5. Casper
Kol and I are heading over to Bates’s place right now, and I’m not wasting a single second to show Mona my new tattoo, two dancing skeleton fairies. They’re my only ink on this arm, maybe I’ll dedicate the entire limb to her. She wanted crazy, and she got it.
I find the picture taken earlier today in my camera roll and send it with a message.
What do you think?
Typing bubbles appear almost instantly, and her message comes through a second later.
Scaredy-Cat: I think they look better on you ;)
What should I get next?
Scaredy-Cat: Four letters
Scaredy-Cat: One name
Hmmm. No clue
Scaredy-Cat: I hate you
I doubt it ;)
Scaredy-Cat: Fine. I won’t get yours either
Careful. I might strap you down and do it myself
Scaredy-Cat: You do mine. I do yours
You’d probably fuck around and tattoo a spider or a dick on me
Scaredy-Cat: Ooh, don’t tempt me
That’s it. Absolutely not happening
Scaredy-Cat: We’ll see
So confident
Scaredy-Cat: I just like the idea of you holding me down and carving your name into my skin … your name being …
Almost got me
Scaredy-Cat: It’s honestly rude at this point to have not introduced yourself properly
I think we threw “properly” out of the window a while ago
Scaredy-Cat: What’s your name?
I can’t tell you. Yet. Just gotta be patient
Scaredy-Cat: How about the first letter?
How about the last?
Scaredy-Cat: And every one in between
Greedy
Scaredy-Cat: You love it
the last letter of my first name is R
Scaredy-Cat: Oh, perfect. That helps me narrow it down to about ten thousand name possibilities
I wasn’t going to make it easy for you
Scaredy-Cat: Rude yet again
Do you think you were born with that attitude, or was it a learned skill?
Scaredy-Cat: Goodbye
You think you can just leave this conversation? Says who?
Scaredy-Cat: Me
You can’t run from me, Mona
Scaredy-Cat: Why’s that?
Because I’ll chase you
Hunt you down
Scaredy-Cat: Oooh, then what?
Then I’ll cuff your hands behind your back and bind your ankles so you can’t take off again
Scaredy-Cat: But then how will you get my clothes off?
My knife. Before I press it to your throat
Scaredy-Cat: To kill me?
You and I both know that I’d never really hurt you
Scaredy-Cat: Unless I begged for it
If you beg for it, it’s yours. No limits. No boundaries. Nothing too big or small. You have no idea what I could do for you. I’ll lay the world at your feet
Scaredy-Cat: What if I just want you? The pizzazz is overrated. I’d live in a cardboard box with you
Now you’re talking about living together? I knew you liked me. This is a great step in our love journey
Scaredy-Cat: ***rolls eyes***
You think you get to use me for my body and not fall in love? You’d be sorely mistaken. This is an all-inclusive package, baby. Features not sold separately. It’s all or nothing
Scaredy-Cat: Exclusive, I assume? Or is this package being sold to multiple travelers?
Absolutely not. I told you I don’t share. That goes both ways. Besides, you seem like you might have a murderous streak emerge if there was another lady
Scaredy-Cat: For you? No limits. No boundaries ;)
You’re hot when you claim your territory, Ms. Possessive.
“Hey, lover boy. We’re here.” Kol flicks my phone down, and it crashes into my lap.
Fucker.
He doesn’t wait around for me to tell him off, and I’m still too busy thinking about Mona to care enough anyway. I pick my phone up and flip my hood over my head before stepping out of his pickup into the crisp fall air.
I think if I buy a house soon, it’ll be somewhere near here.
I love the area, and the people seem nice and not crazy nosy, which I feel like is hard to find.
Although, if someone wants to watch me blow my wife’s back out in our living room, I’ll move to the front porch so they can get a better show.
Besides, Mona seems like the kind of girl with a freaky side. I wonder if she likes being watched, likes the rush of a public hookup.
God, there are so many things for us to discuss …
to try. But that likely won’t be happening tonight.
