Page 13 of Moonflower

We park on the street. Once we’re out of the car, I start to move toward the house, but then I hear Wilder opening the trunk.

“What are you doing?”

“C’mon, Ezra. We’re not walking into that party without costumes.”

A slow smirk spreads across my face. “What’ve you got?”

. . .

Inside, we’re greeted with classic Halloween music and a house-full of people. We scan the front room for Cora, but we don’t find her. No luck in the kitchen, either.

“Wilder! Ezra! Over here.”

My stomach leaps when I hear the feminine voice shouting our names over the music. But when I recognize it, I realize it’s not Cora’s. It’s someone else’s.

I turn. A young Chinese-American woman with darker skin and long black hair is looking up at me with a grin. She’s flanked by two other women who’re wearing similar fairy-looking costumes to hers.

“Liling, right?” I say. I’ve said hi to her in some of my video calls with Cora.

She nods. “And this is Imani.” She gestures to her right, to a tall woman with dark brown skin and deep red locs. “And Brooke.” She nods to her left, to the shortest of their group, a woman with pale skin and light brown hair.

“Right,” I say. “Cora’s new friends.”

I’m not proud of the jealousy that slithers across my skin. But with their tiaras and makeup and happy smiles, everything clicks. Cora talks about these three all the time. And really, it’s no wonder—they look like they’re a blast to hang out with.

Is this why she hasn’t been texting back as quickly? Because she found our replacements?

“Great to meet you,” Wilder says after an awkward beat. “Do you know where Cora is?”

The three of them exchange uneasy glances, and my stomach drops through the floor.

“Is she okay?” I force out.

“Her boyfriend wouldn’t stop calling her,” Imani says. “She went into the library for some quiet so she could talk to him.”

“Fuck,” Wilder mutters. “I knew I shouldn’t’ve given him his phone back.”

Just then, a tall man with brown skin comes up behind Imani. He places a hand on her hip, eyeing us suspiciously. “Everything okay, babe?”

This must be DeAndre.

Turning her head to look up at him, Imani gives him a soft smile. “Yeah. These are Cora’s best friends from home.”

I grit my teeth. Best friends from home. Is that what Cora calls us? Not her best friends—just her best friends from home?

Wilder tenses next to me, and I know he’s thinking the same thing.

“Ah.” DeAndre grins at us. “Welcome, then. Drinks are on the counter over there. Snacks and treats are . . . well, they’re kinda everywhere. My wife has a sweet tooth.” He kisses Imani on her temple, which makes her absolutely glow. “I’m gonna check in with Ryan and the rest of the security team. You need anything? Water?”

“I’m good. Thank you.” Imani stretches upward and plants a kiss on his lips before he heads back into the party.

Liling elbows Imani. “So he’s here? He’s here?”

With a snort that Imani makes look elegant, she curls an arm around Liling’s waist. “I told you he’s on the security team tonight. Why are you so surprised?”

“I’m not,” Liling insists. “I’m just . . .”

“Nervous?” Brooke teases with a knowing smirk. “One of these days, you’re going to have to actually look Ryan in the eyes. You know that, right?”

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