I raised an eyebrow. “My aura?”
“Yeah. Most humans think that we have three layers—bones, muscles, skin—but we actually have four—bones, muscles, skin, aura. It’s the invisible layer of all of your emotions and connection to the universe that floats around you like a bubble.”
I’d heard people say stuff like that before, but they were always high. Stacy didn’t do drugs of any kind and barely drank, so I didn’t think her words were borne of influence. “Um. Okay. Can you, uh, see them?”
Stacy giggled. “Kind of. I’ve spent my whole life practicing being in tune with mine and others, so I can feel it. I don’t know any other way to describe it than it’s like when someone pees near you in a pool. I know that’s gross, but that’s what it’s like. When people are overly sad or angry or happy, their auras have different saturations, and I can feel them. You could, too, if you practiced.” She shook her head immediately. “Not that I’m telling you to. I just don’t want it to sound like I have some superpower or something. I’m not doing anything that every other person couldn’t do. I just worked hard to achieve it.”
I didn’t know whether to buy into her mumbo jumbo or not, but she was able to tell my mood had turned immediately without looking at me. “Interesting.”
“It is. I’d love to talk with you more about it whenever you want. I love talking about this stuff.” She side-glanced me. “I’m also available to talk about…you know, other stuff.”
I furrowed my brow. “Other stuff like what?” She drummed her fingers on her steering wheel like she was trying to decide if she was going to say anything more. “Please, just tell me. Did someone say something about me or something?”
“No, just…” She pulled the car up in front of a row of storefronts and parked. She turned the car off and turned to look me in the eyes. “I know something’s wrong with you and Sandro. I can sense it. You know, with Marco and Kelly or Luca and Molly, their auras freely mingle. Yours and Sandro’s don’t. They just”—she clapped her hands together—“sit right next to each other, but”—she locked her fingers into each other—“they don’t pass through.”
I was officially freaked out. Was her aura shit for real? How else would she know?
“Again, if that’s too personal, you don’t have to say anything, but you don’t really talk to anyone else around the house other than Sandro, so if you’re holding all that stuff in…” She shrugged. “Just talk to someone, okay? Even if it’s not me.”
Stacy looked at me for a while, and I just sat there in silence. It was true that I didn’t really have anyone else at the house I could talk to. I had an okay relationship with Marco and Gabriel since we’d all grown up together, but Luca and Molly were cordial on a good day, and there weren’t many good days around the Varasso estate. Kelly wasn’t around, and neither were Ricky and Sasha. Even my friend Bella had been busy with work lately. I had been holding most of it in.
Stacy started to pull off her seatbelt and put her hand on the door to open it. I reached out and grabbed Stacy’s wrist, and she immediately stopped. Her shimmering green eyes fell on me, and she closed the door.
“We’re not together,” I said, my throat singing as the words came up. “We haven’t been for about eight months.”
Stacy’s mouth fell slightly open. “Not at all?”
“I mean…” I let out an exhausted sigh. “We keep…slipping up, but it’s hard. I love him. He loves me.”
“Then, why?” Stacy asked.
“Sandro’s been having some problems. Mentally. I’m not a psychiatrist or anything, but he’s not himself. He turns into this really dark, scary person, especially when it comes to the business. He reminds me of his dad and, trust me when I say this, his dad was not a good man.”
“So I’ve heard,” Stacy murmured back.
“I told him that he needs to get help, but he refuses. He promised me he would stay out of the business, but then he started making trips to Philly behind my back.”
Stacy nodded. “That was right when Gabe and I started dating. I remember him telling me that Sandro was just showing up out of nowhere.”
“I thought we were important enough to him, you know? Lex and I. I guess he’d rather have all of this than have a family with me, so I told him I wanted a divorce.” I could feel tears starting to rise to my eyes, but I bit them back. “If all this Binachi business hadn’t kicked up, we might have gone through with it, but if something happened to him and I wasn’t there… I just want to see it through with him. Then we’ll be done.”
Stacy ducked her head sadly. “I’m so sorry, Willow.”
“Does any of your aura stuff help with saving a marriage?” I asked.
Stacy stuck out her bottom lip. “I wish more than anything that it did.” She gave me a small grin. “I could cleanse your aura, though. It could help you see things clearly. I’ve done it for Gabriel before.” She let out an awkward chuckle. “It doesn’t hurt.”
“Thanks, I honestly think I’ve bought into all of this enough for one day.”
Stacy nodded. “Fair enough. The offer remains on the table.”
“Thank you. For everything.” I started to climb out of the car, and that time, it was Stacy reaching out to hold me back. “What?”
“I won’t tell,” Stacy said. “Not even Gabe. It’s your business to reveal if and when you choose to. Just know that I’m always here for you.”
“Thanks, Stace.”
She gave me a bright smile and then let me go so we could both get out. I helped Stacy grab materials from the trunk and then followed her into a small studio in the middle of the row of storefronts. There was a small reception desk sitting right inside the intimate space,