Wayward ➳ Edward Cullen

8. Revelations

I didn't. Angela was even closer, less than five minutes from the house I was staying at. She greeted us with her slight, shy smile and sat in the back. A minute later, we were off.

Jessica drove much faster than Dean. With all the weapons and fake ids we had in the car, we had to stay at least three miles within the speed limit. Jessica felt no such compunctions as she sped down the highway at eighty. The gossip started right away. Most of it centered around Lauren and Tyler, but it wasn't long before the talk turned to Mike.

It revolved around the various people we went to school with as we reached Port Angeles. The modest town was obviously built around the harbor. Several store names referred to either the port or the ocean. It was charming, though, especially along the boardwalk.

But we drove past the tourist trap, back inland towards a small department store. We kept up the steady stream of chatter as we found our way to the dresses and began combing through the racks.

It was around the fifth set of dresses Jessica and Angela tried on that Jessica asked, "Are you sure you won't be around for the dance?"

"Positive," I told her, holding a yellow off-shoulder she'd liked.

There was a dip in the mood, but it picked up again as the two girls discussed possible dates.

"What about Dean?" Jessica asked me, twisting to examine the way a dusky rose gown hugged her curves in a body-length mirror.

From a nearby rack, I shook my head, "You don't want to go there, Jess. Trust me."

She turned to regard me over her bare shoulder. "Are you saying that because he's your brother?"

"I'm saying that because he's not into relationships."

Jessica turned back to the mirror, pensive.

I hoped I'd nipped that in the bud. Setting the dresses onto a nearby hanger, I wondered, "How many more are you going to try on?" We'd already been looking several hours.

Angela and Jessica glanced at each other. "A few more?"

"Mind if I take off? I want to visit a bookstore while I'm in town." We'd talked about going out to eat later. "We can meet up at the restaurant."

"Okay," Angela agreed.

"Where are you going?" Jessica wondered.

"Mystic Books? It's not far off from the boardwalk, right?"

Jessica nodded, already gazing back in the mirror. She gave some directions to the store, finishing with, "See you in an hour."

I agreed and with a few waves was making my way back onto the streets of Port Angeles. I ended up skimming the boardwalk, which was packed with tourists, before turning onto a street that led away from the coast.

I knew I'd found the right place from the myriad of dream catchers and crystals hanging in the shop's display window. Patchouli and sage greeted me inside. The shop was on the smaller side, packed with so many shelves and displays I was glad I wasn't claustrophobic. All the occult items were displayed on small tables or the counter up front, while the books were kept further back. The woman at the register was disappointingly boring in appearance—a professional pant suit, well-kept brown curls, and a perfectly ordinary face. It was always fun when they hammed up the mystic angle with some scarves, peasant blouses, egyptian eyeshadow, and jangling bangle bracelets.

I skipped the healing crystals, candles, incense, and tarot cards for the back shelves. The first books I saw were mostly dealing with new age subjects. Spirituality, aroma therapy, astrology, and the like. I was starting to think I wasn't going to get much out of my trip when I found the section for myths and legends.