Page 10 of In The Dark
I rub a hand over my chest then curl my fingers into a fist, anger flowing through me like it always does when I think about my past. I take a deep breath, practicing the exercises my therapist gave me to do when the grief sneaks up on me without warning. The meditation is interrupted by Leo standing over me, waving his phone in front of my face.
“Brennan said he’d get back to me, so—whoa. What’s wrong?” Leo nudges my knees out of the way so he can sit down. “You look pale.”
“Nothing. Just?—”
“Your mom,” he finishes for me. He lifts my legs and puts them in his lap. I don’t bother protesting. “Coming up on ten years. I know.”
“You’re a good friend, Leo.”
“I’m the best fucking friend.” He pats my shins and leans back. “What triggered it tonight?”
“Who knows? It’s always random.”
“What are we going to do this year?”
“Flowers, probably. Maybe I’ll make a cake. You know how much she loved to bake. I might be shit at it, but it would be a good way to honor her.”
“I put on the freshman fifteen in high school because of her cupcakes and pies.”
“She loved having you as a sous chef. The best cleanup crew,” I say, laughing while I reminisce. “It’s stupid. I wish I could text her and tell her about this girl. I wish she would call me out and tell me how to do things correctly.Woo her, she would say.”
“She’d also tell you to get a haircut.” Leo reaches over and messes up my hair. “Way too long, Hunt.”
“More for a woman to grab onto and hold.”
“Doesn’t fall under wooing, dude.”
“You’re right.” I smile. “I’m okay. This time of year is always weird. Halloween used to be my favorite holiday, and now…” I trail off. “It’s complicated.”
“She’d be so proud of you. Getting out of your shitty situation with your dad. Putting him in his place.”
“Six feet under.”
“Should be more like twenty.” Leo scoffs. “I’m sure your Mom is looking down on us and smiling from ear to ear.”
As if on cue, the light above us flickers. The air conditioning kicks on, and I grin.
“There’s Mom. She always had a flair for theatrics. You two have that in common.” I pat his shoulder. “Thanks for checking in. I’m going to get a haircut in the morning and take some flowers to her grave. Want to come with me?”
“Of course I do.” He wipes under his eye and flips me off. “Enough with this sad shit. Tell me more about this girl of yours.”
“She’s not mine. Yet,” I add with a grin. “When we hear back from Brennan, we’ll put the plan into motion.”
“And by motion you mean?—”
“Look into cameras I can install in her bedroom so I can make sure she’s sleeping well? Maybe.”
“Fuck.” Leo sighs and shakes his head. The alarm on his phone chimes, letting us know we need to get ready to head back to the house. “I hope when they make the Netflix show about you, they pick someone really fucking handsome to play me. I’m thinking… what’s that guy from that show with the girl who likes both brothers? The older one. He’s good-looking.”
“You have red hair, Leo. The two of you look nothing alike.”
“When there’s a will, there’s a way.” He eases my legs off of his lap and pops to his feet. He holds out his hand and I take it, standing too. “Ready?”
“If I have to be.” I yawn, wishing I could spend the rest of the night thinking about my haunted house girl. “Let’s do this.”
I’m going to track you down, Maxine.
And when I do, I’m going to make you mine.
