Page 69

Immediately, about a hundred notifications pop up. I wince. My social media notifications are long off, so all of these messages are from Nic, Lauren and Evan, checking in. How sweet. And slightly overwhelming.

I pull up Lauren's chat first. I should probably be thankful she hasn’t sent out a search party for me.

Lauren: Hey, Kieran, wanna meet up at Caleb's later?

Lauren: I'll take that as a no.

Lauren: Kieran, I don't want to alarm you, but Caleb made a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls.

Lauren: Kieran, I'm getting worried. Are you alive?

Lauren: Kieran?

Lauren: Kieran?

Lauren: Kieran, if you don't answer me within two hours, I will break down your damn door to make sure you're not bleeding out in a corner.

Lauren: Okay, never mind. Caleb mentioned that you were sick. Why didn't you tell us? Let me know when you're alive again.

Resurrected and even more handsome than before, I type out and quickly click send. Sorry. Was probably close to death.

Lauren: Welcome back.

The message pops up almost immediately. Damn. Did she wait by her phone to hear from me?

Lauren: Do you want me to let the others know?

Kieran: Please.

Lauren: Good. We were already picking out a spot next to Nicholas and Elizabeth, but glad to know you won't need it soon.

"Who are Nicholas and Elizabeth?" Brooke’s voice is right next to my ear, her breath tickling on my neck.

"Oh, fuck!" I almost throw my phone through the kitchen window.

"Sorry. I thought you'd notice me literally leaning my head on your shoulder." Brooke teases me and leans her back against my kitchen island.

"I thought you were picking out a movie." I shake out my surprise and jump up and down. It doesn’t help regulate my nervous system, though. My heart is still racing.

"Sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for." I set my phone down carefully. "Elizabeth is the skeleton they found on Kylie's property." I nod towards the fridge, which is in the direction of Kylie’s home. "And Nicholas is..."

"Hold on." Her expression shifts as she connects the dots. "The Nicholas O'Brien? The one who, you know..." She gestures through the air. "...is responsible for all the Autumn fairs in this area?"

"The very one."

She inhales sharply; shock flashes across her face. "Damn. I thought it was only a story. I always hoped the story of them coming over here to marry and then her dying pretty soon was made up, but how tragic if it’s true."

"Well, now the two of them are reunited in the Wayward Hollow Cemetery," I explain and reach for her hand. "We can go there in the spring to pay our respects. Or in the fall."

I pause. Next year is quite the commitment. Are we making this kind of commitment?

But Brooke doesn't skip a beat. "Yes." She nods eagerly. "Well, maybe not on Halloween, because that stuff creeps me out. But we should definitely go."

"It's a deal."

My phone's alarm goes off. I pull both pizzas out of the oven and set the plates on my kitchen island. "Do you want to share?" Her eyes jump from the spinach pizza to the pepperoni one. "Only if you want."