Page 309 of Evil Hearts

Carnival of Shadows

USA Today Bestselling Author

Quell T. Fox

Chapter One

The carnival isin town for four days out of the year and it’s the most exciting thing that happens around here. That’s the problem when you live in a small town that has more cows than people. The one good thing about this place is the people aren’t complete assholes, like most small towns. Usually that goes hand-in-hand, and as a gay man, it isn’t what I want to deal with. Not that there’s any benefit of being here to my sexuality, because I’m not into cows. The options for men who play for the same team as me are slim to none, not that I’m actively trying to find a man or anything. I’ve had enough bad luck in that department that I think I’m eternally turned off by the thought of another person sharing a bed with me.

“Are we going in or what?” Brian asks with a huff.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, everyone else is already in there.”

“And I told you if you wanted to go, you could go.”

Brian rolls his eyes and gets out of my truck. It’s not that I don’t want to hang out with my friends, I’ve just had a long day, and I wanted to unwind a little before heading into a carnival that the entire town will be at. It’s loud, chaotic, and fuck clowns. Notliterally, because they scare the living shit out of me. I could get down with a man in a mask, just not a clown mask.

After sitting alone for a few minutes, I turn off the truck and get out. Pulling my jacket a little tighter, because fall is setting in, I slam my door and get in line with the few people walking toward the entrance with is a path through a line of trees.

There is no fee to get in, only to ride the rides and play the games. I won’t do either. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m here at all, other than wanting some fried dough, because they make it the best. And yeah, I guess hanging out with my friends isn’t so bad. I’ve blown them off enough over the last few weeks.

“Ethan!” Miranda shouts, running toward me with her hands in the air. She jumps into my arms and I hug her, then put her on her feet. “I’m so glad you made it.”

“Nothing else to do in this shithole.”

“Fine, don’t admit you missed me.” She smiles up at me, her blond hair blowing across her face. She tucks it behind her ear.

“Okay, I guess I missed you a little.”

She hooks her arm in mine and leads me to the rest of the group. Everyone I consider a friend is here tonight—four people. I’m the fifth wheel, have been since elementary school. Some things don’t change.

We share hugs and hellos, and then Hailey, Brian’s girlfriend, says she wants popcorn, so we head to the food trucks. Everyone gets a snack, and we find an empty picnic table to sit. There’s sticky stuff all over it and trash beneath it, but it’s already day two of the carnival, so I guess it could be worse. People in this town are pigs.

“So, how did that date go?” Miranda asks, waggling her brows at me.

“What date?” I ask, pulling off a piece of my fried dough and shoving it into my mouth. Fuck, this is so good.

“The last one you went on. With Keith?”

“Kevin,” I correct. “And it was shit, like all the other ones.”

“I keep telling you to get out of this town,” Scott says, earning him a slap from Miranda.

Miranda and Scott have been dating since high school, same as Hailey and Brian. So cliche, honestly. I’ll admit they’re cute together, though. They’ll get married soon and start having babies. Their kids will go to the same schools we did, do the same stupid shit on the weekends we did. Meet other people in their class of a hundred and get married to them. The cycle is never-ending.

Unless you’re me.

“I would if I could,” I say. “It ain’t easy to afford city-living. Besides, city is loud as hell.”

“And they don’t have any cows. What ever will you do?” Brian says.

“Thank god, that’s what,” I say, causing everyone to laugh.

“Are you still on those apps?” Hailey asks, picking up some popcorn to put in her mouth.

“I haven’t deleted my profiles, but I hardly check them. All the guys on there want the same thing. For me to be their dirty little secret while they go home to their wives and kids. Not my thing. I’m giving up.”

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