Page 175 of Sorrow & Strangers

“I had to represent our birdbrain,” she says.

My lips twitch, and I look at the outfit. “This is definitely the one.”

Alice squeals. “Okay, perfect. Then I have the perfect couple’s costume!” She grabs the bag that would have been right next to the angel one and opens it, revealing a red baby-doll dress with a tail and horns. “It’s a devil!”

“In our current climate, Al?” I say dryly, quirking a brow.

Alice waves a dismissive hand. “Pfft. Please, it’s obviously the fantasy version of him. Plus, he wishes he were as hot as me.” She pulls the costume from the bag and gazes at it fondly. “Besides, I’m thinking of doing a whole devil at the crossroads thing. You know? Sell their soul for a night to enjoy the pleasures of my box.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll just be an angel.”

Alice smirks. “An angel of sin.” She throws her red lingerie down on the bed and then looks at the three bags next to it. “Now what should we dress Rafe in?”

“I’m not dressing up,” Rafe says from the doorway.

Alice doesn’t even look at him. “Yes you are.”

My lips twitch as Rafe walks into my room and starts to open the bags, looking more and more horrified with every outfit reveal.

“These are barely crotch coverings, Alice!”

I sigh and close my eyes, rubbing my forehead, really not wanting to see my brother in any of these outfits. “Okay, well, you have until tomorrow morning to find another costume, Rafe. But we’ll pack one of these just in case.”

“Summer!” Rafe protests, and I open my eyes to look at him.

Alice squeals again. “Okay, good idea!” She snatches them all and hurries out.

I continue to stare at Rafe as I listen to her chatter to herself as she makes her way to her room. Rafe just blinks at me.

“I’m going to get an early night. I’ll see you losers in the morning,” I say, walking to the door and holding it open for him.

Rafe groans and storms through, striding to Alice’s room to continue the argument.

I sigh again and close the door before heading to the bathroom. After my shower, I’m lying in my bed, still thinking about the stranger as I stare at my phone. Eventually I pick it up and open my messages with the stranger.

I type a message, then delete it. Again and again and again. But then my phone pings and a message from him appears at the bottom of the thread. It’s two words. Two simple words, yet my heart starts to race.

Unknown

Soon, princess.

I read it over and over, my heart pounding inside my chest, and there’s that truly awful feeling of dread in my stomach. The feeling of missing him. The feeling of guilt that has been smothering me not only since I said it, but worse since I heard Jessica talking about Damien. When she mentioned Damien had gone missing in pursuit of finding his brother in arms, who had been running for the last year from an invisible force, I started to hope even though I tried not to.

Should I respond? What would I say? An apology? But every word that comes to mind feels too weak. I curse and lock my phone, staring at the ­ceiling.

He’ll see me soon? What does that mean? We won’t even be here. We leave tomorrow for . . . No. Does he mean he will see me at All Souls? He’s going to be there. Fuck.

Nerves flutter through my insides, and my skin feels like it’s tingling in anticipation of his touch, but the heaviness of loss and regret I have been carrying seems a little lighter. I’m not sure how or when, but I eventually fall asleep to thoughts of seeing him again.

“Today is the day!” Alice says, her voice invading my peace.

I groan, rolling over to bury my face in my pillow. “Alice . . . It’s not even five a.m.,” I mumble.

Alice jumps onto the bed and straddles me. “Time to wake up! It’s All Souls!” she screeches and shakes me.

I swat at her blindly. “If you want me to get up, you’re going to need to get off me.”

Alice shakes me again. “Now! Now! Now!” She jumps off me, shaking the bed. “Move!”