by J. N. Colon
I’d never seen a town more obsessed with Halloween. Every shop window was decorated with black cats, pumpkins, and spider webs. Ghosts and witches hung from birch trees. Tourist groups were led around by guides in extravagant costumes. Several people were walking around in costumes and everyone acted as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
I should have expected it in Salem.
About halfway through my steak sandwich/ burger Madison joined me with bulging bags in her hands.
“What’d you get?” I asked through a mouth full of food.
A devious smile twisted her lips. “It’s a surprise. You can’t see it until the day of the dance.”
I grimaced as a deep feeling of trepidation was planted in my gut. I should have known Madison would pull this, her way of insuring I didn’t back out and find another costume.
Jackson joined us with his own bag. “Hi you two.” He addressed us both, but those warm eyes were solely focused on me. “You all set for the dance?”
I pointed to Madison while I slurped my soda. “Ask her. She won’t tell me what my costume is.”
Madison flipped her choppy hair. “It’ll be perfect. You’ll see. And you’ll definitely like it Jackson.” She sent a mischievous wink his way.
Dread churned my stomach and I suddenly regretted saying yes to Jackson. The only reason I agreed to go was because I was mad at Mac, which was a pointless and stupid decision. He probably wouldn’t even spare me a look that night. He’d be too busy with Paisley stuck up his butt.
I absentmindedly watched the shoppers around us while Madison and Jackson discussed their pumpkin carving plans. Students mixed with townies and tourist mingled through the shops in the square. A lot of stores sold witch souvenirs and it made me nervous thinking about the very real witches at Highland.
Speaking of witches—Tatum, Emmaline, and Brant slipped into a store that looked a lot like one of those new agey, mystical places. A drawing of a palm splayed on the door with numbers denoting certain areas like a map. Crystals in assorted colors hung in front of the large window overlooking the sidewalk.
I squinted to see what they were browsing, assuming they were buying ingredients for a spell. Part of me wanted to sneak inside and I would have if Brant wasn’t with them. The moment he saw me he’d corner me with that unsettling crocodile smile.
A shiver rippled up my spine just thinking about it.
“What’s wrong Rubi?” Jackson’s worried voice brought me back to our table.
I waved a dismissive hand in the air and flashed a smile. “Nothing.”
His gaze flickered above my head and I suddenly felt a large, warm presence looming behind me. I stiffened when that heady, woodsy sent of his engulfed me.
“Mac, what’s up,” Jackson said, reaching over the table to bump fists.
Mac—and I knew it was on purpose—let his arm graze my shoulder as he connected with Jackson’s fist. He did it on the way back too. “Hey man.”
My cheeks were burning red and heart pounding. Madison kicked me under the table to get me to stop freaking out about him in front of Jackson.
I tried to telegraph with my eyes that I couldn’t exactly control what my body was doing in Mac’s presence.
“When we get back we’re meeting in the gym for a game of b-ball. You in?” His voice flowed out deep and smoky, sending chills over my spine.
Part of me wondered if he made his voice sound exceptionally intoxicating just to mess with me.
Jackson’s face lit up. “Oh yeah. I’ll be there.”
“You ladies are more than welcomed to watch.”
I couldn’t stop myself from turning to peek at him, craning my neck up his tall body to his striking face.
Big mistake.
A sexy smirk was curling those kissable lips and that midnight hair was falling in those smoldering jade eyes. His arms were crossed over his chest, straining his black shirt against his built shoulders.
A deep flush crept up my throat and into my face, burning me. Hot electricity sparkled in Mac’s eyes, pinning me to my seat. For a moment it was like the entire square melted away and there was only Mac and me drowning in each other’s presence.
Then he blinked and the world unmuted again.
He nodded toward Jackson as if the moment never occurred, but the flush in his cheeks told me it did—and it affected him as much as me. He strutted away and I turned back to the table. Madison was trying not to laugh while motioning for me to wipe the drool off my chin.
I probably had been drooling.
