001 â THE TIMINGâS NEVER RIGHT.
âOf course you are,â Faye chuckled, rolling her eyes, âYou leave boring old Chance Harbor for the summer and, what, go to California? Florida? Or did the majorly hot guy with the accent steal you away to his motherland filled with kangaroos and dingoes and whatever else there is there other than desert?â
She wouldnât admit it, because admitting it meant admitting to some form of weakness, but Faye had thought about the other witch during her absence. Mostly in a curiosity type of way, wondering where she was and what she was doing, and whether it was more exciting than spending another summer in Chance Harbor, but enough that Diana had crossed her mind a number of times. She mostly blamed Melissa for that, who had gotten much closer with her when they were still bonded, bringing back a friendship that had been formed years before Faye had brought Melissa into her side. At first sheâd been jealous, and maybe it had been a bit of a relief to have to smaller witch all to herself again with Diana leaving town so suddenly, but now she liked to think sheâd come to terms with it better. She didnât feel as possessive with her friendship as she did before, which probably only showed how boring her summer had been, if it had been filled with self reflection and growing up. What a load of crap, if anyone asked for Fayeâs opinion.
She allowed herself to glance at Diana as she let go of her elbow once they werenât standing in the middle of the doorway, crossing her arms over her chest instead. The comment about how nothing had changed had her cringing internally, knowing how true the words were. Sure, plenty had changed. The Circle was once more broken, Diana and Cassie had some screwed up relationship because their moms banged the same guy and got pregnant, and they all nearly repeated history and died that night on the docks. But, now it just felt like they were back to where they started less than a year ago, when they had first discovered they were magic and experimenting. Even if the rest didnât necessarily admit to it, she knew they all had dabbled in having their own powers again, though they might not have been itching to get their hands on new spells like she had. Still, details.
Instead of saying any of what was on her mind though, she instead just gave a chuckle of her own, matching Dianaâs. âPlentyâs changed,â she started, darting her eyes around the Boathouse, âLike the fact that this place doesnât look like itâs on the verge of having some health inspector slap a big ticket on it and close it for business anymore. That says something.â Not something Diana probably wanted to know about, since it involved her ex to some degree, but Faye didnât bring him up. âOtherwise, yeah, I guess not much else has changed. Chance Harborâs still the boring little town it was when you left, but thereâs been no witch hunters trying to kill us in months, so maybe the quiet isnât so bad.â She paused for a second, bringing her gaze back to Diana for a second before glancing the other witch up and down, weighing her next words carefully in her mind, âI wouldnât call me that smiley, but.. things around here may have been dull without you bitching in my ear about keeping my magic hidden and being careful not to get caught. And we both know how I get with dull, I donât handle it well.â
She knew she was lying when she said nothing had changed, and coming from the reaction it gained from Faye, she knew it as well. It was weird for her, in a sense, to be back in such a familiar place that didnât seem all too familiar at the same time. It was once a home that turned into something she couldnât get away from. It was once a place where magic happened, where she shared memories with a guy she imagined forever with, where she gained and lost friendships, enemies, and all of the above. Chance Harbor was a home but a home slightly altered, and being away from it for as long as she was, she could see the damages the town took before she had stepped outside of it. The only natural reaction a person would have would be recognizing the little difference from the place, even if everything was completely opposite.
âOh, shush. Can you blame me? This summer truly makes me wonder why I never actually ventured out during those months. Thereâs so much more out there to see other than this glum, moody place. And no, this is not me bragging, just being a little honest.â Dianaâs forefinger was lifted to silence any sarcastic remarks she had coming her way from Faye, knowing that the other girl was notorious for them. It was no secret that Faye enjoyed getting on Dianaâs nerves or under her skin from time to time, and while over the course of the last year a middle ground was established, deep down Diana knew that it was only within Fayeâs nature to jab Diana whenever she could - even if it was now more so playful than anything cruel.
Her elbow was soon released, however, and since being further inside the Boathouse, Diana was able to look around much more carefully before focusing her full attention back on Faye. She wanted to laugh some more at the rambling that fell from Fayeâs mouth, because she knew the other witch had a point. Everything was different and the spunk that ignited between the two was rooted with Diana chastising Faye for her carelessness. She wasnât stupid, she knew no one in their sane mind would miss being chastised, which was why a smile slowly spread over her plump lips. Faye missed her; that was her own way of admitting so. And if Diana were being honest, that fact alone made her a bit more giddy than she would have originally thought.
âAre you saying you missed me?â Diana countered with a teasing undertone in her voice, knowing that she couldnât resist the one opportunity she had to mess with Faye, fully expecting a jab right on back in return. âAll you had to do was say so.â She teased once more.Â














