AN: I was pretty quick to update this chapter simply because the plot for this story is super easy to write and put together! I really hope that you love this chapter! Thank you very much for the continued support!
I nervously scanned the page of my novel, not really reading but just trying to seem busy as heavy footsteps approached my table. There was a moment of silence that caused me to look up and meet the gaze of the handsome boy. He was staring at me intensely, his friend lingering behind him with both drinks in his hands and a comforting smile on his face.
"Sorry about him. I'm Brady!" The friend said quickly. "I think Seth here wants a reading! Do you have time?"
I watched as Brady pulled out a chair from across me and pushed Seth down into it.
"Yeah, I have all the time in the world!" I said with a nervous laugh, my heart racing as Seth's face broke out into a wide, confident smile. His teeth gleamed against his tan skin and those dimples of his could have made anyone swoon.
I reached for my deck, said a quick cleanse as I shuffled and then handed it to Seth. He reached out to me with large hands and as his skin grazed mine, I pulled my hands back quickly as an intense heat ran through the whole of my body. I felt my skin warm embarrassingly and Seth's smile only brightened.
"Go ahead and give that deck a shuffle." I said with a soft smile, admiring the way his fingers curled around the rounded cards. "No time limit – when you feel like you're ready to stop shuffling you can hand them back to me."
Seth began shuffling through the cards, his eyes not leaving mine despite my gaze moving back and forth from his dark orbs to the table top and back. When he was finally finished, he handed the deck back to me and I began his reading.
"Have you ever had a reading done before?" I asked, my voice somewhat timid.
"No, this is my first time actually so I'm counting on you." He said with a wink. Brady snickered next to him, seemingly amused by our awkward exchange.
"In that case, I'll give you some need to know before we start laying the cards down. So there are a total of seventy-eight cards in a tarot deck – the major arcana and the minor arcana. The major tend to address the largely important or permanent things going on in your life while the minor arcana handle the less dramatic, every day things. Now, don't be scared – there's nothing wrong with tarot. I'm not going to tell you that you're cursed or will have a heart attack or none of that nonsense and if you ever meet a reader who does give you negative information; you haven't chosen a very good reader. Tarot is never, ever supposed to be a negative, forewarning experience. So, with that, do you have any questions?" I asked, looking up to meet Seth's analyzing stare.
Seth glanced down at my cloth and gracefully pointed to my candle and crystals.
"What are those for?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious.
"Ah, these are my tarot tools. So the Archangel candle is for guidance and help with reading the cards – it's also to keep away any negative energy from me and my deck while I attempt to access the more spiritual part of me. The purple crystal is an Amethyst for a sober mind, the black one is Black Tourmaline for grounding or protection, the blue one is called Celestite for guidance from angels and lastly that clear one is regular Quartz to help amplify the other crystal's energies as well as cleanse my space and deck." I said, waving my hand over each crystal as I referred to it.
Seth nodded a pleasant smile on his face.
"Okay then – I'm ready." He said and I was happy to be reading for someone who didn't make tarot seem like a game or a joke. From what I could tell, he seemed either interested in my reading or…maybe even me?
I picked up the first card and laid it in the center of my tarot cloth. "So this first card addresses who you are, what you're about and this is card here is The Hermit. As you can see, it's an older gentleman holding up a lamp to guide his way through the darkness. So even though you're a young…man you're very wise for your age. You've moved through some darkness or hardship in your past that has caused you to mature into who you are today and it's strengthened who you are as a person. However, there is still something going on inside right now that you should meditate on or confront – something either bothering you, a big life event or a pending decision." I finished, moving to pull the next card. I glanced up at Seth and Brady who both stared at me with wide eyes, putting a confident grin on my face. That was one of my favorite looks to see on my customer's faces – the 'oh shit she knows everything' face.
"This next card represents what's you're seeking in life or what you should seek." I said, pausing to flip over the next card onto the table.
