Page 69 of How (Not) to Conjure a Boyfriend
“Why are you stuck?” she asks.
I think about it. There is only one explanation. Me. It all comes back to me, but it’s still not easy. Nothing about it is easy.
“I just am,” is what I say though.
“Kenzie,” she finally says my name the way I’m accustomed. “It neverjust is. There’s always a reason, Schatzi. What happened?”
I dip my head. Can’t it just be this time? I don’t want to answer. I’ve already ruined the night enough, but how can I not? I roll my head back and sigh.
“You remember the night Hayden fell at the shop? And I went to the hospital with him, right?” I start.
“Yes.” Mom nods.
“When I got there, I might have done something foolish.” I wince.
“What did you do?” she asks.
“Well, first, I sort of cast a love spell. A few, actually. I know I can’t make him love me, but I wanted to give it a push, youknow? Put my intent out into the universe.” She grins when I tell her, and I’m not sure why, but right now I’ll take it. “I think maybe I did something wrong. I don’t know what, but I must have. Maybe my vibe was just off.”
“Schatzi.” Mom closes the distance between us and cups my face, but before she can say anything else I ramble on.
“But yeah, when I got to the hospital, I sort of told Regina that I was dating him just to try to see him. Then when…uh…when his…” I stumble over myself and take a quick breather. “When his family got there, she sort of…uh…told them I was…you know…”
I squint, hoping Mom will fill in the rest, but she seems determined to hear it from me.
“Like…I was…” I try again and finally just blurt it out in one big word vomit. “That I was his enbyfriend, and I didn’t say no.”
“And you what?” She leans in and cups her ears. I know her hearing isn’t bad, so it’s theatrics. I huff.
“I didn’t say no,” I repeat slower.
“Oh.” Mom’s lips pooch under an understanding glint in her eye.
“Yeah.” I grin stupidly. “I couldn’t get myself to. So I sort ofbecamehis enbyfriend, and well, that’s it.”
“And you’ve never told them?” Mom asks.
“It’s only been two weeks.” I bounce my shoulders, hoping it’ll make the horrible seem a little less horrible. It doesn’t.
She stares me down a moment, patting my shoulder. Seconds pass and her serious gaze transforms into something softer and more understanding.
“Mein Schatz, youhaveto tell them the truth. You do know that, right?” Mom says expectantly, but with a heaping of understanding in her voice. “Especially now that he’s awake.”
Her head twitches in realization, and I see a bulb light up.
“Hold on, if he woke up, how do they not know yet?” Mom asks.
I smile. It’s one of those big shit-eating grins. I hate me for it, but you know how they say things can’t get worse? Well, they do.
“Mackenzie?” Mom says again.
“I was going to tell them! I swear!” I tell her. “But the doctor said he could be experiencing amnesia.”
“How does that change anything?” Mom asks.
“It doesn’t…but she told his family he might not recall recent memories. That he probably lost those memories of us. And now he thinks he just doesn’t remember us dating,” I say, chewing on my sucked-in lips when I stop talking.
Mom dips her head again and sighs. “Kenzie, you can’t keep this up. You shouldn’t. It’s not right.”
