CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Summer
I’m beginning to think it’s this house that is cursed.
In fact, I’m one more incident away from being completely convinced.
From the minute I decided to move in, my life has been a thriller series.
First, I got transferred to upstairs at work, working directly under the devil’s twin sister.
I nearly ruined my friendship with my cousins when I invited the Carters into the house.
It brought Reid back into my life, which, well, has been nothing but bloody chaos since.
And now this.
The girls hadn’t even finished screaming before Malia was up on her feet.
I panicked, and in all fairness, I’ve had reason to as of late.
Normally, I would be so chill. A floorboard creaks?
I’m good. I don’t investigate. My heart doesn’t race, and I don’t reach for the nearest thing to me to use as a weapon.
I ignore it or wait to see if I hear something else.
“That gold bloody tin,” Magnolia grumbles as she glances down at the unconscious man on the floor. “I knew we shouldn’t have touched it.”
Word.
“Told you it was haunted,” Mercedes adds.
“I think you killed him,” Freya whispers, poking him with the tip of her toe.
Please, God, tell me I’ve not killed him. I like his mum and sister. I don’t want them to hate me.
Hunter licks my face as I kneel down beside the man who, for some reason, thought it was okay to barge inside a house uninvited. Reid knows what we’re dealing with. He’s been dealing with the same thing for a lot longer. It’s why I want to sort of hit him again. He is so stupid.
He groans, arching his back as he touches the back of his head. “What the fuck?” he growls, opening his eyes to glance up at me. “Why the hell did you attack me?”
“What did you think would happen when you snuck into a house where you know bad shit is going down with the people residing in it?” I snap defensively. I’m not really mad at him. Or I don’t think I am. But we could have really hurt him. And for what? “Why are you even here?”
“I was checking to see if you were okay, and to see if you had seen the news. You were screaming when I got close to the house. I didn’t think. I thought someone was hurting you,” he grits out. “Didn’t realise how wrong I was. I should have fucking texted.”
“Aww, that’s actually kind of sweet,” Magnolia coos.
Mercedes scoffs. “He actually thought someone could hurt us. I’m really trying not to laugh in his face in case he cries.”
Freya isn’t shy and does laugh. “His ego is already bruised and hurt.”
“You were screaming,” he grits out, sitting up.
“We were watching a horror movie to cheer me up,” I explain. “Mercedes and Magnolia don’t like them.”
Mercedes snorts. “We are clearly saner than you lot.”
His eyes are wide as he stares at me. It’s actually unnerving. “Wait, you watch horror movies to cheer yourself up?”
I nod slowly. “It was getting to the good bit too. The girl was about to get hung up by her intestines.”
A squeak slips past his lips, his eyes bugging out. “And that cheers you up?”
I shrug, glancing at Freya. “This is your favourite movie to watch to cheer you up, right?”
She nods, seeming confused by his comment just as much as me. “Yeah. Never fails. Although Jeepers Creepers 2 comes in close.”
I nod again. “The licking the window?”
“You are so weird,” he mutters, still staring at me like he wasn’t fucking my brains out just this morning. “How did I not know you were weird?”
I shrug. “I think it’s normal.”
“Fuck, who kneed me in the balls?” he growls.
Malia chuckles. “You deserved it, you fucker. You snuck into the house.”
“I didn’t sneak,” he argues, his voice high. “I wasn’t exactly quiet about my arrival.”
“I didn’t hear your truck come down the road,” she points out.
I think he’s blushing, but I’m unsure, as it isn’t the brightest lighting in here. “I didn’t want you to make up a lame excuse or say she’s busy if I came to do the door, so I left the car on the path that isn’t gravelled,” he mutters, glaring at Malia.
She’s barely able to hold back her laughter.
“You’re so lucky that I’ve had an orgasm today because I would hit you harder and make sure you don’t see out of your left eye for saying that remark.
We wouldn’t have made excuses. We would have told you to fuck off to your face if she didn’t want to speak to you.
” She stretches her back, and the hem of her top rises up, showing a scar along her toned stomach.
I check to see if Reid is checking her out.
Malia is hot, and I wouldn’t blame him. But it would sting.
He’s not even looking her way. He’s glaring at Makayla. “Why on earth would you punch my face? Do you know how long it takes for a bruise to leave?”
She huffs. “Yeah, because that’s clearly the issue here.”
“And who’s the one who knocked me out? And what the fuck did you use?”
I clear my throat and hold up my hand. “In my defence, I thought you were an intruder.”
