Perigee [bxb] | Bad Moon Book II

2; {Sadie}: wheel of fortune

Alex paid for the hotel room—a single bed for Jaylin, while the rest of them holed up on the hotel's extra duvets and bundles upon bundles of luxurious pillows, splayed out around the carpet floor.

The place was nice, but they could only afford one night in a single room. Despite the Sigvard's best efforts, their financial situation hadn't improved. It was just a little less bleak with hope of Lisa's new job on the horizon.

Sadie fanned out her tarot cards across the duvet, a single candle between Alex and herself. Everyone else was long asleep, soft snores buzzing from every corner of the room. "You're stressed, aren't you?" Sadie asked, sorting each card so they were all exposed, face-down on the blanket.

"Emphatically," Alex said. "How'd you guess?"

"I feel it." Sadie watched as Alex floated a hand over the cards. It wasn't so much that he was seeking the right one, but rather, he was waiting for the card of his fate to call to him. The little flame on the candle tipped towards Sadie. "I always feel it when we do these readings," Sadie said. "Like how last time I felt like crying."

"Because last time we talked about Anna," Alex said, unsurprised. He reached for a card and Sadie held up a palm.

"Wait," she said. "Close your eyes."

Alex did.

"Think about all those worries, Alex."

Alex's nose wrinkled. "Why?"

"Because I think it's more important that we find a way to solve your anxieties. We can do a day reading tomorrow."

"Sadie, I—"

Sadie snapped her fingers. "Shut up and relax. Now think about those problems."

"How can I relax and think about those problems?"

"Alex," she grumbled.

"Alright. Sorry." He took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. And then after a quiet moment of evaluation, Alex plucked a card from the line and placed it in the middle. The Wheel of Fortune.

"What's it mean?" Alex asked.

"Change," Sadie said. "You're anxious because of change, aren't you?"

Alex anchored his gaze to the card he'd chosen—the little orange wheel in the sky. "Yes. Everything's changing," Alex confessed. "The house, the garden, every memory I have of Anna is on the line. I applied to be a pizza boy yesterday, Sadie. A pizza boy."

"You know, it kind of defeats the purpose when you straight up tell me everything. The point of a reading is for me to tell you what the cards say."

"Did they say anything about what the hell I'm supposed to do? Because even if I had a minimum wage job, mom and I can't pay the bills alone. The heat is off, the mortgage is due—Quentin's been sending checks but they don't come fast enough. We're living paycheck to paycheck all because dad made some shitty investments. I don't care that he bailed, you know. We were never that close, he worked all the time. But it's like he dropped his debt on us and ran."

"You and Jay have a lot in common," Sadie noted.

Alex bit his inner cheek. "I guess so."

Sadie sorted the cards to fill the gap Alex had left behind and leaned back with a sigh. "I don't get it. It's not like it's your debt to pay, right?"

"It is now. Debt collectors have been sending us threats since December. In mom's name, not dad's. They don't care who pays, as long as someone settles. I'm worried they'll start coming for assets."