe me when I say you need this.” She wore that same expression again—the one that said she was one hundred percent certain that what she spoke was truth. She’d read my cards at the fair, and while a lot was just teasing, there had been tidbits that struck close to home.

  Like my growing love for Micah and my worry about getting my heart broken. Tarot had counseled me to take a risk and dare to fly—that the only thing holding me back from finding the happiness I craved was myself.

  I let out a pent-up breath and nodded. “Fine.”

  I looked about the store, noting the new Van Morrison poster Eloise had hung up by the cash register. Every book Shelf Indulgence had ever sold about the Irish singer and songwriter had been ordered just for her. In fact, I recognized the lyrics to his song, Into the Mystic, which was oddly fitting, considering the store’s name.

  “What am I looking for?” I asked, trying not to sound like a petulant child. What I also didn’t admit was that I was already feeling better. It meant there would be no wallowing at home with a large glass of wine and a book, hiding under a blanket fort in the living room. My emotions were no longer clouding my judgment.

  I was back to feeling more like me.

  “You need another talisman,” Callie replied promptly, and with a sweeping gesture of her hand, she pointed over to one of my favorite parts of the store. “Go find the one that calls out to you.”

  Crystals.

  Gems.

  Stones.

  It didn’t matter what you called them, it was the energy and magic that was contained within them, a small piece of Mother Earth to hold and keep close.

  “We could be here a while,” I whispered softly, wonder now filling my voice as I slowly began tuning everything else out. I felt lured to the neat shelves and baskets that contained the different stones. There was an ever-so-slight tug at my aura—that telltale sign that what I was looking for was also seeking me.

  I lightly touched a beautiful green stone and read the card in front of it. Malachite, a stone that had incredible healing properties to the one wearing it. Electricity zapped at my fingertips, revealing its power, but it wasn’t the one calling me.


  Callie nodded as I moved away from her, the movement caught in my peripheral vision. “I’ll be here whenever you’re ready.”

  And with that, she turned her focus to the tarot and oracle cards that were arranged on a nearby shelf.

  We were both content to explore.

  Quartz.

  Citrine.

  Snowflake Obsidian.

  Selenite.

  Each of these crystals caught my eye and warmed my hand as I held them. Snippets of information filled my mind—lessons where I’d learned how one helped reduce stress while another was good for canceling out negative energy. I remembered my grandfather telling me that selenite was a great stone to include in my collection because it didn’t require charging from the full moon, adding his warning that should I submerge one in water, it might dissolve.

  Selenite had always intrigued me. The one before me had been cut and polished to resemble a unicorn horn, and I could already feel its cleansing energy brushing across my aura. It held the ability of promoting clarity to a troubled mind, yet when I picked it up, closing my eyes to see if it was the one, I felt sadly empty.

  It was only after walking down a few feet and looking to the left that I found it—the stone that beckoned like a siren, its frequency pinging hard against my own.

  I didn’t need to read the neatly written card to know its name.

  Labradorite, or what I affectionately called it, the galaxy stone.

  To some, under a certain light, it appeared to be a dull piece of rock, somewhat transparent with a greenish, black color. But when you held it a certain way, the most gorgeous flashes of color burst outward. Greens, blues, yellows, and sometimes, if you were lucky, you could find purples and pinks.

  I tentatively reached out to the palm-sized stone, marveling at how it fit so perfectly. As I curled my fingers around it, appreciating the bold flashes of blues and greens, I felt the most incredible heat flow through my veins, sweeping throughout my body until it burst out the top of my head.

  I felt energized.

  I felt grounded.

  I felt it caress the wounds I’d received to my spirit and gently heal them.

  I’d found my new talisman.

  “Excellent choice,” Eloise interjected from behind me. It didn’t bother me that she surprised me. Nothing else mattered but the soothing feeling that all but encompassed me, acting like a salve on my bruised heart.

  Callie had made her way back over to me as well. “Labradorite. I should’ve known. It’s all about persevering through the changes and learning to trust your intuition again, Sedona.”

  Eloise nodded, her graying auburn hair pulled back into a soft bun. The Swarovski crystals in her dangly earrings caught the light from above and glittered. “You’ll find the answers you seek. Don’t give up.”

  Satisfied with her contribution to the conversation, she excused herself to help the other customer who was perusing. That was Eloise Sinclair for you. She was eccentric, and psychic, and you might not always understand her meaning, but when she said something with that prophetic tone, you listened.

  “Feeling better?” Callie asked, nudging me with her shoulder. “Is it working its magic?” Her eyes dropped to the crystal I now held up to my chest.

  I laughed. An hour ago, I would’ve thought such a response impossible. I’d been consumed by pain and fear. While it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine yet, I was definitely seeing clearer.

  “Thank you.”

  Callie shrugged it off. “What are friends for?” It was then that she revealed what she was holding. A bundle of white sage leaves wrapped with twine. “I officially declare this excursion a success.” She returned to guiding me, knowing that I wouldn’t be handing over the crystal, my fingers still wrapped around its smooth surface. “Eloise, could you put this all on my tab?” Callie raised the sage and pointed to me.

  “No,” I started, shaking my head. “You don’t need to do that, Callie. I can pay for it.” I was already reaching for the debit card stashed in the front pocket of my jeans.

