Page 75 of Dead End

I laughed, looping my arm through hers as we made our way towards town. I could see the festival up ahead as the aunties’ street blended into Main Street. “You don’t seem to be struggling in the man department.”

She sighed, but when I glanced sideways, her cheeks were flaming. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t get why you’re pretending,” I said, squeezing her arm. “Everyone saw the way Baen and Cal were fighting over you at the bonfire. Clearly they’re smitten.”

“Smitten?” She laughed. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

“Think whatever you want, but I know what I saw. Baen looked like he wanted to physically eat you in the best way, and you’ve had Calvin wrapped around your finger since you sashayed into school the first day.”

“Oh my god, that’s so not true! He was all over you! I was just the sidekick. Besides, I'm still kind of peeved about him not telling us about the Society.” Her face dropped.

“Maddie, you could never be a sidekick. You’re the main character, babe, and don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Besides, there's nothing going on between Cal and me. He doesn’t even like me like that, and I could never...” I shuddered just thinking about it. “Not to mention he’s pretty much always staring at you or your ass whenever you’re not paying attention. Maybe he had his reasons for keeping the secret society a, um, secret,” I a-r quoted.

“Maybe you're right; I mean, it’s a secret for a reason. I don’t know. But for real, he stares at my butt?” She squealed, pushing my shoulder with hers. A smile lit her eyes, and I felt warm all over.

I’d been worried about Maddie since we got here. I could tell behind the façade of bubbly humor that she was struggling with this transition.

We reached the start of Main Street, and I could already smell the sweet and savory scents of cooking food, coffee, tea, and candy. Jack-o’-lanterns were everywhere, and twinkling lights hung in the trees like little fireflies. Torches were lit up and down the sidewalks, and the street lanterns were blazing, lighting up the whole area in a warm orange glow that matched the moonlight. I was starting to enjoy the perpetual night here. No more sweating my ass off under the glaring sun or worrying about my skin burning to a crisp. It was always pleasant.

There were some clouds in the sky, but not many—just enough that there was a small breeze flowing between the buildings and booths.

Booths lined the streets on either side, while the townspeople dressed in their best, selling handmade crafts, treats, and fresh harvested crops. I saw a booth for the blood bank run by vampires stationed out front as one passed out flyers with a fangy smile. They were advertising flavor-infused blood, sold in little glass bottles that you could carry around with you and add to your drinks. I’d have to snag a sample for Norman at some point.

Toil and Trouble Tea had a booth too, set up right outside their shop. Cauldrons were bubbling and ladles were pouring as the witches handed out small mugs to passersby with infectious cackles. My mouth immediately watered for more of that witchbramble tea. I had no idea what was even in it, but it was delicious.

“Oh, there's Baen,” Maddie whispered, staring off to her left with a dreamy look in her eyes.

“You mean Mr. Hottie?” I teased.

“Shut up; he can probably hear you!” She gasped loudly as he turned our way, a smile aimed right at Mads.

“Oh, he heard all right, judging by that hungry smile. I wonder what he is. Does he read minds, you think? I wonder if he knows how much you think about his butt?” I laughed as her cheeks turned as red as a tomato.

“I swear to the great pumpkin, October—,” she threatened, but it was too late.

“Hey, Baen!” I called out, waving my hand over my head, before Maddie could finish her empty threat. It was time for Operation Get Maddie Laid.

“Get Maddie what?!” she screeched.

“Oops. Did I say that out loud?” I had to bite my cheek to hold back my laughter at her outraged face.

Baen stopped stacking books on the table in front of his shop and waved at us, his eyes never straying from Maddie. Yeah, dude had it bad. I didn’t understand why Mads couldn’t see it.

We were about to head over to help Baen out, but someone intercepted us first. “Fancy meeting you two here.” Cal stepped into our path with his hands in his pockets as he attempted to smile, but it fell short.

I grimaced at him before forcing it into a smile. I knew deep down that he probably had nothing to do with what happened to Jessica, but I still couldn’t stop picturing him ripping off that hood. I watched his eyes flicker over Maddie, and something flared in their depths before he forced himself to look back at me. I could tell he was into her, but he was suppressing it, and I needed to know why.

“Hey, Cal,” Maddie said as she gazed at him with her arms crossed before she looked away with disappointment when he barely nodded.

“Maddie,” he said in a dismissive way.

I could physically see the way Maddie’s heart dropped to her stomach as he disregarded her. Shit. She really liked him. He liked her too, so why was he acting like an ass?

“October, can I talk to you for a sec?” he asked, his eyes clearly straining to look at me and not Maddie.

Her eyes were glossing over, and she looked anywhere but at him, biting the inside of her cheek again, this time probably to keep from crying.

“What do you need?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest, ready to rip him a new asshole for treating my sister from another mister this way. “My strong-as-fuck, grumpy-ass boyfriends will be here any second, so you might want to hurry up. They aren’t feeling so kind when it comes to liars lately.”

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