Chapter Twenty-Three

Aster

It was over. Closing her eyes tight, she waited for the crystal to drop and for them to get shocked. There was a clunk on the table, and a bright flash lit behind her eyelids. She braced herself, but nothing came. No shock. No death. She opened her eyes just as the last of the charge traveled down the grounding rod and disappeared into the earth.

Her tarot cards shot up in the air and fell down around her and Reese. He was lying across the table, his hand reaching out to the center, limp and unmoving.

“Reese?” She pushed herself up from the chair and stumbled over to him, shaking his shoulder. “Oh God, Reese, are you okay?”

He groaned and lifted his head. “We’re alive?”

She nodded, swallowing back her emotions. “Looks like it. Can you get up?”

He straightened. “I actually feel stronger.”

Aster inspected her hand. She expected to find a nasty burn, but there wasn’t one. It was only sore, not burned. Reese stood and pulled her into his arms. Overcome with relief, she cried into his chest.

She suddenly remembered his birthday and pulled back from him. “What time is it?”

He removed his phone from his front pocket. “After two.”

“It worked,” she said, hugging him tight. “It worked,” she yelled for the others to hear.

Jan jogged through the trees and practically tackled them in a hug. “It sounded like she was torturing you to death.”

Reese laughed. “She was.”

Mr. and Mrs. Van Buren followed Leah down the stone path to them. Aster broke free of Jan and Reese, making a beeline for Leah and throwing her arms around her. The Van Burens took turns hugging their son.

“It worked.”

Leah stepped out of the hug and inspected Aster. “Well, you’re not burned or bleeding. How do you feel?”

“My hand is sore. Other than that, I feel fine.”

“Barmy, it turned the crystal into dust,” Jan said, checking out the grounding rod.

Aster went over to the table. Sure enough, the crystal had been reduced to a shimmery black powder. Her tarot cards littered the table and the ground around it. They looked different. She picked one up. The green vine on the back had turned black.

That’s strange. Did the charge do that? Why isn’t the purple background black, too, then?

Whatever it was, Aster didn’t want the others to know about it. She hurried around picking up the cards. Reese helped her, handing her his stack after retrieving the last one. She counted the cards to make sure they were all there.

“What time is it?” Aster asked again.

“It’s two thirty,” Leah answered.

Reese slipped his arm around Aster’s back, his hand resting on her waist. “Are you going to keep asking for the time?”

“Yes. Until your birthday is over.”

He chuckled. “What about my future ones? Will we hold our breath the entire day?”

“No. But… Okay, I will forever hate your birthdays,” she said, very serious.

“Now, that’s just brutal,” Leah said. “I say you throw a party like this every year.”

Jan took Leah’s hand. “I say we all get a drink and drown our nerves. This has been one for the history books.”

Hours later, they sat in the lounge. Aster wasn’t much of a drinker. She’d had the occasional champagne for special things, a beer here and there at parties, and spiked punch once. But she accepted a glass of what Reese called jenever. It was strong, and she welcomed the warmth as it crept its way down her esophagus.

Every little while, Aster checked the time, and Reese was still there. Alive. With her, never leaving her side. By the second drink, Reese had to carry her to a spare room. She dropped her tarot cards on the floor as he helped her out of her dress. Her cell phone fell from her bodice. He gave her a questioning look before he picked it up and placed it on the nightstand.

After helping her into bed, he pulled the covers up to her chin.

She frowned up at him. “Aren’t you staying with me?”

“I am,” he said, taking off his jacket. “How else will you know I’m still alive when you check the time again?”

“Ha. Ha.” She grabbed the pillow beside her and threw it at him.

He faked surprise, picked up a pillow, and headed for her. “Oh, this is war.”

She squealed and scrambled to the other side of the bed, grabbing another pillow on her way. He fired his at her and she dodged it. Jumping on the bed, she stood and readied hers to hit him. He tackled her before she could clobber him, surrounding her with his arms.

Her stomach lurched. “I feel sick.”