  She actually looked like she was ready to scold me. “Consider it a congratulations gift.” She dared to wiggle her eyebrows at me, her eyes twinkling. “And no, I’m not going to tell you what I mean. You’ll know soon enough.”

  Damn psychics with their cryptic comments.

  There was no arguing with her. “Then, thank you again.” I offered her a watery smile, my eyes filling this time with grateful tears. I started laughing again and quickly wiped them away. “I’m such a mess.”

  “But you’re a cute one,” she countered. Handing me the small brown paper bag that held the smudging bundle, she waved goodbye to Eloise. I followed quickly after.

  We slowly walked back toward her consignment store and my bookstore in comfortable silence, and I relished the peace that had settled within me.

  True peace.

  Welcomed peace.

  “Do you need me to come in with you?” Callie asked as we reached Shelf Indulgence. The lights were out, which told me that Micah had closed everything up like I’d requested—demanded. Guilt tugged again at me for my rudeness toward him, and I was glad that he wasn’t still there waiting for me to return. I needed a little more time to pull myself together, and I wanted to do this next part alone.

  It was long overdue.

  I shook my head slowly.

  “I’ve got this,” I said, my voice growing stronger and more self-assured. Suddenly I turned and threw my arms around her. “You knew exactly what I needed, Callie. Thank you so much.” I squeezed her one more time before releasing her. “I . . .” I was at a loss for words again. “Did you know the Beatles released their song ‘A Little Help From My Friends’ on the tenth anniversary of International Friendship Day?”

  A knowing smile curled her lips. “And you’ll always have mine, Sedona.”

  Before it became too awkward with me standing there reciting more facts instead of expressing how I felt, I patted the side of my jeans, groaning out loud.

  “Micah has the keys, doesn’t he?” She said it more as a fact than a question.

  I closed my eyes momentarily before remembering I’d stashed a separate key just in case I ever found myself in this predicament. I tried not to kick myself too hard for forgetting.

  “You’re way too trusting, Sedona,” Callie exclaimed behind me as she cautiously looked about to see if anyone had seen me retrieve the spare. I’d have to find a different hiding spot again.

  I turned the key in the handle and entered the bookstore. “You’re not the first person to tell me that.” My response came out in a grumble, and my friend laughed.

  “Then I agree with him. Just don’t tell him that.” Him being Micah. “Never tell a man that you think he’s right. It sets a very dangerous precedent, and they become unbearably arrogant after that.” There was a knowing gleam in her eyes that told me she spoke from experience.

  “Duly noted.” I glanced about. Everything looked normal and the same. I waited for the sensation of dread that often rose up and threatened to suffocate me, but it never came. “I think I’m good now.”

  And I was.

  We exchanged one last hug with the promise to have lunch some time later that week. Watching her leave reminded me of the importance of not completely shutting myself off from the world. That sometimes the risk of letting people in and truly seeing who you are was worth it.

  Lifting the sage to my nose, I took in a deep breath.

  “Time to clean.”

  Then, with the lighter I found in the top drawer of the front counter, I got to work smudging away the trauma of the past.

  Chapter 3

  I knew exactly where he’d be, and after successfully smudging every inch, nook, and cranny of the store, I locked up for the second time that day and made my way to him.

  Nerves coursed through me as I mentally rehearsed the conversation I was about to have. It was hard not to shrink away from admitting I’d acted like a complete loon. I wasn’t used
to losing control like that. Trusting that he’d forgive my momentarily lapse in judgment, I walked through the white picket fence gate and trudged up the steps to his door.

  Piece of cake, I muttered softly to myself, taking in a fortifying breath of courage. This was what it meant to be a responsible adult. Emotions were often complicated, expressing them sometimes difficult. But that didn’t mean a person got a free ticket to act as they wanted and not face the consequences.

  This was my walk of shame of sorts. Thankfully the only person who knew how I was feeling right now was securely inside the house, on the other side of the door I was knocking on.

  The sound of footsteps heightened my anxiety, and I gulped hard. Without thinking, I slipped my hand into my pocket and found the labradorite crystal I carried. The heat sizzled against my skin, and I smiled with a little more confidence.

  Tomorrow I’d send Callie her favorite bottle of wine from Soothing Sips. That or a fresh order of Mexican goodies from Tacos for Daze. I didn’t think she realized just how much her small intervention this afternoon had helped. It was the difference between night and day—calm and chaos. Standing there in Eloise’s new age store had helped unknot my abilities so I could focus.

  The door swung open, and my stomach dipped. Thankfully I didn’t gasp out loud like an idiot. I didn’t know what had happened, but the sight of Micah standing there in just a plain white T-shirt and dark denim jeans made my heart race a little faster and my mouth water.

  I never wanted that feeling to go away.

  “Hey,” I whispered, a sudden shyness taking over.

  He leaned against the door frame, his arms folded across his chest. Someone else might’ve read his body language as being apprehensive or cautious, but I wasn’t paying attention to any of that. My gaze went to his arms and the sight brought back the memories of how safe and secure I’d felt in his embrace. There was nothing intimidating or scary about this man. Even with the knowledge that he was a warrior amongst angels didn’t dim or erase that growing attraction between us.

  “Hi.” A dimple appeared as he offered me a warm smile. God, how I loved making that appear.