Page 14 of Moonflower

Liling lets out a flustered sound. “Whatever! Let’s just dance. Or get drinks. Something!”

With a knowing chuckle, Imani pushes Liling into Brooke’s arms. Then she points the way we came. “Did you see the staircase in the front room?”

We nod.

“Go upstairs. Take the hallway on the left. The library is the set of French doors on the right.”

“Got it. Thank you so much,” I say, dragging Wilder toward the front of the house. If Matt called Cora, we need to get to her before she starts freaking out.

“We’re going to scare her,” Wilder says as we climb the stairs.

“What? Scare her? That’s a horrible idea.”

“It’s not. Trust me.”

I sigh. If I hear Wilder utter those words one more time tonight, I might punch a wall. Or him. Still, I follow his lead, and we sneak into the library.

Cora’s voice immediately reaches us. “Matt, what the hell are you talking about? Who’s they? You need to be more specific.” A pause. “No, I don’t know! Stop being an asshole.” Another pause. “You know what? I’m not dealing with your bullshit tonight.”

Wilder and I creep toward her. The lights are off in here, although some light is coming through the French doors from the hallway. We stay in the shadows.

When I spot Cora, she’s staring down at her phone, the light from the screen illuminating her face. The sight of her takes my breath away. Not only is her makeup immaculate, but it’s . . . it’s her. This is the first time I’ve seen her in person in a while.

She’s barely changed at all. Her long brown hair trails down her back in loose curls. And as she always does when she’s nervous, she’s chewing on her bottom lip and twirling a strand of hair around one of her fingers.

It looks like she’s in a similar fairy costume as the other girls, and the tiara on her head sparkles from the light from her phone. The V-neck of the dress dips low, showing more cleavage than I’m used to her showing. The purple fabric tightens beneath her breasts before flowing loosely over her plump stomach. It stops mid-thigh, still high enough that if I bent her over, it’d show . . .

Fuck. Get it together, Ezra.

Cora is standing in between two bookshelves. It’s the perfect spot for us to scare her from both sides, even though I’m half-wondering if this is a terrible idea. If she was just arguing with Matt, she’s probably not in a great mood.

Still, I mirror Wilder’s movements, coming around the far side of the bookshelves. We creep down the aisle quietly, the darkness concealing us for the most part. If she looked up, she’d see us. But she’s frowning down at her phone still.

After a moment of hesitation, Wilder and I lock gazes. He nods, and I pull my mask down. Then we both close the distance between us, grabbing Cora at the same time.

She drops her phone and lets out a blood-curdling scream. Wilder claps a hand over her mouth as she struggles against us. Pressing her into me, he leans down and murmurs in her ear.

“Happy Halloween, Moonflower.”

Chapter four

Cora

One second, I was texting the girls to let them know I’ll be down in a minute. The next, hands are grabbing me out of nowhere, I’m screaming, and the only thing I can see is Pinhead staring down at me.

As I scream, a hand is clamped over my mouth, and I realize this is it. This is how I’m going to die. If not by actual murder, then by high blood pressure and a fucking heart attack.

But then that deep, familiar voice sounds in my ear, terrifying yet comforting at the same time. “Happy Halloween, Moonflower.”

Oh my god. Oh my god.

I let out a sob of relief. His lips brush against the shell of my ear as the tingly feeling of adrenaline rushing through my veins sets in.

Ezra pushes the Pinhead mask up, and then his hands slide around my waist. His arms encircle me, and he presses my stomach into his hips. As my eyes adjust to the dark, his smirk comes into view. “Gotcha.”

If anyone else tried to scare me like this, I’d probably punch them. But my mind skips straight past anger to delight. They’re here. They came to me.

As I throw my arms around Ezra, a giddy laugh bubbles out of me. My body is still trembling from the jump scare, but I don’t care. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

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