“It’s the alcohol,” he said. “We should sleep it off. Later, I want to spend the remainder of the day with you. Alone.” He kissed her lips. It was short, too short for Aster, but the room had suddenly started spinning.

She picked up her phone from the nightstand and checked the time. It was three forty, and Reese was still among the living.

It didn’t take long for Aster to fall asleep, snuggled in his arms.

…

Aster inhaled the crisp country air and stretched out on a picnic blanket. Ducks and tall birds were active on the marshy pond. The lunch his mother had packed for them was full of deliciousness. There was a variety of cheeses, fruits, crusty bread, and creamy chocolates. Reese lay on his side, his head propped in his hand, watching her with his intense blue eyes.

“What?”

“I’m just enjoying the view.”

“You didn’t have enough last night?” She had. Her eyes kept shutting from exhaustion. They were up all night, making love and talking. He brought her to physical and emotional places she’d never been before.

“I’ll never get enough.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and a flutter of excitement tickled inside her.

Fighting the urge to check the time on her cell again, she crawled over to him and scooted up against his side. His arm snaked around her, and he pulled her close to him. He softly kissed her lips, then brushed her hair from her forehead and stared into her eyes again.

“What?”

A sexy grin tightened on his lips. “You want to check it again.”

“No, I don’t.” She did. She so did.

But what she wanted more was to savor this moment with him. So she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his mouth back to hers. His skin, freshly showered, smelled of soap and pines. She never wanted to stop kissing him. Never let him go, fearing the curse would take him away from her.

“You’re lovely,” he whispered against her neck. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

“Giving up is never an option…when you love someone.”

Turning, she found his mouth with hers again. Their kiss deepened, and she wrapped her leg around his calf. His hand ran down her side, sending chills across her skin. He brought his hand back up her side, his thumb brushing against the side of her breast, and she tensed, anticipating his next move.

“Isn’t this grand—the natives are mating.” Jan’s voice caused Aster to pull away from Reese.

Leah elbowed Jan in the side. “I told you not to interrupt them.”

Jan pulled a face. “It would’ve been rude to just watch and say nothing.” He grabbed her hand. “My little princess is such a voyeur.”

“Funny,” she said and elbowed him again. “Haven’t you noticed the time, Aster? We’re leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. Better hurry and get your suitcase.”

Aster gave Reese a look as she struggled to her feet. Her left leg had fallen asleep and she shook it. “See? I should’ve checked the time.”

Reese chuckled. “On my return to Ocean City, I fear you’ll have become obsessed and have clocks lining every bit of your bedroom walls.” He snatched up the blanket and folded it.

Leah laughed. “I can see that happening. Have you seen her collection of pens?” she asked with a sly grin. “She picks them up wherever she goes. Even though she has more than she will ever use in a lifetime.”

“Way to throw me under the bus.” Aster chuckled. “Besides, they’re free. I’ll never have to pay for one again.”

Reese caught her hand as they strolled back to the castle. His hand felt like home to hers. It was warm and strong. And it was as if the power coming through the crystal had molded them to fit perfectly together. There seemed to be an energy just under the skin of their palms—sort of magnetic.

Aster didn’t want to leave Reese, even if it was just for a week. She worried he’d disappear and she’d never see him again. The fear consumed her, but she put on a brave face for him. All morning, they had talked about their feelings and made plans for the future. They would spend the summer together and choose the same college to attend. And from there, they’d live in the moment with no time constraints.

Reese accompanied her to the spare room to pick up her suitcase. When the tears came, he hugged her and let her cry into his chest, kissing the top of her head.

“We’ll be late,” he said before releasing her and picking up her bag. Something caught his eye on the nightstand. He picked up her tarot deck. “You almost forgot these.”

Aster took them and dropped them in the wastebasket. “I don’t ever want to see them again. I’m done with fate changing. I just want to be a normal girl from now on.”

“All right, then.” He followed her out the door.

At the airport’s security check, Leah had to pry Aster away from Reese. Before going around the corner and losing sight of him, Aster paused. She blew him a kiss and waved. He made a cheesy heart with his hands and she laughed.

It was only a week, she told herself and waved to him one last time.