by J. L. Weil
Tonight the menu was Italian.
“I’m starving.” My stomach agreed, growling. “Do you want to stay for dinner? I’m making lasagna.” I didn’t really want to eat alone, and there was always so much, no matter how many nights I ate leftovers.
“You’re cooking?” he asked, and scrunched his nose.
I tossed my pencil good-naturedly at him. “I’m a good cook, I’ll have you know.”
He caught the pencil mid-air before it had a chance to hit its target and smirked, pleased with himself. “Sure, under one condition.”
“What?” I replied, narrowing my eyes cautiously.
“You let me help.”
I grinned. “Deal. Let’s go before I pass out from hunger.” I climbed off my bed, the litter of notes forgotten.
We walked into the kitchen, and I preheated the oven, before going to the pantry. I pulled out the ingredients I needed: pasta sauce, noodles and spices.
“What do you want me to do?” He took a seat at the island.
“You can make the salad,” I suggested, setting down the stuff from the pantry. I went to the fridge, gathering hamburger and vegetables and placed them on the counter. I handed him a knife from the butcher block. “Can you handle this?”
He lifted his brow. “You haven’t seen anything.”
I went to the stove, put the hamburger in a pan and set a pot of water to boil. Turning on the burner, I began breaking apart the ground beef and browning it. I glanced over my shoulder to check on Gavin, see how he was faring with the salad.
My mouth dropped.
What had it been? Two minutes?
“You did not just cut up all the vegetables,” I declared, mystified by the impossible. How had he made an entire salad?
“I told you not to doubt me,” he said grinning, so sure of himself.
“What, you’re a chef? You’re practically failing chemistry, yet you can create a salad in under a minute. What gives?”
“Talent. Do you need help over there?”
“Yeah, boil the noodles smarty pants.”
We worked together in a seamless rhythm. It was harmonious and completely domestic. There was something so homey about having him in the kitchen with me. Maybe it was from growing up without a male figure, or maybe it was that he was so familiar with cooking, either way, it was nice to not be alone. Cooking for two was not only boring and lonesome, but lacked the sense of family I missed.
With the lasagna baking in the oven, we sat at the table, kicked back, with the radio on low.
“Where did you move from?” I asked.
“We lived outside of Chicago, until my dad got the job offer in Jacksonville.”
I was surprised. I didn’t know how many job opportunities there were for a historian, let alone exactly what a historian did.
“What was it like there?”
“Busy. Windy. Cold.” He grinned.
I rolled my eyes. Those were all things I already knew about Chicago. “Do you miss your old friends?” I secretly wondered if he also had an ex-girlfriend there as well.
He slouched back in his seat and smiled. His whole face relaxed. “Yeah, sometimes I do. Chicago was where I was born. It was really hard to leave. My friends understood me in ways people here won’t be able to.” His smile drooped, and he looked a little lost in the past.
My heart went out to him, I couldn’t even think about leaving Holly Ridge, starting over somewhere foreign and having to make new friends. But there was no denying how glad I was that he was here with me, instead of in Chicago, were we would have never met.
Buzz. Buzz. I jumped at the sound of the timer. Dinner was done. I got up to pull the dish out of the oven. It was so strange having a guy over for dinner—just the two of us. If I wasn’t careful, this was something I could get used to, and want more of, time alone with him.
“What makes the people so different here?” I asked, setting the plates on the table. And did that include me?
He shrugged, forking a heap of lasagna into his mouth. “Culture, I guess, except you. I felt this connection with you the first day we meet. I remember thinking, finally, someone who will get me.”
I bit into my garlic bread and thought about the first time I saw him. Maybe I judged him too harshly that day for skipping class. I never really thought about what he must be going through being the new kid. Or what he had to leave behind. My heart beat a little faster at his admission of the connection we both felt.
“Is that why you ditched your first day?” I blew on a forkful of steaming lasagna, before popping it into my mouth.
