the best, some for the worst. I don’t know how to classify this, if it’s true. So I take a nice, hot shower, get dressed, and plod downstairs.
“I’m going to get some fresh air,” I tell my relatives. “Be back in a bit.”
They seem flustered, and a little bit surprised, but they don’t argue.
I sincerely hope all of the shops are the same as before. There’s a mini market in town, where I need to pick up a few items. On my way, though, I need to see if Livia’s is still standing, if it ever existed at all. And maybe, just maybe, Jana works there. First things first, though.
As I round the corner and walk down Main Street, I notice a few of the boutiques and shops are exactly how I remember them. Sure, there are different window displays, or the signs are a total one-eighty from what they previously were, but the majority of Hartford still exists, and that makes my stomach feel like it’s rising into my throat. My emotions swell, leaving me a bit teary-eyed, because there might be hope after all.
I stop by the mini market two blocks down from Livia’s. I know exactly what to buy, and I cross my fingers they have it. After searching up and down the aisles in the small store, I come across the item I need. Hesitating due to embarrassment, I realize nobody here knows who I am. So, why worry? I pick up the little box, grab some potato chips and candy bars, and pay for my things at the checkout.
Now that that’s over and done with, I stroll down the sidewalk, all the way to Livia’s. I almost squeal when I see the sign is the same. Stepping up to the display window, I peer inside. I’ll be damned. Behind the counter is Jana, though she doesn’t seem like the perky Jana I once knew. This Jana is tired, maybe a little bit sad; I see hurt behind her eyes, and the way she handles customers like they’re a chore rather than a commodity.
Oh, this is going to be just lovely.
With a long, drawn-out sigh, I lift my chin and open the door. The bell overhead chimes, signaling my arrival, and I instantly think of Fiona and her fabric store. I miss her. I wish we could’ve said goodbye, but with the way everything played out, there was no chance in hell she’d speak to Ben or me after seeing us transform into werewolves. Discarding my thoughts, I set out to do what I came here for: make the world seem right again.
“Hi, welcome to Livia’s,” Jana states, with no interest. It’s as if she’s said those words a thousand times today, and she wishes to never speak them again. She sounds like a damn robot. Definitely not the Jana Rendall I know—well, knew.
“Hey, are you guys hiring?” I question.
Without glancing at me, she reaches under the counter and pulls out a stack of applications. “Take your pick,” she says, waving her hand over the lot. “Fill one out and bring it back when you want, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be hired.”
Wooow. Undoubtedly, this is not my old friend. She won’t even look at me. “Actually, I think I’ll fill it out now, since I’m already here.” I remember the first time I set foot in Livia’s. Jana was the one who urged me to fill out an application right then and there. I was the one who didn’t care anything about applying for a job. Funny how, in this life, the roles are reversed.
Jana motions toward a pen holder on the counter. “Have at it.” She steps down from behind the cash register and meanders to the back room, where it’s employees only.
I don’t hesitate to answer each question on the application. By the time I’m finished, she still hasn’t returned to the front. I guess she’s avoiding socializing with customers. Whatever. I shrug off her behavior and decide I’ll deal with all of this later. Right now, I have bigger issues to worry about—like, Ben, for instance. He’ll be eating dinner with us in less than an hour, and although I’m excited to see him, I’m absolutely terrified he won’t remember me at all.
Chapter Fifteen
That final hour is the longest of my life. In my new room, I unload the goodies I bought and rip open the potato-chip bag first. Because I haven’t eaten much in the last twenty-four hours, I can almost