world.
Letting me go, he backed away. “Do you want to walk the stage? I’ll arrange it with Reed.”
I’d had to physically go into Melbrook Academy to take the proctored final exams. The kids had gawked and whispered, and the overwhelming smell of Axe body spray had given me a headache.
I had no interest in walking the stage with people I didn’t know in front of an audience of strangers.
“No,” I said. “I’m good.”
“You’ll still celebrate,” he stated, sounding more like a threat than a plan.
“I’m going to ask Freddy to teach me his mac and cheese recipe and then beg him to make me funfetti cake.”
Freddy had said it was an abomination against his French ancestry, but I’d graduated. That had to count for something, right?
“He’ll do it,” Maximo said, his tone again making the words sound like a threat. He gave Ash his attention. “Ready?”
Ash nodded but shot me another smile. “Congrats again, Juliet.”
“Thanks.”
I watched them leave before plopping onto the chair.
Well, shit. Now what do I do?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Last One with The Time Jumps
Juliet
Four Months Later
WELL, DAMN. THIS sucks.
After showering, I’d gone into my closet to get dressed, only to find a couple new items. It wasn’t the first time, but it never failed to surprise me.
One of the outfits was a gray romper I’d immediately tried on, but the fit was all wrong. I was too petite, so everything hit at the wrong spots.
Frowning, I checked myself out in the mirror to see if it was really as bad as I thought.
It was worse.
I looked like a kid wearing her older sister’s clothes.
Actually, thanks to the weird poofiness at the butt, I looked like a toddler with a full diaper.
Maybe I can ask to have it altered.
Or maybe I can alter it…
I had no clue if I could even do it. It’d been a while since I’d sewn anything—and that’d just been small mending or patching jobs.
But it’d also been a while since I’d tried a new hobby. I was getting restless.
After finding out I’d graduated, I’d looked up some colleges. I hadn’t known how the logistics would work since I was a penniless minor, but it hadn’t mattered. I’d been far too late to apply for fall semester. Without school to focus on, I’d rotated through a variety of hobbies I’d never had time or money to try.
I’d given the keyboard another shot, that time with lessons from a patient music teacher. It hadn’t taken long to figure out lack of instruction hadn’t been the problem.
Not by a long, badly-rhythmed mile.
I’d practically handcuffed myself with yarn when I’d tried knitting.
Crocheting had been better, but not by much. Even going slow with a video guide, my scarf was less scarfy and more knots and tangles forming an abstract rectangle.
Freddy had taught me to cook and bake some basics—including chewy chocolate chip cookies.
It was time to try something new.
After changing into clothes that actually fit, I headed into the hall.
I was pretty sure Maximo was home, but I didn’t go to him. As odd as it was since he bankrolled the whole shebang, I didn’t feel comfortable asking him for anything. It was easier to pretend things just magically showed up.
Like I had unlimited wishes from a genie.
Going downstairs, I searched for one of the men or Ms. Vera but had no luck. The kitchen was empty, too, and I swiped a couple Starbursts for my trouble. I was about to leave when Marco came in.
He looked guilty until his eyes narrowed. “What’re you doing in here?”
I hid the candy behind my back as I shot back, “What’re you doing?”
“Just looking for Freddy.” He picked up a big pot like he was casually checking it out.
“Freddy moved the Oreos.”
“Dammit. Where?”
I shrugged.
“What’d you go for?”
“Starburst. In the flour canister.”
“Thanks.” He grabbed a much larger handful and pocketed them. “What’re you up to?”
“Can you get me a needle and thread?”
His eyes went alert and he scanned me like he was searching for an injury.
I wonder if he’s ex-military or a commando or something.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not looking to do battlefield stitches, I actually want to sew.”
“Need fabric?”
I shook my head. “Just gray thread.”
“Got it.” He grabbed another handful of Starburst and checked one more pot before leaving.
And I went upstairs to plan my new hobby.
Maximo
“WHAT IS SHE doing?”
Juliet sat on her floor, her body hunched over, but I couldn’t see what had her attention.
Ash didn’t need to glance at the screen to know. “She’s altering one of her