“You hit me?” he squeaks out, outraged.
“You were breaking in,” I remind him.
He throws his hands up. “I wasn’t breaking in. I thought one of you were being hurt,” he growls, and then winces, clutching his head. “Did you use that fucking bat?”
I bite my lower lip, contemplating whether or not to tell him. Freya doesn’t care though. “It was a dog bowl.”
He glares my way again, and then at Hunter who is still trying to lick my neck. “I’m going home.” Hunter quietly barks, sitting on his hind legs. “You are such a traitor.”
I stroke my fingers through Hunter’s fur. “I think Mr Waffles is amazing. He knew we weren’t really a threat.”
“Hunter,” Reid bites out. “And not a threat? You knocked me unconscious.”
“Stop crying over it,” I mutter.
“And you aren’t going anywhere,” Malia warns.
“You could have a concussion, so you aren’t driving.
Either ring a brother to pick you up or sleep on the couch.
I’m going to bed.” She stops at the bottom of the stairs, turning back to him.
“Oh, and Reid, unless you want another knee to your dick, I would avoid me for a few days.”
No, no, no.
He can’t stay here. He can’t. I need to put space between us.
Even the acres separating us today haven’t been enough.
Watching a horror movie to cheer me up wasn’t a lie, but it was also so I could take my mind off him and distract myself from thinking about how good it feels to have him inside of me.
“Huh, what did I do?”
“Bear. Ring any bells? He’s our new family member,” she grits out, gripping the banister.
“Aww, you already consider him family?” he declares, nodding. He jabs a thumb in Hunter’s direction. “We clicked right away too.”
“No, you fucking moron. If I wanted a dog, I would have got her a fucking dog. Next time, ask. You’re so fucking lucky I don’t string you up by your intestines and beat you like a pinata.”
He flinches at her vivid description. “Sorry. I just can’t seem to say no to the kid.”
“Try,” she snaps, then heads up the stairs, calling, “Night,” to us all.
“Yeah, I should go too. Mark is pulling into the drive,” Freya announces, glancing down at her phone.
I glare at her. “You messaged him to pick you up early, didn’t you?”
She shrugs. “Seems like you have enough people here.”
“Did you put a tracker app on his phone?” I tease because I’m mad she’s leaving me with this man, even after I finally confessed to what he did.
She had a lot to say, but her first reaction had been to punch me in the arm.
She had been hurt I felt like I couldn’t speak to her about this.
When I pointed out I was embarrassed, she reminded me about the time I got food poisoning and rushed into the bathroom, whilst she was in the bath, and had diarrhoea.
It wasn’t even the most shameful thing I did that night.
I literally vomited all over the floor, making it hard for her to get out of the bath.
She rolls her eyes. “Fuck you.”
A thought occurs to me, and I swear to God, sometimes I amaze myself with my bright ideas. “Hey, here’s an idea. Mark can take Reid home.”
She winces. “Not enough room. Sorry. He has tools and shit in the back,” she lies.
I know she’s bloody lying because I was outside when they pulled in and the back of the car was empty.
“I hate you,” I hiss.
“Love you, bitch. See you at the christening Sunday.”
A low growl rises in my throat. “Will you fucking drop the act already? I know you aren’t being serious about this. If you are, I am not going.”
“I would have thought someone who uses the word energy and has crystals in every nook and cranny in their room, would be all in for someone to start a spiritual journey,” Reid observes.
I stare at him, mouth agape, because he took note.
I shake those thoughts from my head because it doesn’t matter.
I glare at my chuckling friend before replying to Reid.
“She’s holding a christening for her cat.
I agree, if anyone needs Jesus, it’s that damn cat.
He tried to kill me so many times. But she’s only messing with my head because she knows I think it’s absurd. ”
His eyes widen as he stares at Freya with some kind of understanding. “I get it.”
Her eyes crinkle at the corners. “Get what?”
“Why you’re with Mark. You’re just as fucking crazy.”
She sniffs, lifting her chin. “I don’t care for your tone, tattooed boy.” She walks up to me and wraps her arms around me. “Call me if you need me.”
“Love you,” I reply softly, because this woman is my ride or die. She’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We’ve never fallen out or argued seriously. She’s an extension of me. I’ve not wanted to dwell on it too much, but I miss us living together.
“Love you too. Even if you refuse to be Godmother.”
I push her toward the door, laughing. “Go home before I tell Mark his favourite pair of trainers aren’t missing, and that your cat pissed in them.”