“Partly,” he admitted. “Mostly, I was pissed at my parents, but running into you that day changed my mind about small towns. It’s one of the reasons my mom was so happy we met, helping her angry son make the new town slightly more bearable. You wouldn’t have recognized me had you seen me before that day. I was rebelling every way possible. I don’t think my mom could’ve thanked you enough. She absolutely adores you,” he said, polishing off his food in record time.
The feeling was completely mutual. “I’m sorry it was hard for you. I can’t imagine leaving the only home I’ve ever known.”
“I think it worked out for the best.”
I smiled.
When we finished dinner, I walked him to the door. “Thanks for staying.”
“Anytime.”
“You know that we are going to fail that test tomorrow,” I told him. Group test or not, we were doomed.
“Have a little faith, Bri. I’ll get us through it,” he smugly assured.
I rolled my eyes and shut the door after him.
I didn’t want to know what kind of tricks he had up his sleeve.
Chapter 14
Madame Cora’s Wardrobe was a costume establishment in Wilmington, packed with plenty of flair. Austin decided to tag along for the thirty minute trip and was riding shotgun, with Sophie and I in the back. Tori convinced him it would be fun if they dressed in coordinating costumes.
Both Tori and Austin had adopted Sophie as one of our own. They absolutely loved her. No doubt that grated on Gavin’s nerves a tad, to have his younger sister hanging around all the time.
Walking into Madame Cora’s Wardrobe was like being transported back in time. A tall woman with long, curly, cinnamon hair sat on a stool behind an enclosed glass case. She was decorated in more dangling silver jewelry than I thought one woman should wear. Or own. Her every move jingled in music. She had bold red lips—an extreme contrast to her ivory skin and hazel eyes. She smiled at us as we walked through the front door, a whimsical chime resounding through the shop, announcing our arrival.
The shop had mannequins dressed up in full gear—wigs, shoes, makeup, masks. You name it, she had it. Jack Sparrow, Medusa, Queen of the Nile, the guy from Saw. He still gave me nightmares. A Halloween mix pumped in the store from speakers near the doors.
“Well hello, my lovelies,” she greeted in a voice of a seductress. I don’t know who she thought she was going to seduce, since Austin was the only guy, and he definitely didn’t swing her curvy way.
“Hi,” the four of us said in unison.
“Is there something I can help you look for?” she offered, never losing the deep, sexy quality to her voice.
We had started to look around the store, poking through the racks near the entrance. “We’re looking for Halloween costumes,” Sophie said. She eyed Madame Cora coolly, measuring her with bright sapphire eyes. There was just a hint of that strange glow.
Round racks housed costumes of every variety. Sexy. Scary. Slutty. The three S’s. She had it all. The best part was the quality of the materials. They weren’t the cheap, mass-produced ones you found at Wal-Mart. The detail was spectacularly crafted. I realized that the most difficult part of shopping here was going to be which costume to choose.
“If you need any help, you let me know,” she offered, returning Sophie’s inspection. Her blood-red nails taped on the glass.
Tori and Austin to
ok off to a row on the back wall filled with companion costumes, while Sophie and I stayed at the center racks.
“Do you have an idea what you want to dress up as?” I asked, pulling out a black kitty cat bodysuit. So not my style. I put it back in with the others.
“I haven’t dressed up since junior high.” That was only two years ago, but I figured she didn’t need me to point that out. “I don’t know… maybe a French maid or a fairy?” she suggested, pulling out an extremely short and barely there black and white skirt with a matching, even smaller, top.
I couldn’t really see her as either. “That is pretty darn short,” I commented as she held up the skirt. I am sure she would look freaking amazing in anything she wore, with those legs oh hers.
“I know…that’s the point right? The chance to dress slutty without the usually backlash,” she pointed out.
She had me there. I wasn’t so sure her brothers would agree, but since I didn’t have any… “You think Jared and Gavin would let you wear that?” I was trying to avoid a potential situation. They were both overly protective of Sophie, as much as they teased her.