Thankfully Jackson hadn’t noticed my ogling of Mac. “You want to come watch me play?” he asked, stealing one of my fries.
He was lucky he didn’t reach for my burger. I might have chopped his hand off.
“I-uh…” It wasn’t that I didn’t want to watch him play basketball. I just didn’t think I could take watching Mac play. I wouldn’t be able to keep myself together if I was in the same vicinity as him while he was possibly shirtless with sweat glistening over those hard, lickable muscles.
“We can’t,” Madison interrupted my obscene daydream. “We have a girls’ night planned.” She lied so quickly and effortlessly.
Thank you Madison.
Jackson didn’t lose his smile. “Okay. Maybe next time.”
“Sure.”
I mouthed a thank you toward her. She nodded, but there was a devious gleam in her dark eyes telling me I owed her big.
Chapter 17
I shivered walking into the library the next evening. Dark, heavy rain clouds split open two seconds before I made it to the door, leaving me soaked. Brant and Aspen were having another make out session in our room so I opted out of my front row seat.
This was the dimmest library ever, but it was Highland so what else should I expect? It was also virtually deserted. On my way to the back to find quiet refuge I only spied the frail librarian hunched at a maple desk, her wire-rimmed glasses sliding down her nose as she read. All I wanted to do was sit alone and enjoy the cheesy romance novel my mother tucked in my bag. She was a sucker for boy meets girl, they fall in love, craziness ensues, and they eventually live happily ever after.
Yeah right. As if it was actually like that.
My story would be boy meets girl, girl falls head over heels, boy plays hot and cold and occasionally stomps on girl’s heart. A total tearjerker.
I trudged through the maze of giant maple stacks and peeled off my wet hoodie, leaving me only in a little red tank top. My arms were covered in goose bumps. I turned the last corner to sit in my favorite spot and my heart suddenly jolted. Mac was sitting on the floor against the wall, his nose buried in Henry David Thoreau’s, Walden. A stack of books was next to him with his mother’s balancing on top.
He didn’t just read Mark Twain.
My eyes ate him up, my fingers longing to run through those untamed midnight locks just once. And then I could die happy.
When our eyes met an unmistakable charge sizzled in the atmosphere, turning my belly upside down as if I was on a roller coaster.
“Rubi.” His voice was barely audible.
A pang resonated in my chest when I noticed his haunted jade eyes and the lines of sorrow etched in his handsome face. “Hi.” I whispered. “I was looking for a place to read. I didn’t know you were here…” I nervously fumbled with the ends of my damp hair.
“You want to sit with me?” He looked as lonely as I felt.
I really shouldn’t. I’d only get upset when he ignored me next in public.
Who was I kidding? This was way too tempting to resist.
I silently closed the distance between us and sat next to him so close I could feel the warmth emanating from his body.
Mac’s brow furrowed and he touched a warm hand to my arm. “You’re freezing.”
“It’s raining outside,” I mumbled between chattering teeth.
“Here.” He removed his hunter green fleece and handed it to me.
I slid my arms thro
ugh the sleeves, reveling in the soft, warm feel of it. The jacket was so big on me it was easy to snuggle into like a blanket. And it smelled like him—heady and soothing all at the same time. “Thanks,” I breathed, pulling my legs against my chest and closing my eyes to allow myself a few more moments of intoxication.
“Any time.” A ghost of a smile lingered on Mac’s lips, burning my cheeks red. He’d been watching me the whole time. How embarrassing.
“I was just cold,” I lied unconvincingly.
“Right,” he laughed, a deep sound that melted my insides.
“What are you doing here anyways,” I asked, diverting the subject.
Mac shrugged. “Just wanted to be alone.”
Another wave of embarrassment rose in me. “I can leave,” I muttered, attempting to stand until he rested a big hand on my leg.
“I didn’t mean you Rubi.” His piercing eyes were so honest it made my heart hurt.
I nodded and settled in again, Mac unexpectedly scooting closer so we were snuggled up against each other.