I probably won’t be home until much later since we’re hanging out at Bates and Serena’s place tonight.I doubt we’ll have many more of these Sunday nights left together until next off season from the Sinners.
Soon enough, our hockey season will be fully underway, and we’ll be grumpy from spending every day together, so we’ll want our time away on the days off to do our own thing. Or we’ll be traveling to and from away games.
“Try to catch me,” Kol mutters randomly before digging his heels into the pavement and taking off for the front porch.
But his foot slips on the concrete, and down he goes. Thankfully, he trips, stepping toward the grass, which softens his landing. I pick up my pace, running carefully down the sidewalk and up the stairs. He bursts into laughter, and the sound is almost so joyful that it’s eerie, coming from him.
“Beat you.” I flip him off, then ring the doorbell.
“You’re aware that you’re Serena’s least favorite, right?” He smacks the back of my head when he reaches me at the same time the door swings open.
“Serena,” I whine. “Who’s your favorite between Kol and me?”
She ignores my question completely and hugs each of us briefly. “I love both of you equally.”
“Lies. But I’ll accept it for now because the most important, handsomest boy just walked over here.” Bates starts to smile as he rounds the corner of his entryway. But I’m obviously not talking about him.
I drop to a crouch and find Freddie wearing a Halloween-themed sweater and an almost-smile on his cute little cheeks. “There’s my boy!”
Scooping him up in my arms, I make sure he doesn’t happy-pee on me before settling him against my chest like a baby.
His big ears flop down on the sides of his head.
His gorgeous dapple coloring pokes out from his purple sweater, and I just can’t imagine there being a cuter dog than this boy right here.
But I am the type of person to stop in my tracks and ask if I can pet someone’s dog. I have no shame in that question. The worst they can say is no. And if I get bit or die from petting a dog, I’m going out honorably.
I follow Kol inside, and we all make our way to the dining table. Serena and Bates cook some nights, but most of the time, they bring a chef in because cooking isn’t their greatest skill. Kol and I pitch money in, too, alternating payments.
Tonight, Chef Lena made crab stuffed mushrooms and bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts. It takes less than five minutes for all of the appetizers to vanish and maybe even less time for me to clear my entrée plate. Freddie got a bite of my steak, just a tiny nugget. But he deserved it, the Freddie tax.
After we finish eating, we move to the theater room in the house for a movie, which takes us more time to pick out than it did to eat dinner. But eventually, we land on a classic, just in time for the season—Scream. The first one, obviously, because it’s the best one.
My phone vibrates as Drew Barrymore answers the call, and I take a peek at my screen, seeing a notification that there was movement detected in Mona’s room. Just in time. Usually, the door unlatching signals the first notification, so I haven’t missed anything yet.
I’ve been anxiously waiting for her to get to her room after work and find the present I snuck in there earlier.
The card I spent way too much time overthinking about is sitting face up on her bed, next to the wrapped gift box.
That present isn’t completely for her. But it’s something I think both of us will enjoy.
A plus side of these cameras is their sound quality, and, boy, I can hear every word and confession, each of which I’ve saved in a note in my phone. Her fears, her dreams—I’ve absorbed everything like a dying sponge, feeding off her words.
She talks to herself a lot—or at least, that’s what I thought before she told me about her eight-legged friend in the shell of a burned-out wall sconce. A jumping spider with furry little legs and big eyes that has made herself at home. I don’t know for certain if it’s a girl.
But I know two things:
1. Mona calls it Penelope.
2. It’s absolutely fucking terrifying.
Mona turns on the few lamps I surprised her with a time or two ago. I can’t have my girl, who is scared of the dark, living in a room without light. Besides, the solution of having candles lit constantly was not only temporary and expensive, but a fire hazard.
With the lamps on, she looks toward the bed and instantly perks up, rushing over and tearing the ghosty card from the bed.
She tucks her hair behind her ear, and I wish I were there in person, watching this unfold. I could tell her all those words straight to her face.
