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He laugh-shouts above the music, “I thought you liked going fast?”
“Not when you’re driving like a complete psychopath!” I cling desperately to the handle above the door. Liam’s grin only grows and he finally slows down to an appropriate speed. I take a deep breath but my heart still races inside my chest.
The euphoria of fear still pulses through my veins. It’s a good feeling to get high on.
“All right, sorry for freaking you out.” He spreads his hand over my thigh and keeps the other relaxed on the steering wheel. “It was pretty fun though, right?” His blue eyes are steady on the road ahead and I can’t help but study him in this moment. He’s perfect, heart-stopping. The setting sun outlines his sharp features and the tattoos on his neck and wrists stand out in contrast to the heather-gray sweater he’s wearing tonight. His black rings glisten, reminding me of my own. My thumb smooths over the matte ring around my index finger. Besides Lanston, Liam is the only person that makes me feel alive.
“Yes, it was.” I lean over and kiss his cheek.
Bakersville is so busy we have to park a few blocks away from the meeting spot where Jericho and the others are. The scents of pumpkin spice, cinnamon, freshly fallen leaves, and coffee fill the air. All my favorite things are in one place and the crisp chill in the air makes it all the more cozy.
Liam notices my giddiness and grins. “That much of an autumn girl, huh?”
“Don’t you love it too?”
“Yeah, I do. But I enjoy seeing how much you like it better.”
My cheeks warm and I stuff my hands into the pockets of my black sweater as we walk down the street to the gathering site. Liam’s arm is wrapped around me and for a delusional moment, this feels like a date. Happy, full of smiles and love.
“There you two are.” Jericho marks something off on his clipboard. The lampposts and the hanging lights that connect the buildings on the main street light up.
I’m so eager for the night of activities. Getting out last weekend for tattoos was fun. We could use this reprieve from the sessions, away from the rumors and secrets left hidden away at Harlow. I’ve long-since stopped pestering Liam about the missing people. After discovering that Crosby is somehow linked to them, I thought it best to leave it in the basement, though I still often think of them.
Lanston and Yelina spot us from across the road. We meet them in the center of the blocked-off street. Lanston wears his baseball hat and black leather coat as usual. Yelina frowns at us as we walk up and crosses her arms. Her slouchy burgundy sweater looks really good paired with her black skinny jeans.
“Hey, how was the ride over?” Liam pats Lanston on the back.
“Horrible.” Yelina scowls as she brings out some lip gloss from her purse and coats her lips with a fresh layer of red.
Lanston’s face is hysterical. His brows are pulled so close together it looks like he has a unibrow and his frown is that of a man who’s had his dick punched.
I can’t keep the laugh from my voice when I ask, “What the fuck happened?”
“Yelina swerved off the road to avoid a bird and went straight into the cornfield. There are corn husks in my soul now and the whole ordeal tookat leastten years off my life.” Lanston dramatically slumps his shoulders and moves to stand behind me as if I’ll protect him from her.
“The maze cornfield? Oh my God, you’re lucky you didn’t hit anyone!” I try to turn and grab Lanston but he keeps circling behind me.
Men.
Yelina scoffs at us. “If yourfrienddrove a car instead of a fucking motorcycle, then we could’ve avoided all this.”
“I would’ve lent you my helmet,” I murmur and she narrows her eyes at me.
“Come on, guys, let’s regroup and just have fun tonight.” Liam throws his arms over me and Lanston, guiding us back toward Jericho. Yelina stomps ahead of us and I don’t miss her cold glance back at me.
“Can I just stick with you two tonight? She suuuucks.” Lanston pouts but Liam ignores him.
The night air has a way of calming me. Jericho orders everyone around with ease; he was born to be bossy, and he thrives with the results. We help set up free-standing bar tables with black tablecloths and candles. More people start to show up, which didn’t seem possible, but I think this festival is sort of popular for this remote place. Apparently, people from all over come just to experience it.
I pass out brochures with the night’s agenda and Liam hands out alcohol wristbands to adults.
It’s hard not to stare at him. His heather-gray sweater hides most of his tattoos but I can still see some reaching past his wrists. The onyx rings he wears on his thumb and middle finger are lovely in the amber glow. His eyes lift to mine and instead of looking away like I usually do, I hold his gaze.
He mouths,“Having fun?”
I shrug and mouth back,“I guess so.”
Life here isn’t so bad. It’s a place far from the city and bustle. I think if I lived somewhere like this, I could be happy. Find myself with nature and step away from the unrealistic standards of the buzzing world.
