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"Love you grandma's boy."
I chuckle at what she's always called me as I walk towards the door. Once I'm in the car, the nerves bloom to life. I can't even remember the last date I went on. Like Jolie said, it's been easy to text her, to joke and attempt to flirt. But now I'm going to be standing across from her, trying to figure out how not to fumble over my words every time she gives me that beautiful smile. How to follow my grandma's instructions and not bring a third person along on this date.
I pull into the parking lot and since I don't see Jolie's car here yet, I take the time to calm myself.
By the time I see her pull up, I can at least lie to myself that I'm ready for this. Then she turns her head towards me as she stands from her car, and I'm sure I'm ready. To spend the next few hours with her, to hear her laugh, yeah, I'm ready for that.
"Is this what I think it is?" she asks as I walk closer to her.
"The best haunted house ever, yes."
She wraps her arms around me, and I freeze for a second, not expecting it. But then my brain kicks in and I hug her back, hoping she doesn't hear me inhaling her perfume. Does she always smell this good?
She backs up and looks at me through her lashes. "Was that weird?"
"Not to me."
"Okay, you got me here," she says as she links her arms with mine and begins pulling me towards the mansion turned haunted house. "It's too late for me to back out now, so I can make a confession."
"I'm listening."
"I am the biggest scaredy-cat there ever was."
I stop in my tracks. "We can leave. I should've told you where we were coming. I didn't even think about that. I'm..."
She puts her fingers over my lips, and I smile beneath them.
"No, we're doing this. I'm just warning you in case I have a wet spot on my pants by the time we make it to the exit."
I throw my head back in laughter. "I cannot believe you just said that."
She grins. "God, your laugh. Anyway, if I'm going to make it through this house, there has to be something in it for me."
"What are you thinking?"
"A kiss, if we make it through this death trap."
I would have kissed her without a haunted house being the reason.
"Deal." I extend my hand.
She smiles as she shakes it.
"Now I just need to know that you've been here before and actually made it out, you know, alive."
"Yes." I chuckle. "Although, it has been pretty dodgy a few times."
She narrows her eyes at me. "Oh now you're just trying to make me run back to the car."
"Never. Then I wouldn't get to spend the night with you."
I don't know if her leaning more into me is because of my words or because we're walking through the dark hall that leads to the lobby of the haunted house.
As we get to the counter, Jolie's hand tightens on my forearm. We haven’t even gotten to anything scary yet.
"Entry for two?" The owner asks while lifting his head. But when he looks at me, he smiles. “Oh hello, Elijah.”
I've known him since I first came here at nine with Ben's family. He would let me and Ben go into the house for free on Halloween, when it's the spookiest.