She snorted. “Please. My brother has a thing for you. He could care less what I wear. He will be too busy staring at you.” She was wrestling through a rack of angel costumes. Sophie was a get-to-the-point kind of girl. No beating around the bush.
“Excuse me.” She completely caught me off guard. I was not entirely comfortable with her banking on him being too distracted by me. She couldn’t possibly be serious.
“Gavin,” she responded, grinning at my growing discomfort.
I kind of figured that part out, captain obvious. “Define thing.”
“He is totally into you.”
“Really?” The disbelief was thick in my tone. Okay, so we kissed once and we hung out a lot, but I had a hard time believe he felt even half of the way I did.
She rolled her eyes, the ones identical to the brother in question. “You have no idea the amount of power you have there, do you? We really need to have a girl-to-girl talk.”
This was her brother we were discussing; she was not my first choice to gossip with about my womanly wiles. Or lack of, in my case. Not to mention, it was sad that she apparently had more experience in this department than I did. “I don’t have any power over your brother,” I argued.
She rolled her eyes. “Here, wear this one.” She handed me a revealing gypsy costume. The skirt was violet with an extremely large slit up the leg. There was a wrapper bejeweled with chattering gold coins. The top was white with flared sleeves and showed a little midriff.
“You’re kidding right?”
“Absolutely not. This is the one,” she insisted.
I did really like it. What the hell. The goal was to be someone else. Well I wanted to be hot. Smokin’ hot. And this number was sizzling.
Sophie settled for a skanky angel outfit, which in my mind kind of defeated the point of being an angel. Tori and Austin, the nuts that they were, decided to go as Brad and Janet from Rocky Horror Picture Show, the best Halloween musical ever.
Yeah, I was that girl.
I was the last in line as I waited to pay. Laying down the gypsy costume near the register, I waited for Madame Cora. I glanced down the glass counter case, admiring the jewelry as it sparkled under the light. She had so many beautiful pieces, with raw cut stones and silvery charms. While I was admiring a certain necklace that had caught my eye, Madame Cora had come to stand on the other side of the counter.
“Do you dabble in crystals?” she asked me.
I shook my head. “No. I just think they’re pretty.”
“No… hmmm, I would have thought you did,” she admitted, looking at me oddly.
I don’t know what made her think I knew anything about crystals and magic.
“Here, let me show you. Each has its own unique properties. This one here—” She indicated to the bauble around her neck. “Is for clear sight and open-mindedness.” Her voice enthralled me.
She unlocked the glass case, pulling out an intricate silver chain with a milky iridescent stone and a purple crystal. My eyes were spellbound by the necklace that I had only moments before been intrigued by. I don’t know how she figured out that it was that specific piece I was interested in. My fingers itched to touch the smooth stones. They weren’t raw cut like some of the others, but flat and polished. She laid it on the counter, and I ran my fingers over the crystals.
“This one is made of moonstone and amethyst,” she informed. “The moonstone is said to strengthen intuitive power. Placed under a pillow alongside an amethyst can allow for a more peaceful sleep. The amethyst protects against evil sorcery. Something tells me you are in need of some.”
I picked up the necklace and let it dangle from my finger. The stones glinted off the lights, and her words affected some deep part of me locked away. This necklace was made for me. I didn’t know if it was coincidence that the properties of the stones were incorporated so close to my life. I was starting to believe I should leave nothing to chance.
So, of course, I added it to my purchase. Not to mention, it would look great with my costume.
She rang up my items and handed me my bags. A tingling shot down my arm as our fingers touched. It was more commanding than what I had gotten accustomed to with Gavin and Sophie. Her hand snaked out and grabbed my arm, holding me. I lifted my head and saw the eerie glow in her eyes, almost as if she was possessed. A gasp escaped my lips, and I tugged at my arm. Before I had the chance to feel freaked out beyond my control, Sophie was at my side.