Her pouty lips move as she reads the letter, the softest and prettiest smile tipping the corners until those pearly whites are on full display. If I wasn’t already sitting, my knees might have landed me on my ass anyway from how stunning she is when she smiles.
I glance over at Bates and Serena, who’re snuggled up, Kol and Freddie beside them. They’re locked into the movie and their sweet treat, so I turn my attention back to my phone.
Mona’s opening the box now, the ribbon already tossed behind her on the floor. I turn the volume of my phone up, wanting to hear her reactions. Not too loud that I disturb the others, but enough that I can hear her when I lift my device to my ear.
“Oh my God,” she murmurs. “Pen, you got new digs.”
Carefully, she lifts the ten-inches by five-inches plastic enclosure from the box, fully decked out with ghost decor, a three-tier miniature cat tree, and mesh air vents in the sides of the plexiglass.
I also found this enclosure on Etsy, just like my mask.
I swear, they need to sponsor our friend group at this point.
She beams, taking it in, spinning the container around as she looks at all the fine details. But she stops, sucking in a quick breath when the front reaches her. Gently, she runs her finger over the little gold plaque positioned at the base that reads: Penelope Greer.
“Oh my God,” she whispers.
Quickly, I switch cameras as her face turns out of frame. Clicking into one of the other thirteen hidden camera feeds, I’m taken aback at her expression.
Upturned eyes. Quivering lips. Softened shoulders.
I think it’s safe to say that she likes this present a lot. There’ve been a couple of gifts that she was a brat about. Apparently, she doesn’t love the smell of lilies, and I found them in the trash the next day.She also has no respect for daisies, the next flower I tried and failed with.
I threatened her about being a bad girl in the next card I left, and I swear she was even brattier after that. But honestly, I fucking love it.
Tears build in her eyes, and she plops down on her bed, studying the enclosure intensely, like she’s scared if she looks away, it’ll disappear.
A single drop falls from her lashes and starts rolling down her cheek.
Panic strikes my heart like a bullet, and the only restraint keeping me in my seat instead of racing across the city is the smile gradually stretching across her face.
She hops up from her bed, a pep in her step as she saunters over to where Penelope is currently living.
While Mona could probably leave her where she is, Penelope will be safer in the enclosure because Mona can monitor the humidity level, and on top of that, she’ll be safer from fall damage, which often ends a jumping spider’s life.
Even in captivity, that risk is there, which is why a bigger enclosure isn’t always better.
Mona sets the custom-built enclosure down on the table nearest her, popping the base off of it. The attached miniature cat tree stays with it, not wobbling as she sets it beside the lid.
Her mouth moves, but I can’t tell what she says. I’m guessing it’s somewhere along the lines of please don’t bite me by the look on her face as she approaches the sconce. Gently, she crouches and eases her hands into the shell.
I’m more scared watching this interaction than I am watching Matthew Lillard’s and Skeet Ulrich’s characters commit murder. She may love her little spider, but I love that Penelope will now be completely contained without the risk of her getting near me.
Her hands retreat from the shell, and I spot a dime-sized blur on her fingertips. The excitement is practically radiating off of her as she tiptoes over to the enclosure and lowers Penelope to the top of the little cat tree.
Mona is nothing but joyous as she secures her pet inside the enclosure, setting the top back on the base and latching it into place. With the utmost care, she carries Pen over to the nightstand and sets her closest to the bed before plopping down on the mattress beside her, her head in her hands.
I swipe out of the cameras, minimizing the screen so I can still keep an eye on her as I shoot her a text.
How was work? Make it to your room okay?
Her phone screen lights up on her nightstand, and she immediately grabs it, a genuine smile spreading across her face as she reads my message and responds.
Scaredy-Cat: You have an impeccable sixth sense
Scaredy-Cat: And thank you
Scaredy-Cat: Seriously, it’s perfect
I told you, I’ve got you. Anything and anytime, baby