But it’s hard not to.
He’s soaking wet and absolutely stunning.
I force myself to look past him and ask if he knows how to find his way back to the ferry. He does, but there’s a strain in his voice that makes it sound like he’s angry.
He says my name, my full name, and something about the word in his mouth makes my insides stir. It reminds me of a dream I’ve been having of someone whispering my full name on the western shore. It has woken me up every night lately, always at midnight. Such an odd dream. No one on this island uses my full name, and yet he did.
He did, and it looks as if his entire world has been ripped out from under him.
I want to ask him if he needs help, if there’s anything I can do, but something stops me. I’m afraid I’ve offended him by not knowing him when he clearly knows me. But we get so many patrons in the perfumery that it’s hard to remember them all.
Though in this case, it surprises me that I don’t. He’s impossible to look away from—I can’t believe I forgot meeting him.
I offer him a smile, but for some reason, it seems to upset him.
I should go.
I walk up the beach to the road, fighting the urge to turn back to him the whole way. When I reach the sidewalk, I finally do.
And when I turn, he’s watching me.
My stomach catches in my throat, and I feel weightless, like that first exhilarating moment when I dive beneath the surface of the water. He’s magnetic—an invisible force pushes me toward him.
I want to know his story.
I shake my head and force myself to look away.
I have my own story, one that’s been written since the day I was born. And something tells me that if I were to read his, it would become my favorite. So instead, I go home and continue to live out the pages my parents have already written for me.
But maybe I’ll sneak in one of my own, a single page about a beautiful boy with stormy gray eyes, that is just for me.
thirty-three
“You look beautiful,” my mother says as I come down the stairs. I’m wearing a pale pink sheath dress, teardrop earrings, and nude evening shoes. I tug at the dress and smooth it down at the sides, but no matter how I fidget, I can’t get comfortable.
I don’t want my hair pulled back so tightly it gives me a headache and my dress so starched I’m scared of putting a single wrinkle in it. I want to feel like myself, with my hair unbrushed and wild, with interesting jewelry and clothing that moves with me. I want to wear dark colors instead of the pastels my coven favors.
I want to be myself in a space that feels like it wasn’t meant for me.
I shake my head and smile at my mother. I’m just nervous.
“Thanks, Mom,” I say.
My dad puts the finishing touches on the table, and it takes my breath away. Candles run the length of it, different heights and shapes, flickering in the dim room. Autumn leaves are crushed and scattered between them with white rose petals sitting on top. The room smells of the roast my dad made, and he puts a bottle of wine over ice just as the doorbell rings.
I jump at the sound of it.
My mother walks to the door and opens it wide. “Marshall, Elizabeth, welcome to our home! It is so lovely to have you here.”
Elizabeth and my mother exchange kisses on each cheek and throw compliments at each other as if they’re petals being tossed down a wedding aisle. Landon trails behind them, and my mother’s smile widens when she sees him.
“And Landon, it’s so nice to have you here again.”
He hands her a bouquet of flowers and smiles back. “I’m delighted to be here.”
I have to hand it to my future husband—he’s so charming that I almost believe he chose this. Chose me. But I remind myself it’s an act, if a very good one, and that he can promise me many things, but love is not one of them.
“Tana, you’re the best thing I’ve seen all week,” he says, walking over to me and handing me a single rose. “I saved the prettiest one for you,” he whispers.
“You’re quite the charmer,” I say, taking the rose from him.
“Is it too much?” he asks, a smile playing on his lips.
He’s good at this, and he knows he is, but I look at my mother’s beaming face and the rose in my hand. “I think it’s just enough.”
“Good.” He leans down and kisses my cheek. My eyes catch his, and all the playfulness is gone. His gaze moves down to my lips, and for a moment I forget we’re in the same room as our parents.
I take a breath and look down. “I should put this in water.”