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“He already knows,” I remind her, delicately tying the ribbon of the mask over my face as I look both of them over.
From the small wings they’re tying to each other’s shoulders, I realize they’re angels. Or, well, fallen angels, judging by the black attire both of them wear. Nic looks gorgeous in a corset and shorts that barely cover her ass, the paleness of her skin is a good contrast to the black, satiny material of the corset. Nolan, on the other hand, wears tight black jeans and a black tank top, though I can see the goosebumps dusting his arms as he rubs them. Both of them wear dark, smoky makeup, and I’m sure she’d done it for the both of them at least three times before they’d left.
And Nolan, of course, had let her. He lets her do anything, and supports her in every hobby she’s ever had, with more devotion on his face than any human should be able to have.
Or at least, more than I’ve ever felt. Looking at them for too long makes my eyes sting with jealousy, even though my lack of a partner is from a noted lack of trying to find one.
The feral cats are enough for me. At least until I can find someone who can handle the allergy to eye contact, the sometimes-allergy to touch, and the texture thing.
Seriously, we could nevereverhave fuzzy socks in the house. With the worst texture and feel known to man, they’re banned from my room and whatever future house I end up buying will have a strict, no fuzzy socks rule posted right at the door for everyone to see.
Or maybe something less dramatic.
“Okay,” I sigh, rocking back on my heels. “It’s cold out here. We’re going in, right?” Another glance at the house shows me a building I don’t really recognize. But that’s not exactly shocking or worrisome. Nic has more friends from college than I do, and has met more of them that live here than I thought possible. Of course, there’s a college kid throwing a party in Hollow Bridge. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t.
“Right. And hey, if you need to leave, we’ll leave,” Nic informs me, with no hint of frustration or trepidation in her voice. “No matter what.”
“Even if you’re busy pegging your boyfriend, we’ll leave?” I ask, over Nolan’s choked indignation that comes a second too late to be real.
Nic stops to ponder that theatrically, one long, coffin-shaped nail tapping against her lips. “I’ll get back to you on that one,” she tells me finally. “No promises. He has areallynice ass and I’d hate to miss out.”
“And far be it from me to deprive you,” I agree enthusiastically, stepping back off of the sidewalk and onto the road behind the car. “If you’re in the middle of, uh, appreciating such a fine ass, I will, of course, look for other travel arrangements. This is Hollow Bridge, so there’s gotta be some Halloween-themed transportation I can take home, right? A headless horseman strolling by? A cab driven by a skeleton who doesn’t want to help us save Halloweentown?”
Though Nic doesn’t share my aggressive love of everything Halloween and tries to stay on the un-obsessed side of town, even she’s seen the classics.
“I’d take the skeleton over a man with no head,” she replies nonchalantly, falling into step with me as we cross the street toward the steps of the small, one-story house. It’s the kind of house I expect to smell like old beer and socks, and I hope to god I’m proven wrong when we go in.
“But seriously.” Nic turns to me, blocking my path across the red solo cup strewn yard. “If you need to leave—”
“Then I’ll ring the stranger danger bell. Or would you like me to pull out the monkey backpack-leash so you can strap me to your arm and keep track of me all night?” I shake my head at her, still smiling. “I’m fine, Nic. And I’m just as much of an adult as you.”
“Debatable…” Nolan mumbles from Nic’s other side. When he sees my look, his smile is all sweetness, like he isn’t hurling saccharine insults.
“Anyway, Mr. Fine ass, I can handle whatever happens, okay? And I can manage my own emotions. Or so my therapist told me last week. She’s really proud of me, actually.” Nic snorts, but I just sniff and try to look inspiring or proud of such a feat. “I’m not going to do anything or leave with anyone. I won’t take candy or beer from a stranger. And I’m not going to make out with someone in a sexy slasher costume.” Probably because I’ve neverseena guy in a sexy slasher costume.
“Just trust me, Nic. I’m happy to be here, and I’m not made of glass. You don’t have to worry so much about me.” I make the words sound believable, but deep down, just a little, I can’t help but wonder just how true they are this time.
Chapter6
My first thought when I walk into the house with its open layout and not-so-cheesy Halloween decorations is that this isn’t nearly as bad as I’d thought it would be.
My next thought, as I lift my foot off the tile and feel the way the sticky surface clings to the sole of my boot and makes a loud, unpleasant sound as I pull away from it, is that my first thought was very wrong. This is muchworsethan I’d expected.
“Gross,” I mutter flatly, not particularly phased but also not impressed. A drunk guy, who’s either on steroids or the son of a gorilla, stumbles through the open space, his arms pinwheeling as people dodge out of his way. He disappears into the kitchen, though his crowing laughter remains even as Nolan closes the door gently behind him, his nose wrinkled into a delicate, yet still very disgusted, sneer.
My teeth set together in a grimace, and I lock my jaw against them grinding to pieces as both Nolan and I follow the much more confidant Nic further into the house.
“How do you know whoever lives here again?” I ask Nolan over the spooky-ish party music that pulses from the speakers set up in the corners of the room on small platforms installed just for that purpose. “College?”
Nolan gestures at Nic. “It’s someone from one of her theater classes. A brother and sister live here and she’s been getting invited to these parties of theirs formonths. Not that she’s ever come.” He glances around the house, his brows raised. “You know, without the sticky floor and the smell of stale beer, this place could be pretty. Not as nice as your house, though,” he adds casually in my direction. “But your house is pretty spectacular.”
“My parents’ house,” I remind him automatically, without looking at him. I don’t love it being referred to asmineas if it’s some kind of accomplishment that I, personally, have achieved. I didn’t do anything to get it, after all. My parents bought the house when I was five, and I barely remember any of our old house, though it was close to being on par with our current one, without the cool Halloween-eccentric neighbors.
But still, as much as I may like it, I still can’t say it’sminein a way that doesn’t make my skin tingle and prickle with discomfort.
“Your parents’ awesome house,” Nolan amends with a half-grin that borders on apologetic, though it doesn’t need to be. I’m certainly not upset with him, and he’s only a small part of the reason that I feel so uneasy tonight.
I turn away again before he can notice, since I know for a fact that Nolan is a lot more intuitive than people think when they see his sweet, goofy grin and gorgeous eyes. Nic is the loud one, the more abrasive one, and I’ve always felt that Nolan is the perfect counterbalance for her personality and the way she goes about things.
