And as Calamity had warned, he wasn’t going to like that shit. She’d talked to the girls and Calamity about her suspicions, and while they agreed she had no proof, they also agreed honesty was the only way.
But she’d already made a decision after talking with January last night that would solve everything. She had to tell him how she felt and she had to do it soon. Letting another day go by with him thinking she was sticking around after the date for their deal was up was wrong. He was officially off the hook after Halloween.
Looking out the window at a slew of moving vans, loading up box after box for her neighbors, every last one of them virtually skipping out the door, smiling and laughing, she closed her eyes to keep from crying.
Was no one even a little upset? Was Arnie not at all distressed that he’d probably never have another chess game with Mrs. Bernbaum? Did Leona really want to go to a strange country all by herself just because she loved empanadas and had learned two phrases in Spanish?
But as she watched them, their eyes gleaming, their faces bright, she couldn’t deny no one appeared to care.
Blowing out a breath, Poppy plunked down on her couch and grabbed a stray pillow, resting her cheek on it. When she’d walked into the building after her meeting with Avis, prepared to pack up her things for the last time, she’d had that same feeling of desolation she’d had when she’d been here the other day.
What? What did it mean? January had said not to ignore her intuition, but she’d also told her to examine her feelings and their possible magnification.
Was she magnifying this feeling of dread? Were all the things she’d experienced since this had happened compounded by the strangeness of her new world?
Rick dropped down next to her and asked, “You okay? I know this is an emotional day for you, Poppy, but I promise everything’s going to be okay.”
“Thanks for helping me pack. You didn’t have to. I know you’re busy.”
He ran a finger down the length of her nose. “It’s the least I can do in light of the fact that I’m stealing your apartment right out from under you.”
“I need to talk to you about a couple of things.”
He smiled his devastatingly handsome smile. “All ears.”
“Listen, Rick… I can’t be your familiar.”
His eyebrow rose. “Um, you didn’t even give it the full seven days. You’re giving up already, se?orita?” he teased, using his index finger to playfully poke her shoulder.
“I’m going to hit you with some honesty. Like brutal honesty. You ready?”
Leaning back, Rick nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sure,” he replied with a stiff tone—one she sensed would become defensive when he heard what she had to say.
“I like you. Once I got past your very unwelcoming response to my arrival, you turned out to be an okay guy.” She bit the inside of her cheek to ward off the humiliation of this conversation.
“But?”
“But. I…” She sighed, letting her head hang to her chest. Honesty was the best policy. No room and board was worth this kind of dilemma. So she leaned back, too, and looked him square in the eye. “But I like you too much.”
He rolled his tongue in his cheek. “Can you ever like a person too much?”
“You can when you’re supposed to be their advisor, but you’re thinking very un-biblical thoughts about them. Or maybe they are biblical. I’m not sure. I just know, they’re a little unsanitary.” She bit her lip on her last words and winced, waiting for his reaction.
And Rick said nothing. Absolutely nothing. Which might have hurt her ego had she not already decided he probably didn’t feel the same way. Surely, with all this connectivity between them, she would have felt something if he had.
For all his teasing and flirting, he wasn’t into her like that, and that was okay. There’d been plenty of guys who hadn’t been into her when she was into them.
She’d live. She didn’t like that she would right now, but as a rational adult, she knew that would pass, and while she’d probably always be attracted to Rick, she could handle it if the only time she had to see him was over a bubbling cauldron at the witches and warlocks annual gala.
As he was about to speak, Poppy held up a hand—a cautious hand, because her hands were pretty good at creating mayhem these days. “Just let me do this without interruption. I think we both know familiars and their assignments can’t possibly work if one of them is having feelings that aren’t familiar-ish. How can I, as your familiar, advise you in relationships if I’m thinking…er, impure thoughts? Think about how crazy awkward that would be. Every time you had a date, me all pouty and jealous of the other women in your life? That’s not going to work for me. I don’t do jealous. It’s an ugly emotion I have no time for.”
He grunted, but he still didn’t say a word. Opening his mouth, he frowned when nothing came out. Which was indeed odd. Using his finger, he pointed at the interior of his mouth.