Our Forbidden Love

XII : Infamous Ex-Lover

Third Person's POV

Fallon raised an eyebrow at the woman's words, leaning in slightly to get a better look at the tarot cards spread out on the table. "Okay, hold on," she said, her voice tinged with curiosity but also a hint of skepticism. "You're telling me that I'm gonna meet someone after graduation, get married, and... not hook up with people before then? You've got to be kidding me."

The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-forties with deep, knowing eyes, gave a small smile but didn't break her intense gaze. She shuffled the cards and picked up another, flipping it over slowly.

"Love, when it comes to you, won't be something fleeting. This will be someone who complements you, who respects the pace of your heart. If you truly want to meet them, you'll need to focus on your own growth first. Right now, the energy you're attracting is one of confusion and indecision. It's easy to fall into the illusion of love when you're caught up in the moment, but true love will come when you stop looking for it and let it find you."

Fallon blinked, absorbing the woman's words. Her heart beat a little faster than usual, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the woman's words or the thought of Cataryna. She couldn't lie, there was something about the reading that tugged at her. She had always believed love was messy, unpredictable— something you had to chase. But this woman's words made her wonder if she had been going about it all wrong.

"You're telling me not to date around, not to flirt, just... wait?" Fallon asked, incredulous. Her mind raced with the possibilities. Was this the universe speaking? Was this reading some sort of sign? Or was it just a clever way to make her think about her feelings for Cataryna?

The woman nodded, her eyes piercing Fallon's like she could see right through her. "You've been searching for something outside yourself, haven't you? But the love you seek starts with you. Once you understand yourself, what you truly need, and stop looking for validation in others, then the right person will show up. And you'll know them, instantly. No questions. No doubts."

Fallon didn't know what to say. She felt a strange sense of peace wash over her as if, in some weird way, the woman had just unlocked something deep inside her. Her fingers twitched as she processed the reading. She could almost hear Cataryna's voice in her head, the uncertainty she had felt in the past, the mixed signals and the tangled emotions.

What if... what if this was exactly what she needed to hear?

"I think that's enough for me, thank you," Fallon said, suddenly standing up, her heart racing and her thoughts swirling. She dug into her purse, handed the woman the 30 bucks, and quickly left the booth, needing a breath of fresh air.

As she exited, she found Harriet and Kate talking near a nearby table, already halfway through a conversation about something silly. Fallon approached them, her mind still buzzing.

"Well, that was something," she muttered, barely able to hold back a smile.

Harriet raised an eyebrow at her. "Did it work? Did the cards tell you your future husband is some mysterious stranger waiting for you in the library or something?"

Fallon laughed, trying to shake off the unease that still clung to her. "No, not exactly. But it did make me think... about love. Maybe about waiting for love rather than rushing into it."

Kate, always the skeptic but with a hint of interest, cocked her head. "Sounds... deep. What did they say?"

Fallon paused, thinking about the woman's words, about the idea that she shouldn't rush, that love would find her when she was ready. And maybe, just maybe, she was already looking for love in the wrong places.