“Really?” I look over so quickly my fake hair slides an inch to the right. “You’re twenty. How did you go so long without dating?”
“This is my first date, not my first dating,” he says with a wry grin. “You know, all official and stuff. The few times I stayed at a coed group home, the girls were all over me.”
An uncomfortable feeling crawls over me, but then he squeezes my hand. “So much drama with those girls. I didn’t really dig it. And lately, I work so much I don’t think about dating. Except when I think of you.”
“I guess that makes me a happy product of coincidence.”
We stop at an intersection next to a group of kids in superhero costumes. Elijah’s eyes sparkle under the glow of the streetlights. “The happiest.”
Peyton Colony’s Halloween bash takes place in the park in the center of town. Surrounded by the historic buildings of old downtown, the park glows in orange and purple strands of lights that line the perimeter. There’s a ton of food, games for the kids and a stage with a dance floor and a live band. This older couple in the town always hosts a haunted house they make from a small mobile home that’s moved in just for Halloween every year.
Sasha’s parents are gold-level contributors to the city’s parks department, so this yearly Halloween bash has been a huge part of Sasha’s life. I didn’t have to ask Mrs. Cade to know they wouldn’t be attending this year. It’s still too soon for something like this, although being here tonight doesn’t feel like a punch to the gut to me. There are too many goblins, ghouls and foam-muscled superheroes running around reminding me that Halloween should always be celebrated Sasha-style.
Elijah holds my hand as we walk into the fray. I choose a park bench that’s empty, and we sit to read Sasha’s letter. This one is mostly for Elijah’s benefit. She tells him all about attending the celebration as a child and then discusses — at length and with no regard to mortifying me — how scared I get in the haunted house. Elijah laughs at this, and I purse my lips and finish reading the letter.
“We are not going in that stupid haunted house,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him.
He looks to the right, at the creepy mobile home that’s painted black. An older couple dressed like mummies usher a group of kids through the front door while smoke machines pump a creepy fog through the windows and loud music plays the sounds of nightmares.
“We’re totally going in,” he says, leaning over and bumping me with his shoulder. “You can hold on to me if you get scared.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks. I tuck my long artificial hair behind my ears and gnaw on my lip. I have no doubt that Elijah would protect me from the monsters lurking in that smoky haunted house. The very idea almost makes the whole event seem romantic. Still.
“I’d rather cuddle without the haunted house joining us.”
Elijah slides his arm around my shoulders, his skin warm even in the chilly night air. His other hand tilts my chin up toward his, and he places the softest kiss on my lips. My insides melt. I inhale a jagged breath and slowly open my eyes.
“I guess we could cuddle before the haunted house,” he says, pulling his arm tighter around me. I sink into his embrace, my hand on his bare stomach while we gaze out at the carnival. “I never did any of this as a kid. Candy, costumes and running wild for one night? That would have rocked my little-kid world.”
He presses his lips to the top of my head, and even though there’s a whole wig between his skin and mine, a shiver of delight runs through me. I reach up, taking his hand that’s around my shoulder and lacing my fingers through his.
“Let’s get out of here,” Elijah says.
“You’re bored?” Or maybe he’s just tired of talking about everything he missed.
He shakes his head and stands, straightening his poufy pants. “We saw what Sasha wanted us to see, so the rest of the night should be for ourselves.” He reaches for my hand.
“I like that,” I say, joining him on the sidewalk. And it’s not just because he’s dropped the idea of going into the stupid haunted house. It feels like we’re finding our footing, slipping into a relationship that is all our own, one not orchestrated by Sasha. We feel real now. Not just two people shoved together by circumstance.
Just as easily as he takes my hand, a darkness settles over him as we walk away from the park. I think I’m imagining it, like maybe he’s just thinking about Sasha or something, but after we’ve walked a couple of blocks, the vibe around him is so thick it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
“Hey,” I say, nudging him in the shoulder. “Are you okay?”
He nods slowly, his gaze on the ground. “There are things I want to tell you, but maybe when we’re farther away.”
I glance around. “No one can hear us. What’s up?” I’m glad he feels he can open up.
“It’s not the people, it’s the location. We’re still on Sasha’s adventure so I don’t want to talk about my personal stuff.”
Maybe I have him all wrong. “You’re being weird,” I say. “The park is way back there. Talk to me.”
“I need more time with you. You are the best thing in my life now. The only thing.” His words are rushed and he gives me a smile that disappears as quickly as it had appeared.
“Is that all you wanted to say?” I dare to ask. My nerves are on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Not really, but it’s still true.”
“Elijah …” I stop just a few driveways away from my house. “Please. Just tell me.” Maybe I don’t know him as well as I thought I did … yet.