Page 90 of The Secret Mate Society

"Ethan?"Mom's voice seemed distant."What's wrong, honey?"

Calder's hand found my knee under the table, squeezing firmly."Just another costume," he murmured, his voice low and steady."Look closer."

I forced myself to take a deep breath and really look.The person was laughing with friends, the mask shifting awkwardly as they spoke.Just a costume.Just Halloween.I exhaled slowly.

"Sorry," I said, forcing a smile."Some of these costumes are so realistic.It's creepy."

Mom laughed."You used to love being scared!Remember when you and your father would watch horror movies and I'd find you both hiding behind the couch?"

The memory hit me unexpectedly.I remembered Dad with a bowl of popcorn, both of us shrieking at some cheesy monster movie, Mom pretending to be annoyed but secretly amused by our antics.For a moment, the pain of missing him was so acute I couldn't breathe.

"Yeah," I managed."I remember."

Calder's hand remained on my knee, anchoring me to the present.

"I don’t know about you two,” Calder said, changing the subject again.“But I am so full I can barely move.”He glanced over at me.“Maybe we should be getting back.”

I was surprised to hear him cutting the evening short, but my mother just gave him a knowing nod.

“Uh-huh.Yep.”She gave me a wink.“I’m sure you’re eager to get back and get somerest.”

“Mom…” I whined, embarrassed by her insinuation.

She swatted at my shoulder.“Oh, honey.Don’t worry about it.I know how this works.”She waved to the waitress, calling her over before turning to Calder.“Dinner’s on me.But you better be good to my boy.”She tipped her head, her gaze getting intense.“This is a mother’s warning.Don’t you dare hurt him.”

Calder tensed beside me before nodding.“Yes ma’am.”

Chapter38

Ethan

By the time we dropped my mom off at the hotel, the trick or treaters were beginning to thin out.It seemed that despite the event being cancelled by the city, nobody was listening.Then again, what could they do?It wasn’t like Portland had enough police to keep theentirecity in their homes for the night.The curfew, however, seemed to be working in at least some capacity.

The drive back to Calder’s house was quiet, his hand gently resting on my thigh as he drove.I stared out the window, watching as the few remaining costumed figures moved like ghosts through the dim streets.Calder's hand was warm on my thigh, anchoring me to reality when my thoughts threatened to spiral.

"Your mom is nice," he said finally, breaking the silence."I see where you get your smile from."

"Yeah," I agreed, feeling a pang of guilt for not telling her the truth."She likes you too.I could tell."

Calder's thumb traced small circles against my jeans."I'm glad.Though that warning at the end was pretty intense."

"That's just Mom being Mom," I said with a small laugh."She's always been protective.After my dad died, it was just the two of us against the world for a long time."

We pulled into Calder's driveway, the house dark except for the porch light we'd left on.As he killed the engine, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease slightly.Here, with him, I felt safe despite everything.

"Are you doing okay?"he asked, his eyes catching the streetlight as he turned toward me.

I shrugged."As okay as I can be, I guess.It was good seeing Mom, but I kept thinking about that...thing out there.What if it followed us?What if it knows about her now?"

"Hey," Calder said, his hand moving to grip the back of my neck gently."I told you, we're going to protect her.And you.Trust me on this."

His touch sent warmth down my spine, calming the anxiety that had been building all evening.I leaned into his hand, craving the connection, the reassurance that I wasn't alone in this anymore.

"I'm just on edge," I admitted."And I can't stop thinking about the research.All those years of work, just...gone."

Calder's expression flickered with something I couldn't quite read.Was it guilt?Regret?But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Let's go inside," he said, releasing me to exit the car."I think we could both use some time to relax."