Chapter 10
ten
ZEKE
Will: How’s the job search going?
Zeke: It’s not.
Will: So you’re just gonna mooch off Autumn Carroway indefinitely. Got it.
Zeke: Nah, bro. I’m gonna have that TV show. Remember?
Will: Oh, for duck’s sake.
Will: *suck
Will: FUCKING A!
Zeke: Careful, Hulk. You might wanna lie down.
Ican’t stop thinking about last night.
Like, I don’t know if it was the fact that Autumn actually took me up on my little dare and got in the water naked with me, or if it’s that she knew exactly what I was talking about when I brought up Will’s expectations.
Not only that, she acted like she understood.
Like she’s been there, too. I mean, I can only imagine—given what she’s said about that Patrick fucker and his cheating ass.
And speaking of ass—there’s no way Autumn wasn’t staring at mine as I walked completely naked across the yard and back to the cabin. That was a favor to her. A little farewell, if you will.
It’s not like she got to see anything else while we were in the water.
And neither did I—as tempted as I was to sneak a glance.
I kept myself under control this time. I hope I can do the same tonight when it’s just me and Autumn inside that big old house of hers, sitting together in the quiet and the dark while we wait for the ghosts to come out and play.
God, I want to see that tattoo of hers. Want to run my tongue over it.
But right now I’m back to real life. I’m down at the pier, almost finished filming my TikToks for the week, and catching up on my tan—which isn’t hard to do when my followers pretty much demand I appear shirtless in every video. I mean, who am I to say no? I give the people what they want.
I’m right in the middle of explaining to the camera how the ghost that I first went viral making out with crossed over right after the fact.
In truth, there’s never a shortage of pier ghosts around here since so many people have drowned over the years, never having finished living, but that particular spirit’s unfinished business was to kiss a hottie.
Like, I can’t talk to any of the spirits—which does irritate the hell out of me, thank you very much—but I’m pretty sure that’s literally all this chick needed.
Because as soon as we finished making out, she sort of…
disintegrated. Into beautiful, shimmering light.
At least I’ve got my video to prove it. Pics or it didn’t happen, right?
I trim the videos and stitch them all together, taking a second to admire my abs in the clip before I hit post. At least Autumn got a good stare in before I dove in the water, even if I was sweaty and gross.
I’d rather she see me sweaty after a different activity, but…
not going there. As I set my clip live, my head snaps up.
A familiar voice rings out from the other side of the docks.
“Zeke!”
Yep. There’s Lydia, planted at a picnic table, grinning and waving to me in greeting.
Autumn’s sitting across from her, and I see her hand go up in a small wave before her head dips down to inspect something in her bag.
I stuff my phone into my pocket and saunter over to the picnic table, wrapping Lydia in a bear hug.
“What’s up?” I ask, plopping myself down on the bench next to Lydia. Across from me, Autumn’s still digging in her purse. It’s really kind of cute, how she’s trying so hard to ignore me.
“Oh, just enjoying the water on our lunch break.” Lydia wads up the sandwich wrapper in front of her and looks to Autumn. “Although we should probably both be getting back soon. I just saw you over there, doing your TikTok shit or whatever, and thought I’d say hi.”
“Right. My TikTok shit,” I say with a grin. “I’m sure whatever you girls are doing is way more important.”
Autumn’s eyes dart over to me, and I hold her gaze.
Her cheeks are flushed, but now that we’ve made eye contact, she doesn’t look away, just blinks at me and chews her bottom lip.
She’s got to be thinking about last night.
I know I am, and I’m having a hard time not getting hard thinking about her creamy bare skin in the water.
But holy shit—my future sister-in-law is sitting right the fuck here, and I will not get a boner. I will not.
“Speaking of important stuff,” Lydia says, walking to a nearby trash can to throw away the sandwich wrapper. “You been giving any more thought to that guy’s job offer? Carson—or whatever?”
“Carter,” I say, narrowing my eyes at her. “And no. You couldn’t pay me to take that kind of sell-out job. It’d be like working in a goddamn prison, except everyone wears a suit.”
“You’re right—I wouldn’t pay you, he would. Which is the whole point. So then you can stop mooching off Autumn here and start standing on your own two feet.”
Lydia reaches out to pinch my cheek. I swat her hand away, trying to laugh the comment off.
I know Lydia means well. She wants to see me make something of myself—live up to my “potential”, as she puts it—and normally, I wouldn’t really mind, but now…
with Autumn sitting here… I’m kind of embarrassed. Lydia’s treating me like I’m a child.
But I keep my cool, because getting pissed is exactly what a kid would do. And anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m about to knock this pilot competition out of the damn park. I don’t need Carter’s boring, soulless job. I’ll make my own.
“Well, let’s ask the person being mooched off,” I say, turning again to gaze at Autumn. “Autumn. Do you think I’m mooching?”
