Page 153 of Flirty Fall Fling

“To just being friends,” Winter says, and I roll my eyes.

Jamie laughs, but very obviously eye-fucks me across the table. My roommates notice.

The sun fades, and I pull out the apple bread dough I mixed up earlier in the week. I was saving it for a cozy day, and this occasion is better than any. I put it in the oven and make a pot of coffee.

“I was at the Historical Society, learning things about the people who died in this house, and I saw pictures of the decorations your aunt used to put in the yard,” Josie says. “Where’s all that stuff?”

“The garage,” I tell her. “Leaning against the far wall. The cauldron and giant black cat cutout. The lights are there too.”

“We should put it up. It’s tradition,” she says. “Plus, the Historical Society were total douchebags about that tradition not being upheld.”

“I don’t know why they don’t talk to me about these things,” I say.

“Um, I think I might know why,” Winter says. “They’re scared you’ll hex them.”

I glance at all of them. “People are afraid of me?”

“Yep. Be careful where you wiggle your nose or point your finger,” Josie says with a giggle.

“It’s getting out of hand.”

“Use it to your advantage,” Josie tells me. “I think we should put a sign on the door that says, Get rude, get hexed. Scare them from even walking in the door in the first place.”

Winter snickers. I glance around the table and think how lucky I am to have this. Knowing it won’t last forever makes me not take the little things for granted.

When I pour everyone a cup of coffee, I glance out the kitchen window and see two vans parked down the road. Then I see the reflection of the streetlight off a camera lens. I close the blinds and continue my night.

At ten, instead of him driving up the mountain, I ask him to stay. It is an instant yes. He follows me upstairs. He kisses every inch of skin that’s revealed when I undress for a shower.

“Thanks for staying,” I whisper in the dark.

“All or nothing,” he says, kissing me. “We have nine days.”

For the first time all fall, it doesn’t sound like he’s counting down to a deadline. It sounds like he’s finalizing a plan.

34

JAMIE

The past nine days, I’ve spent as much time with Blaire as I could. I started sleeping over every night. The rumors haven’t stopped, but she quit letting it bother her. She doesn’t get on the internet, and everyone has been instructed not to tell her about the shit storm online. I guess not knowing would be bliss. What can I fucking change about it anyway?

Even with my world falling apart, I’ve had the best days of my life. In the end, I hope it’s worth it. The deal expires at midnight. Neither of us has mentioned it in over a week.

As I walk up the sidewalk of Wardwell Manor to celebrate what will be one of the most attended Halloween parties in Colorado, I put on my wolf mask, then straighten my tie. In a crowd of costumes, where being faceless is a requirement, she’ll find me. The decorations are in the exact place her aunt Flora displayed them each year, lit from the bottom with sound effects playing all night.

A cover band called Dr. Frankenstein is set up in the dining room. A machine pumps fog into different rooms. She never told me what she was planning to dress as, but when I see a Little Red with a wolf mask on, I know. I immediately smile. Our fingers find each other, and I want nothing more than to kiss her, claim her right here in front of everyone.

“There you are,” she says, the words muffled inside the mask.

“Searching for me?”

She tips her snout against mine and laughs. It’s the closest thing to a kiss the costumes will allow.

“You wore the same tie.” She runs her hand down the red silk.

“Thought you might like that.”

“There are a lot of things I might like. Come see the backyard before it gets destroyed.”