“Ready?” she asked, staring intently at Madame Creepo, who was giving her the stink eye.
Madame Cora released my arm immediately at Sophie’s arrival. I couldn’t have been more grateful. “Yeah, let’s go,” I swiftly agreed.
“May safety find you…Brianna,” Madame Cora called as we walked out of the store.
Chapter 15
Once we were in the car, I allowed myself to breathe. And to think. That woman had given me some serious voodoo vibes.
“That was weird,” Austin commented as Tori started reversing out of the parking space.
“No kidding,” Tori agreed. “I guess Halloween started a little early for some. Or maybe never ends in her case.”
Sophie and I sat in silence. I took out the necklace and ran my fingers over the stones. It was very pretty, and there was this gentle hum that danced along my fingertips.
Sophie occasionally eyed me warily. She was checking to make sure I was okay, that I wasn’t creeped out by what happened. In truth, I didn’t know what to make of it.
Halloween night was my favorite. The moonlit air was infused with the scent of damp leaves and wet moss. Fall had moved in like an artist’s brush, painting the trees in vibrant colors of gold, burgundy, rust, and tangerine. I stood on my porch dressed in my blatantly revealing costume, toying with the necklace, and anxiously waited for Gavin to arrive. I looked pretty damn good, thanks to Sophie. We were meeting Austin and Tori at Morris Landing.
The Trail at Morris Landing was like a haunted house outside. They had hayrides, bonfires, and held costume contests each year. At the guests’ own discretion and risk, they wound along the trail, preparing to get the shit scared out of them. Different sections of the trail had its own interactive scene or scenario to haunt you. From the guy chasing you with the chainsaw, to the headless woman hanging from a tree, it was like being in your own personal horror film.
Gravel crunched under the tires as Gavin’s car approached. Before his car came into view, fireflies rocketed through me in anticipation. Sophie was hitching a ride with us, much to Gavin’s chagrin. He was like a grizzly bear when things didn’t go his way. I found it cute.
When the Charger came to a stop, Gavin got out of the car to open my door. He looked good enough to make me wish we could at least drive alone, in spite of how much I adored Sophie. I just felt as if we hadn’t been alone since the night we kissed.
“Hey,” I
greeted, smiling with happiness. Just the sight of him made me giddy.
“Wow…you look great.” His eyes roamed over me in a way that had my entire body reacting.
The night air was balmy, but I instantly felt overdressed… and I was practically wearing nothing. Thank God, my aunt was at the shop. I wasn’t sure she would have let me leave the house tonight, looking as I did.
“Thanks,” I replied. His gaze was making me self-conscious. I had to fight the urge to cover up as I got in the car.
Sophie was in the back, grinning like a fool. “I told you,” she smugly said before Gavin got back in the car. “This is going to be fun. You do look great, by the way.”
“So do you.” And of course she did. She looked better than great, actually. She looked celestial in her angel costume, her long raven hair curling over her shoulders, sprinkled with glitter. Her eyelashes were decorated with rhinestones, and her sapphire eyes were dotted with a tiny star in the middle. She could have just flown down from the heavens.
“How did you get your eyes like that?” Thinking she must be wearing contacts. I couldn’t help but stare at them, trying to see the lenses.
“Magic,” she said, with twinkling eyes.
Sometimes I swear I couldn’t get a straight answer from either one of them.
Tori and Austin were waiting for us as we pulled up to the trail, engine roaring. The sign at the entrance dripped in blood, the black letters bold and written with a shaky hand. Don’t get left behind, or you might not come back.
As we got out of the car, an ear-splitting scream hit the air. The three of us laughed.
“Looks like the fun as already begun,” Gavin said, as we walked toward Tori and Austin. The place was overflowing with the sounds of chatter, spooky music, and creepy chuckles, along with the scent of buttered popcorn and apple cider. Halloween.