“Oh.” Surprise drove the fear off her face, and then her reddened lips bent into a smile. “What would you like to know about boys?” she asked, settling against one of the flowered throw pillows.
“I, um . . . I don’t know if you heard but, uh . . .” I loosed a deep breath. “Our kind sometimes develop something called a mating link.”
When the smile drifted off her lips, I understood Frank hadn’t touched upon the subject.
I dragged my hands through my hair. “It’s basically some sort of link that pushes two people to be together. For the continuation of our . . . species.” Her slowly thinning gaze made me suck in a breath. “It doesn’t mean the two people end up together. Mom had one, but she resisted its pull until it vanished. Anyway, I have a link, which will vanish after the Winter Solstice as long as I don’t act upon it.”
Her brow wrinkled. “Act upon it?”
My face became exceedingly warm. “Have sex with the person.”
Her neck seemed to grow a little longer. “Go on.”
I dragged a pillow into my lap and hugged it to me as though it could somehow prevent my navel from pulsing. Because, God, was it pulsing. Was August on his way here? Or was he angry I hadn’t returned his call yet? Or was it just nerves from discussing boys with Evelyn?
“Who are you linked to?”
“August Watt.”
“Isobel’s son?” Her voice went a little high-pitched.
I clutched the pillow tighter.
“But he is almost thirty.”
“Twenty-seven,” I blurted out.
“And you are not even eighteen.”
“I’ll be eighteen next week.”
“Do not get me wrong, August is a fine young man, but you cannot entertain thoughts about dating him, querida. You two are not at all at the same place in your life. You are starting college next week. He has been out of college for years. He has traveled the world. Fought for his country. He surely has had many girlfriends, which means he will expect things from you. He will pressure you-”
“He hasn’t pressured me into anything,” I mumbled,
“Yet. But it will come.” She patted one of my hands. “If you came to ask for my blessing, I cannot give it to you. And it is not because I want to hurt you, but because I want to protect you.”
My bottom lip started wobbling.
“Oh, Ness. Love is not an easy thing, and I cannot imagine a magical link makes it any easier, but you are still so young. The link will fade this winter, and then you will be free.”
The heat in my cheeks filtered into my eyes.
She sighed. “You like him very deeply, don’t you?”
I swallowed. “I do. I’ve always liked him.”
“Then wait a few years. If you still feel this strongly about him once you are done with college, you two will reconnect.”
“That’s in four years. He’ll be thirty-one. What if he gets married?” Ingrid’s face flashed in front of my eyes. I blinked her away.
“If he feels the same way for you as you do for him, he will wait. The same way I waited for Frank, and Frank waited for me after his wife passed away.” She dipped her chin into her neck. “Besides, have you considered what reputation he will have?”
There it was again . . . his reputation.
When a tiny whimper broke out of me, she leaned forward, tugged the pillow out of my hands, and gathered me against her, her palm stroking my hair.
“Think of what people will say about him when they learn he seduced an underage girl. That is not a reputation any man wants to have. He will be judged harshly, and that judgment will cause both of you pain.” As I attempted to stifle my sobs against her slowly rising chest, she added, “Please, Ness, do not be mad at me,” she said this softly, as though her tone might mitigate my pain. “I cannot encourage this relationship-however magical-because you are too precious to me.”
Moment after moment passed in interminable silence.
Hands coasting over my hair, she finally added, “But in the end, it is your decision, not mine. I can only advise you. And whatever you decide, you will always have my love.”
And here I’d come for her blessing.
As I shed tears against her shoulder, I rehashed all that she’d just said.
I’d never much cared about what people thought of me, but I didn’t want the world to turn against August.
Which left me with only one thing to do.
Wade back toward shore before I got in too deep.
I got home a little before dinnertime, having moped away the afternoon with Evelyn who tried her best to cheer me up with episodes of her favorite TV show and homemade brownies.
An uncharacteristically quiet Frank drove me home. Not that I felt very chatty myself, so the silence was welcomed. I didn’t ask if he’d heard our conversation, because it wouldn’t change much if he had.
I did a load of laundry, then turned on the oven and set the casserole Evelyn had prepared for me and Jeb inside. As I waited for it to bake, I took out my college course catalogue and circled the classes that held my interest, but my mind kept wandering back to August.
I needed to call him, but I didn’t want to break up with him over the phone.
Maybe I would stop by after dinner.
I took out my phone to read the message he’d sent me when I was at Frank’s: Heard you were back. Want to grab dinner? Cole will be there. So no rule-breaking. 🙂
I’d answered him that I was with Evelyn and that I’d call as soon as I left her house. I hadn’t called yet, and I’d left over an hour ago. Guilt was making my stomach throb and pulse. I massaged it as I tried to focus on the catalogue.
A knock on the door made me jerk.
“Ness?” a deep voice called out.
Well, there went sticking my head in the sand. Sighing, I strode over to the door and opened it.
August was leaning against the wall, sporting a black beanie, a dark waffle-knit Henley, and fitted stonewashed jeans. His jaw was smooth from a fresh shave, and he smelled like he’d just stepped from his shower right onto my doormat.
Why oh why did he have to be so handsome?
His gaze trekked over my face. “You weren’t answering your phone.”