Page 7 of Trick or Treat

“I’m a bit of a wanderer,” he shrugs, taking another drag and flicking snow from his shoulder. “I moved here to help my aunt with her bar after my dad passed. Figured it could be a fresh start, you know?”

A pang of sympathy hits me, and I quickly try to mask it with a smile, ignoring the prodding feeling of being watched. “I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t even imagine how tough it must have been.”

“Yeah, it sucked, but my aunt is pretty amazing; she helps keep my head above water.” He glances back toward the bar, the laughter inside calling him like a siren. “And managing this place keeps things… interesting.”

“Seems like it,” I reply, my eyes darting back to the bar, subtly scanning my surroundings to see if anyone is watching me.

The only person I see is Melanie, waving me over, and I catch her distracted look as she gestures to the bar, cutting through the intimate bubble River and I created.

“I should get back in,” I mutter reluctantly. “I didn’t mean to ditch my friend. She probably thought something happened to me.”

“Yeah, I need to get back in too. The other bartender is probably cursing my name up and down.” River nods, hesitantly stepping aside, but not without leaning in for one more close whisper. “How about you sit on my side again, and I’ll get you another drink?”

With a coy smile, I nod my head, slowly walking away. “Okay, one more, just to keep me warm for the walk home.”

As I head back into the bar, I can’t shake the feeling of anticipation swarming in my stomach, walking over to Melanie. She grins widely, putting her hands on my shoulders to hold me in place so she can get all the yummy details before we sit at the bar.

“So,” she says, a deep drawl in the single word. “Tell meeverything.”

Blushing, I glance at River behind her, returning his smile before forcing my focus back to Melanie. “Well, I have a date for this week,” I exclaim, all giddy and shit.

“He asked you out?”

“Yeah,” I answer, smiling so big that my cheeks hurt.

“And you said yes?” She looks surprised, but I don’t blame her.

“And I said yes,” I say, anxiously chewing on my bottom lip.

“Ahh, I’m so happy for you! And I’m wicked proud of you for letting your guard down.” She pulls me in for a hug, squeezing me tightly. “Watch, you two are gonna end up dating for real... Just wait,” she remarks, winking and pulling me toward the bar.

And as I think about it, I’m extremely curious about where things might lead, and I can’t wait to see if she’s right.

three

Twisted Obsessions

Blade

Sil is completely immersed in the TV, sitting inches away from it with his silver mask on. He chuckles as the news anchor explains the gory details of the most recent murder to shake up the streets of Salem.

Red sits on the other side of the motel room in the wobbly wooden chair near the window, his feet kicked up on the table as he shoots daggers through his mask at Sil. He still isn’t happy about what he did. I don’t think he’ll ever get over it, and if I’m being honest, it was a dick move on my brother’s part, but at the same time, smart as fuck.

With Nixon out picking up some last-minute things, I’m left sitting here alone, suffocating in tension so thick you need a fucking chainsaw to cut it.

The winter is always our slowest season, since not many people are out and about late at night. So we take this time to prepare ourselves for when we start up again. However, being cooped up in a small house with three other guys tends to make us all a little stir crazy—hence the random spike in murders over the last six months.

Another laugh from my brother jolts me back to the present, and I sit back and study him carefully, feeling like he might be hiding something from me—from all of us. But I can’t for the fucking life of me figure out what it might be.

“So are you done being a fucking dick and ghosting my sister?” Red snaps, smacking Sil on the back of his head.

He spins around in his chair so fast I get whiplash. Enraged, my brother rips off his mask and throws it onto the couch, glaring at Red.

“First off, it’s none of your fucking business. Second, your sister is fucking crazy. She’s putting me through hell, and I can’t deal with it.” He shakes his head, putting his finger to his temple and making the crazy gesture with it.

“She thinks you’re seeing someone else,” Red confesses, scowling hard.

“The fuck I am! I ain’t seeing anyone else, and you all should know that. Besides, Red, the relationship I have with your sister is a fucking scam, andyouknow that. I did it for one reason and one reason only, not because I love her or want to be with her.” The tension in the room is palpable, thick enough to drown out the muffled sounds of the news anchor’s frantic voice spilling out more horror stories.

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