Page 108 of In The Dark
“They’re not letting anyone in for another twenty minutes. We get a head start.” We turn down a small path that winds up to the haunted house where we met last year. It’s a different theme this season, some apocalyptic television show the new backdrop, but the entrance is familiar. “Back to where it all began.”
“I can’t believe it’s been a year. Thirteen months, really.” I smile when Hunter unhooks the chain blocking the queue and lets me walk in front of him. “It’s been fun, hasn’t it?”
“Best year of my life,” he says, and there’s no doubt in my mind he means it. “Come on. I’ll give you the cool behind-the-scenes tour.”
The lights are on as we step into the soundstage, and being able to see everything helps me relax. I find all the places the scare actors would hide if they were in their spots for the night. Hunter mentions the least desirable zone in the house, a small corridor that requires constant crouching and bumping your head while you wait to jump out and scare someone.
“How do you know when it’s your turn?” I ask. “Is there a motion sensor that triggers the lights and sounds?”
“Nope. We do it with pedals.” He points at a small pedal behind a corner, out of the guest’s view. “It’s called an AAD: actor activated device. We’ll press that, then the sound associated with that spot begins to play.”
“Really? Wow. Is it delayed? How long does it take before you have the timing memorized?”
“Only a few days, to be honest. You’re doing it so many times an hour, eventually, you turn on autopilot and don’t think about it.”
“Fascinating. Hey.” I point at a fork in the path and smirk. “The infamous spot where I messed up. And, now that I’m seeing it with the lights on, I’m confused. Which means in the dark, it’s even more difficult.”
“They adjusted it this year. See the pillar they put in place? It stops anyone from making a wrong turn.”
“Darn. Guess there won’t be any other haunted house meet cutes. That’s a shame, because it was so—am I allowed back here?” I ask when Hunter pulls me around the pillar he just mentioned.
“Given I’m kind of in charge of all of this, yeah. I’m saying you’re allowed.” He smiles and puts his hands over my eyes. “I have a surprise for you.”
“You’re going to make Halloween my favorite holiday if you keep all these surprises up.” We come to a stop, and I take a deep breath. “Can I look now?”
“Close your eyes, then count to twenty,” he says, his hands falling away from my face.
“Okay.” I shift on my feet, following his directions. When I get to twenty, I slowly open my eyes and find Hunter…
Kneel on the ground in front of me with a velvet box in his hands.
There are candles all around him. Dozens and dozens of flowers and white sheets to cover up the dark walls I’m familiar with. I gasp and cover my mouth, my eyes welling with tears.
“Max,” he says.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, looking down at him.
“When I clocked into work last year, I expected the usual night of drunk idiots and people getting in my face, trying to be funny. What I didn’t account for was the beautiful girl who found her way backstage and grabbed my attention. I thought about you every minute after you left, and when you showed back up here, I thought I was dreaming.”
“I thought about you too.” I step toward him, close enough to touch his cheek. “I was willing to push past my fear if it meant seeing you again.”
“The second time I saw you, I was obsessed. I craved your body and hearing your voice. I craved your laugh and beautiful smile. I craved your mouth and your pussy, and I would do just about anything to see you again. And I did. You became a part of my life. My most favorite person in the world, which is why I’m finally asking you this.”
Hunter opens the box and I gasp at the ring that sits inside. The diamond sparkles and shimmers, exquisite in the candlelight. He reaches to his right, lifting a knife off the ground.Spinning it in his hold, he catches it and places the ring on the tip of the blade, extending it my way.
“Maxine Walters, I have loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you. You’re the most caring, loving, wonderful person I’ve ever met, and it would be an honor to be by your side for the rest of my life. In sickness. In health. On the good days and on the bad ones too. You are the greatest gift I’ve ever been given, and I promise to continue loving you until the end of time.” He smiles up at me, and a sob leaves my body. “Will you marry me?”
“Yes. Yesof courseI’ll marry you.” I reach for him, careful to avoid the knife. I throw my arms around his neck, my tears staining his shirt. “I love you so much, Hunter.”
“Let me see your hand, angel.” He carefully takes the ring off the blade and slides it on my finger, kissing my knuckles. “Perfect,” he whispers.
“It’s beautiful. I love it so much. I didn’t—this was not on my bingo card for today.” I laugh and wipe under my eyes. “You’re sneaky.”
“Everyone is at Janey’s waiting to celebrate; Skyler, Leo. They’ll all be there.”
“You included everyone? They all know?”
“Of course they do. They’re you’re favorite people in the world. I had to make sure I got their approval.”
