romantic,” she said. “Short head line means you think directly and don’t beat around the bush. I’m sensing a strong blue energy from you that indicates that heroism is in your blood but also means you are destined to experience great pain, of what sort I can’t be sure. But you should be prepared for it as it’s not far away.”
Xavier tried to look as though he was taking her advice seriously.
“Thank you,” he said. “That was very insightful. Your turn, Beth.”
“No, I’d rather not,” I said.
“The future is not to be feared but confronted,” said Angela. The way she said it was almost a challenge.
I held my hand out reluctantly for her to read. Although her fingers were rough and calloused, her touch was not unpleasant. The moment she stretched out my palm she seemed to stiffen slightly.
“I can see white,” she said, her eyes shut as if in a trance. “I feel an indescribable happiness.” She opened her eyes. “What an amazing aura you have. Let me check your lines. Here we have a strong unbroken heart line, which suggests you will only love once in your lifetime. .. Then let’s see — Good Lord!” She straightened my fingers and pushed them back to stretch out the skin.
“What?” I asked in alarm.
“It’s your life line,” the woman said, her eyes wide with alarm. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“What about my life line?” I asked impatiently.
“My dear”—Angela’s voice dropped to a mere whisper—“you don’t have one.”
We walked back to Xavier’s car in awkward silence.
“Well, that was weird,” he said finally as he opened the door and I climbed in.
“Sure was,” I agreed, trying to sound lighthearted. “But who believes in psychics?”
Xavier’s car suited him perfectly. He drove a sky blue 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible. It had been lovingly restored down to the last detail, and made me feel like we’d traveled back in time. Its headlights gleamed in the darkness and its smooth leather seats were strangely comforting.
“Beth, meet my baby,” he said. “She’s a pretty sweet ride.”
“Hello,” I half raised my hand in an awkward wave and immediately felt like an idiot.
“You do know cars are inanimate objects?” I teased.
“Take it easy,” Xavier said. “You’ll hurt her feelings.”
“I didn’t know cars had feelings.”
“This one does. She’s got a life of her own.” Xavier patted the hood before pulling open my door. “Don’t be jealous of Beth, baby. You can’t be the only woman in my life.”
He switched on the ignition and put the car into gear before turning the dial to a commercial radio station. The dulcet tones of the announcer welcomed listeners to his show,
After riding only briefly in our hybrid Jeep, I wasn’t prepared for the noise of the vintage engine roaring to life and flattened myself against the passenger seat. Xavier glanced across at me with raised eyebrows.
“You all right there?”
“Is this car completely safe?”
“Do you think I’m a bad driver?” He smirked.
“I trust you,” I said. “I’m just not sure about cars.”
“If you’re worried about safety, you might like to follow my example and put on that seat belt.”
“The what?”
Xavier shook his head in disbelief.
“You worry me,” he muttered.
“Are you going to be in trouble?” he asked when we pulled up outside Byron. I saw that the front porch light had been left on so my escape must have been noticed.
“I don’t really care,” I said. “I had fun.”
“So did I.” The moonlight glinted briefly on the cross at his neck.
“Xavier…” I began tentatively. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Well, I’m just wondering… why did you ask me out tonight? It’s just that Molly told me about… well… about…”
“Emily?” Xavier sighed. “What about her?” A defensive note had crept into his voice. “People just can’t leave it alone, can they? That’s the thing about small towns — they get off on gossip.”
I found it difficult to meet his gaze. I felt as if I’d crossed a boundary, but I couldn’t go back.
“She said you’ve never really wanted to spend time with any other girl. So I guess I’m just curious… why me?”
“Emily wasn’t just my girlfriend,” Xavier said. “She was my best friend. We understood each other in a way that’s hard to explain, and I thought I’d never be able to replace her. But then when I met you…” He trailed off.
“Am I like her?” I asked.
Xavier laughed. “No, nothing like her. But I get the same feeling when I’m around you that I used to have with her.”
“What sort of feeling?”
“Sometimes you meet a person and you just click — you’re comfortable with them, like you’ve known them your whole life, and you don’t have to pretend to be anyone or anything.”
“Do you think Emily would mind?” I asked. “That you feel that way with me?”
Xavier smiled. “Wherever she is, Em would want me to be happy.” I knew exactly where she was but thought better about sharing this information with Xavier just then. It was bad enough that I had struggled with the seat belt and my palm was minus a life line. I thought that might be enough surprises for one evening.
We sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of us wanting to break the mood.
“Do you believe in God?” I said eventually.
“You’re the first girl to ask me that,” Xavier said. “Most people think of religion as some kind of fashion statement.”
“So you do?”
“I believe in a higher power, a spiritual energy. I think life’s too complex to be an accident, don’t you agree?”
“Absolutely,” I replied.
I stepped out of Xavier’s car that night with the certainty that the world as I knew it had changed irrevocably. All I could think about as I climbed the steps to the front door was not the lecture that awaited me but how long before I could see him again. There were so many things I wanted to talk to him about.
11
Head over Heels
The front door opened before I had a chance to knock. Ivy stood there, concern knitting her brow. Gabriel sat stony faced in the sitting room. He might have been a figure in a painting so still was his bearing. Ordinarily it would have prompted overwhelming remorse, but I was still hearing Xavier’s voice and remembering his strong hand on my back as he ushered me into Sweethearts, as well as the fresh scent of his cologne.
Deep down I’d known when I clambered down my balcony that Gabriel would have sensed my absence almost immediately. He would also have guessed where I’d gone and who I was with. I knew the idea of coming to look for me would have crossed his mind, only to be dismissed. Neither he nor Ivy would have wanted to draw attention to us so publicly.
“You shouldn’t have waited up, I was perfectly safe,” I said. The words unintentionally came out sounding too offhand, impudent rather than apologetic. “I’m sorry if I worried you,” I added as an afterthought.
