The Witches of Snyder Farms (The Wicked Garden Series) Read Online Free Page B

I’ll come back here, do my chores, and try to find Uncle Marcus to help me with two weeks of physics homework so I don’t have to worry about it over my spring break which officially starts tomorrow.
    Adopting a far-away glance, she continued. “Alt hough I might close my eyes for a bit and wonder what it would be like to spend time with a boyfriend I never get to see, and dream about the stories I’ll never have time to write. It’s an ideal Saturday in the life of a goddess-in-training, I know. But what can I say? I’m only young once. Later.”
    Then she swanned out the door.
    Eli’s head was spinning as he heard her get into the old farm truck and speed away. This girl was in over her head. Of course, she was quite tall, so maybe not. He was, on the other hand, absolutely certain that he was in over his head—and that was even after accounting for inches added by curly hair.
     
    ∞
     
    Buoyed by his conversation with Ame, Eli was ready to face Gretchel. When he opened the door to the room they shared, he saw her curled up on the bed reading one of Graham Duncan’s earlier novels
    Graham Duncan again. He was inescapable.
    Eli cocked his head to the side and observed his lover. She was gorgeous. Even in threadbare yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt, she was gorgeous. He sighed.
    Eli perched on the edge of the bed. He could tell that she was still pissed. He decided to proceed gently.
    “I took care of the fire.”
    “Thank you.” Gretchel spoke without looking up from her book.
    “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in front of Ame earlier. What you said just struck me as incredibly cynical, and I know that you’re not a cynical person.”
    She rolled over —away from him—and turned a page. “I’ve been through hell and back several times, Eli. Hades thinks I’m Persephone. He’s signed me up for frequent flier miles, so that gives me every right to be as cynical as I want to be.”
    “ You are such a drama queen!”
    “Excuse me?” she said, slamming down her book and turning to face him.
    “Just trying to get your attention.” He leaned in to steal a kiss, and was gratified to discover that she didn’t want it to end when he withdrew.
    Eli looked at the book that Gretchel had dropped. “Don’t live your life vicariously through Graham Duncan, Gretchel. He’s crazy. Wise, but crazy.”
    “What is your problem with Graham Duncan? If anyone is going to usher in this cosmic awakening you’re so excited about, my bet’s on him. He inspires people to fight ego and raise hell against the status quo. Please remind me, what is it that you do , exactly? Has it occurred to you that you’re the one being left behind?”
    Eli gasped, clutched at an imaginary dagger wound to the chest, and fell backwards onto the bed.
    “Gretchel, you misunderstand me. I think that Graham Duncan is brilliant, too. His writing does things to me that I can’t even begin to explain. His genius throws me into a state of unparalleled admiration. Every sentence, every metaphor, every page is like a strawberry sundae on a hundred-degree day. My reverence for him comes dangerously close to worship.
    “And, yes: You’ve seen through my facade. I envy him. I do. I envy him because his talent and insight is driven by a need to create and a respect for individualism and self-reliance. I envy him because he creates effortlessly, and the only way I can do it is when I have a beautiful redheaded muse sitting close to me. I envy him because he doesn’t feel compelled to explain his motives to anyone. And I envy Duncan because you’re obviously totally in love with him.”
    She smiled sweetly. “Then I guess I shouldn’t tell you I was just daydreaming of him and me canoodling in a lovely meadow.”
    “ I shudder to think what that man would do to you,” he mumbled.
    “ Then it’s a good thing it’s just a daydream.”
    They stared each other down, stubborn smirks on both their faces.
    “Let’s get out of the house,”