My pulse thundered through my veins so violently I feared he could not only hear the rushing, but feel it beneath my skin.
I cleared my throat in an attempt to shake the nerves from my voice and pointed to the book in his hand. “Walden? I guess you do want to be alone.”
The corner of his lips pulled up into a crooked smile. “You’ve read it?”
“For English last year. You like it?”
Mac shrugged. “I like the idea of it.”
My brow rose expectantly, waiting on him to elaborate.
His lips pursed in thought as he sat the book down. “Forgetting all about organized society and living freely. No stupid rules.”
My face turned incredulous. “You don’t seem to follow a lot of rules.”
A bitter laugh resonated from Mac as he leaned his head against the wall, glancing at the ceiling, unseeing. “You have no idea what my life is really like. It might seem fun and carefree and I might act like the alpha, but I hate it.” He looked down at me, his jade eyes shadowed by pain. “My life is full of expectations and pressures that make my head want to explode.”
My chest ached for him. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I could tell it really affected him.
He swallowed hard. “I wish I could just run away to the wilderness like in Walden and forget about my future responsibilities. Then I could be myself instead of pretending to be who everyone thinks I should.”
“You can be yourself here if you try.”
Skepticism flickered across his face. “Yeah right. No one would like the real me.”
“I like you,” I blurted before I could stop my stupid mouth, my cheeks instantly flaming.
That ghost of a smile returned, bringing light to his jade eyes. “You can come with me then.”
I turned away, embarrassed.
Mac pulled me back with a hand on my arm, his expression mischievous and smile rakish. “I mean it. Would you come live in the wilderness with me?”
Heat radiated from his touch, sinking deep inside of me and making me want to never touch a single other person again. I rolled my eyes and shook my head dismissively at his sudden flirtatious behavior. “I’m sure Paisley would just love that.”
He laughed. “My mother would have hated Paisley.”
My throat tightened and I couldn’t return his laugh. I bit my lip hesitating while he stared at me expectantly. “How did she die?”
“There was a fire at our house in the Hampton’s one night.” He swallowed hard, the tendons in his jaw tight. “My dad and I were in Manhattan and she was alone. She got trapped and…”
I could guess the rest. “I’m so sorry Mac,” I whispered, boldly squeezing his big hand.
“Thanks.” He unexpectedly squeezed back. “I miss her so much.”
My heart was breaking for him. I’d never experienced a loss like that, but the pain in his expression and voice had me imagining it.
His lips twitched again, threatening a half smile and he pulled our clasped hands in his lap, examining them. My nail polished was chipped and unkempt—the exact opposite of Paisley’s. “My mom would have liked you.”
My heart fluttered. “Really?”
He nodded. “You never do what people expect. You’re full of surprises.” He rubbed his thumb across one of my chipped nails. “She loved surprises.”
Warmth leaked from my hand to my entire body, stroking hot coals to life inside my core. This reminded me of the conversation we had in the attic. I had thought it was just a onetime fluke, but here we were again, alone in our own little world. “She loved books too?” I blurted in an attempt to ignore those warm, fluttery sensations rippling through me. “Is that why you like to read?”
“Yeah. She was an American Lit teacher.” He motioned toward the books without releasing my hand. “I feel closer to her when I read.”
“No one knows about your little reading hobby?”
“No one but you.”
A nervous laugh bubbled out my mouth and it only made him smile more. “I won’t tell anyone.”
He leaned forward, his midnight hair falling in his glowing jade eyes. “So how about it? Would you runaway and live in the woods with me?”
“Sure. I guess,” I joked. “Just not these woods.”
“Then it’s set.” He leaned back and sighed triumphantly. “Don’t be surprised when I come knocking at your door ready to leave.”
My brow arched. “I thought you wanted to be alone though. Won’t I ruin that?”
Mac leaned so close I could feel the heat off his cheeks. “I like being alone with you.”
