Page 73 of The Haunting Plot

I’ve been doing my best to behave around Raven. All week, I’ve shown up and done my work without more than two words from her the entire time I’m at her house. After the cock ring debacle last week, we agreed to slow down so my balls could rest, but I am dying to taste this woman.

Avoiding her means I’ve had time to focus on some of the secret projects I’ve been working on. And I’ve been able to keep my brain on task more than normal. So that’s a win.

My knees groan in protest as I climb the stairs quickly, but I freeze when I get to the top. There are two children, roughly the same height, standing in the bathroom doorway at the end of the hallway. It’s dark, the only light coming from the bathroom behind them, silhouetting them in the creepiest way.

What in The Shining is this shit?

“Uh…hello?” My voice cracks, and I try to tamp down the unease traveling down my spine as they slowly walk toward me.

One of them giggles. “Wanna play with us?”

“Nope. No thanks.” I turn and run smack into Raven.

She looks behind me and erupts in laughter. “Oh my God. Your face. I can’t.”

“I nearly shit my pants,” I hiss, hoping the ghost children don’t hear me.

“It’s just Logan and Lana. They’re here for a playdate. Lucas is probably hiding around here somewhere ready to jump-scare McKenna. It’s kind of his thing.”

“Well, it’s hella creepy,” I murmur. “I thought you said no more pranks?”

She blinks rapidly. “That wasn’t a prank, just a happy coincidence. I didn’t plan that. Besides, you’re still pranking me.”

“I swear, I’m not. I only did the tooth one.”

She looks at me, unconvinced.

I huff a breath. “Sorry, it’s been a busy week at the station. I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep, and I thought I was seeing things.”

“It’s okay.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I’m relieved to see the empty hallway. “I should get back to work. I told Summer I’d have things done before McKenna’s birthday party.”

She pushes past me toward her room, not even looking at me as she speaks. “I have a deadline anyway.”

——————

The next day, I head straight to Jonah’s room. I ended up having to rip out the existing carpet since it was so old, and I couldn’t find anything to match it around the new door to the bathroom.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, poking her head around the doorframe.

“Just finishing up the carpet install. Then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Oh. Sorry. I heard a noise and wasn’t expecting you today. I thought you were one of the kids.”

“Hardy had everything under control at the station, and I wanted to get this done before the party. RJ just picked up the kids so I could do it without upsetting Jonah.”

“He did?” She pulls her phone out of her pocket. “Shit, my phone’s been on silent. I missed his texts.”

We stare at each other awkwardly. It feels like a game of chicken to see who will make the first move. Then she taps the doorframe. “Well, I’ll let you get to it.”

“Are you mad at me?” I blurt.

“What?”

“It feels like you’ve been avoiding me for the past week. I know we agreed to give the beans time to recover after the cock ring, but you’ve barely said two words to me. You haven’t even called me a moron, and I’m worried I’ve fucked something up.”

She steps into the room. “Never refer to your balls as beans again.”