"So, um, this is The Lovers – another card from the major arcana." I said swiftly, a blush on my cheeks. "This card tells me that you're seeking balance – a yin to your yang to put it simply. When you find this balance to whatever you're seeking and two finally become one, it'll benefit you greatly. This could be something like adding more spirit into your physical realm or stepping away from being so logical and adding a bit of laid back dreaming."
"So this card doesn't actually refer to love?" Seth asked, his voice deep and eyes concentrated on my lips.
"The card refers to what you're seeking so if you've been having your heart set on something a little more romantic, then absolutely. The Lovers not only represents balance but sexual attraction, a new relationship or re-discovering your partner in a new way. If you've been considering taking the next step in a relationship, having this card come up in your reading is one of those signs from the universe that we're often so blind to." I said with a smile but my heart ached. Of course he'd ask a question like that – everyone does when it comes to The Lovers. Even though Seth was handsome and I figured that someone like him would be taken, I felt disappointed. Why – I have no clue. I'd never been interested in carrying on a relationship due to the things within me that needed to be healed first. I was a big advocate for healing and loving yourself before you attempted to enter into a relationship with anyone else – especially an intimate one.
I carried on with his reading, laying down one card after the other. The sixth card I laid down which represented incoming energy was the three of wands – a card of good luck and yet another sign from the universe to keep moving forward with any plans that he had. The ninth card or, the hopes and dreams card, was the seven of cups meaning that the thing his heart was searching for most was to re-connect with his inner self. He wanted to find himself, understand himself and figure out where he was going to fit in. We got to the eleventh card and I informed Seth that this was the last card before picking it up from the deck.
"Alright, so the final card represents the outcome of the reading. It's basically the card that wraps everything up so that I can give any final advice or messages." I flipped the card over and laid it on the cloth, smiling to see Death. "Don't be scared by this – it's actually a brilliant card to end on. From here on out there is going to be quite a big change in your life, something that will almost make you feel like you've transformed into a new person." I finished, looking up again to see both Seth and Brady staring at me like a deer in headlights.
I started to get worried that they hadn't liked the reading and I rushed to defend myself.
"Tarot is meant to be general and more of a push in the right direction rather than an actual telling of your future! I'm sorry if you thought I was going to tell you that you were going to win the lottery or become famous – that's not my style." I said while gathering up my cards.
Seth cleared his throat and rested his hand on mine.
"No, the reading was really great, honestly. I think I was just surprised at how much you got right." He said breathlessly.
"Oh! Well…that's…I'm really glad then!" I said quickly, nibbling on my lower lip.
I watched as Seth's eyes darkened and his form started trembling. Brady clapped his hand onto Seth's shoulder and gave him a little shake.
"Well, thank you very much for giving my friend here this reading." Brady said politely, standing up and trying to pull Seth up with him. Seth remained planted in his seat, staring at me almost like I was his prey. I shuffled to my feet and started to pack everything into bag, a bit shocked when Seth stood up immediately with me.
"Are you leaving?" He asked distressed.
"Well, not really. I live in that van parked out front and Reb – the owner lets me keep it parked there until I'm ready to get back on the road again." I said, warily watching as Seth's body began to tremble again. Huh, that's strange.
"You don't live here?" He asked.
I shook my head, taking in how Seth's breathing deepened as though to keep himself in control.
"No, I'm kind of a vagabond – it doesn't feel natural for me to stay in one place for too long." I murmured, walking towards the front of the shop.
"Can I see you again?" Seth questioned as we approached my van.
"That's fine – I'll be here for a while! La Push is one of my favorite places to visit and I always linger here longer than anywhere else. There's something magical in this Washington air." I said with a laugh.
Whatever tension Seth had been holding seemed to melt and that wide, beautiful smile was slapped into his face again.
"You got that right." He said, joining in with my laughter.
AN: And Chapter Two is finished! I hope that you enjoyed it! If there are any questions please feel free to ask me anytime! Song for this chapter is Tokyo Sunrise by LP - Have a great weekend my little honey bee's!