A flame ignited in my core, spreading goose bumps across my flesh. “Oh?” It was the only coherent thing I could force out of my mouth.
“Yep.” He brushed a stray lock of hair out of my face with his free hand, his fingers lingering close to my mouth. “If my mother was here she’d tell me to quit being such an idiot and…” His fingers stopped on the place my dimple formed when I smiled like he knew the position by heart.
My pulse raced so hard he could probably feel it. “And what?”
“And…”
A phone buzzed in his pocket.
Damn.
Mac drew away and pulled out his phone, grimacing at the screen. “It’s my father,” he muttered with a sigh. “I have to take it.”
I nodded, biting my lip so I didn’t cry. The moment was over and I wasn’t sure there would ever be another like it. I began sliding off his jacket.
“No, you keep it,” he said as he rose. “I’ll get it back later.” He peered over his shoulder, smiling crookedly.
Chapter 18
Halloween was on a Saturday and so was the dance, which was here so fast I thought I’d get whiplash. Highland was decorated with cobwebs, spooky scenery, and creepy crawlers, doing nothing to improve the school’s ominous atmosphere. Splashes of purple, green, orange, red, and black littered the grounds and jack-o-lanterns carved by students grinned or scowled into the night.
The daylight weakened and night approached, bringing an excited buzz to the air. Me on the other hand—I was seriously doubting whether I would even step foot out of my dorm room.
“I just don’t know about this,” I muttered, staring at my reflection in the gilded mirror. Madison couldn’t have picked a worse costume for me. A witch. Yep. I was in Salem, Massachusetts dressed as a witch on Halloween when I knew there were very real ones walking around. I hoped I didn’t end up cursed by the end of the night.
I wore a long black skirt with a slit up to my thigh that was outlined in deep scarlet sequins. The top was a sleeveless black scoop neck blouse and Madison insisted I wear a pair of long, fingerless cloves to cover my arms. The next and most flush inducing part of my costume was the tiny ruby red satin corset she threw over the blouse.
I groaned at its tightness and feared my lungs were going to be punctured by my ribs before the night was over.
Madison’s
roommate lent me a pair of short black boots and my nails were painted Ruby Red. To set the whole attire off a big pentagram incrusted in scarlet stones hung around my neck—so clearly I was a witch even though I wasn’t wearing one of those pointy hats.
Nope. Madison said nothing should cover my hair because it was so incredibly witchy. It decided to be dark brown and really crazy today. Madison stuck little scarlet rhinestones throughout and twined a thin scarlet ribbon around a chunk of strands near the front.
And then she did my makeup. Yikes. Smokey black lined my upper lashes, making them appear especially full and thick and of course blood red colored my lips. As if they didn’t look bad enough. Now I definitely looked like I took a punch to the face.
I tried pushing my boobs down with my hand to no avail. I turned to the side and groaned again just in time to see Aspen saunter through the door in her risky angel costume. She stopped dead and glared at me, her mouth pouty.
“What?” I hissed.
“Nothing,” she shrugged. “You look…good.” It looked like it pained her to say it.
My eyebrows shot up in disbelief. I pivoted toward the mirror again, re-evaluating my appearance. If Aspen thought I looked good enough to actually compliment me maybe I should suck it up and go to the dance.
“Move now.” She nudged me out of the way and began applying more makeup.
I found Jackson sitting in a plush leather chair, waiting for me in the first floor common room. He was friends with a lot of the kids in Hampton hall so none of them gave him crap about being there. Plus they were too excited about the Halloween dance.
He was all kinds of red—pants, shirt, tie—and even red horns atop his auburn brown hair. He was the devil of course. And he was the most adorable looking king of hell I’d ever seen.
His round eyes bugged when he saw me. “W-Wow… I-I mean hi.” His face flushed, bringing out those faded freckles across his cheeks and nose.
“Hi.” I met him in the middle of the room.
He flashed a bashful smile. “You look really amazing.”
“Thanks,” I grinned. “You ready?” I reached for his hand and he answered by taking mine.