Page 89 of A Haunting at Keystone Manor

Halloween is fast approaching, and I’m doing everything in my power to make sure we make a splash with our festivities. Traffic is starting to pick up again and we’re on track to have our best quarter ever this season. In addition to the scheduled hauntings, we’re going to be throwing a Halloween masquerade ball. It’s going to be unforgettable.

A snowflake lands on my cheek as I look out at the sea of gold and red trees lining the mountain range as far as the eye can see. This is my favorite time of year in the Adirondacks.

“What are you dressing up for this year, Jake?” I ask as I watch him weed the garden. Shirt off.

“I’m not dressing up.”

“You have to dress up! You’d look sexy as fuck as a mailman, or a police officer. Ooh, we could roleplay. You can’t arrest me, officer, I haven’t done anything wrong! Do you even have a warrant? You could slap a pair of handcuffs on me and have your wicked way with me.” I visualize that for a few minutes. I like the idea, but I like the idea of Jake in handcuffs better, if he’ll allow it. Maybe one day. “You’d also look really sexy as a firefighter. Like the ones who pose in calendars with their shirts off. Yeah, you could get it.” I bite my lower lip as I ogle him.

“I’m going to dress up in a trash bag for Halloween,” he threatens.

“No! That’s not sexy, baby. What is the point of dressing up if you’re not going to look sexy doing it?” I complain.

“Is that what the point of Halloween is?” He cocks his head as he teases me.

“Pretty sure, yeah,” I say. “This party is what’s going to take us to the next level. Brandon made an Instagram account for the hotel. We already have a hundred followers. If we can go viral, just think about how packed this place will be.” I want to be successful so I can take care of my man during our afterlife. I’ll be darned if Jake has to go without because I couldn’t support him. “You’re my sugar baby; I need to make money to keep you in the lifestyle you’ve been accustomed to. Don’t laugh! I know you still have a taste for the finer things, despite all your protests. That shirt you wear probably costs more than my car note did.”

He laughs and comes over to sit next to me. “Is that a good idea, drawing so much attention to the hotel? Things have been quiet recently, but I don’t want to draw the attention of my father’s goons. If they’re still out there,” he says, looking nervous.

“Baby, if anyone comes by, I’ll be here to protect you.” He rolls his eyes. “Sasha is here too, and he’s even more terrifying than I am. He’ll keep you safe too. He’d probably burn down the entire Daks if there was a threat to Seth. He’s a bit of a psycho, bless him.”

Placated for now, he wraps an arm around me, and I rest my head on his shoulder as we sit on the lawn looking out over the sea of trees. He tilts his head back and closes his eyes. I look up at him and think about all the ways I’ve failed him. I wasn’t able to be the hero for him, in the end. I didn’t slaughter his enemies and lay their entrails at his feet in victory. At every step, Jake saved himself. He didn’t need me for that. I may be the worst boyfriend ever, but I won’t fail him again. I will resume my quest for bloody vengeance against anyone that dares to come at him, and this time I won’t hesitate. I’ll meet any threats head on, so he doesn’t have to. In the meantime, I’m going to manage the shit out of this hotel.

I place a hand on his chest as I sit with him, and for a second, I swear I can feel his heart beating.

CHAPTER FOURTY-FIVE

The Halloween Party

Seth

Tonight is the Halloween ball here at Keystone, and Sasha has asked me to keep him company for the night. I don’t know why I feel so nervous, we’ve been on a date before, and it went well. To be fair, most of the date was in a dark theater, but it was good. He held my hand during the moments I got scared, and after the movie he seemed genuinely interested in my thoughts on it. At the end of the night, he was a perfect gentleman, never once making me feel like I owed him something for buying my snacks. I really like Sasha, and I want to look nice for him.

Staring into my mirror, I sigh at my black button-down shirt and ripped black skinny jeans. I put on my purple converse tonight because that’s Sasha’s favorite color. Rolling my sleeves up to my elbows, I know Alex will make fun of me for copying Jake, but it’s what I’ve got, so I have to make it work.

My shaggy black hair is untamable, though. I run a hand over it to try and flatten it a bit, but it’s no use. I guess this’ll have to do.

A knock on the door startles me, and I open it expecting to see Sasha, but Brandon is standing there.

“Hey, bro,” I smile as he comes in.

“You got your cast off!”

I hold up my hand. “Yeah. Just came off.”

“Sweet. I was just checking to see if you wanted to have a smoke before the ball?” He pulls a blunt from behind his ear, and lights it when I nod.

“Hell yeah, it’s been a hot minute since we’ve had a chance to light up.”

He takes a puff and passes it to me. I take a long drag and hold it in for a moment before exhaling. I love smoking. Nothing else calms my nerves quite like a drag of… whatever the fuck this strain is called. Mountain Breeze Kush or some bullshit.

“So, you looking forward to your date with Sasha tonight?” Brandon asks as he sits on my bed. I sit down beside him and rest my back against the headboard, passing the blunt back to him.

“Yeah, he’s super sweet. And he’s a fan of Chainsaw’s Revenge so, he’s pretty much perfect,” I say.

“Chill. It sounds like you found your perfect match. As they say, the couple that slays together, stays together.” He laughs as he takes another drag.

I’m pretty sure I have a dopey grin on my face at this point, but I don’t care. Thinking about Sasha makes me happy.