Autumn shakes her head, wagging a playful finger between me and Lydia, and laughing. “No, no. Don’t you drag me into this. I’ve never said the word ‘mooching’, so leave me out of your family squabbles.”
“Well, if that’s your response…” I fix my eyes on Autumn, holding back a small smile. “I guess I’ll have to think about what I can do to make it up to you.”
Autumn rips her gaze away from mine, her cheeks even pinker now.
“Anyway,” I continue, trying to save Autumn the embarrassment of Lydia noticing I’ve made her blush, “I’ve got one last TikTok to post. It’s one of those stupid dances. You girls want to join?”
Lydia slides her sunglasses into place. “No, thanks. We’re headed back to work. Send it in the group chat later?”
“Actually…” Autumn says, her voice nonchalant. If I hadn’t seen her blushing two seconds ago, I’d think this level of cool came effortlessly to her. “It sounds kind of fun. I’d be down.”
Autumn must make a habit of having a mind of her own—which, obviously, is a huge turn-on—because Lydia doesn’t seem the least fazed. She just gives her friend a hug and sets off on her way, leaving Autumn and me looking at each other across the park bench.
“Okay. So what’s the dance?” Autumn asks, leaning her elbows across the table. “I danced in elementary school, but I think I’ve only done the YMCA at weddings since then, so… prepare to be wowed.”
“I’m sure I will be.”
And I mean that. I’m starting to be wowed by everything Autumn does.
Honestly, it scares the crap out of me.
I pull up a few examples of the dance in question, and Autumn and I watch them a couple times through.
I can see her taking mental notes of the movements, which I find adorable.
I’m a terrible dancer myself, and I only get the steps down well enough to pretend I’m taking part in the trend.
Making a fool of myself is part of the schtick.
I mean… let’s be real. I’m hot. No one’s looking at my moves.
“Okay, we’re only doing three takes. Whatever you can do in those three—that’s it. It’s good enough,” I say, flashing her a smile. I rest my hand on the small of her back, and I swear I feel her shiver. Or maybe it’s just me. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
I prop my phone up on the picnic bench and hit record, jumping back into the video next to Autumn.
We start out strong, hitting the first couple of moves right on the money.
But within a few seconds, we’re already tripping over ourselves, getting more and more confused with the choreography until one of us looks at the other and we finally burst into laughter.
We do that three more times, with each time getting progressively worse.
But I can tell by the grin on Autumn’s freckled face she’s having a blast.
I stop the recording and we fall back onto the picnic bench, side by side, to watch the disaster from the cracked screen of my iPhone. We’re awful, but we’re also one hundred percent endearing.
“GhostTok is gonna love it,” I say, nudging Autumn in the ribs with my elbow.
Autumn cracks up. “Is that seriously a thing? GhostTok?”
“You bet your ass. And guess who started it?”
“Right. I should’ve guessed.”
We’re quiet a moment, letting ourselves come down from the high of shitty dancing.
“So—eight tonight?” I ask. “Or is that too late? I just… I think it’s got to be dark. For the atmosphere of the show, I mean. The actual ghosts don’t care if it’s broad daylight. They’ll show up, regardless.”
“Eight’s good,” Autumn says.
As we sit there a second longer, my mind drifts back to the pendant I bought at the thrift store the other day.
I’ve been carrying it around in my pocket every day since that afternoon, trying to figure out what the hell to do with it.
If I’m honest with myself, I know exactly why I bought it—who I want to give it to.
But I don’t know if I have the guts.
Drawing a deep breath, I slide the pendant out of my pocket, fingering the delicate gold chain. Now that it’s in my hand, I can feel the vibrations around it humming. Whispering. It’s like it wants something, and I’m almost positive I know what it is. I just don’t know why.
“Here,” I say to Autumn, reaching for her hand and turning it so her palm faces up. She looks at me curiously, but opens her fingers, watching as I drop the pendant into her palm. “I saw this the other day. It made me think of you.”
I look down at my feet as I wait for Autumn’s response, realizing that, for once in my life, I’m avoiding a woman’s gaze.
But I don’t know how she’s going to react.
From the corner of my eye, I see Autumn hold the pendant up, watching it sparkle in the summer sun.
As she does, I see the pale strip of skin on her left hand where her wedding ring once was—and it hits me suddenly that, no shit, Autumn doesn’t know how to react. She’s used to actual fucking diamonds.
“Sorry if it’s weird,” I say, laughing—the only thing I know how to do. “It was cheap. I’m pretty sure it’s just glass. Feel free to throw it in a drawer and never look at it ag—”
“Zeke,” Autumn says. “Shut up. I like it.”
I cast her a suspicious side glance. “Really?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I? It’s pretty.”
“It’s also got some kind of—I don’t know—vibration going on.”
Autumn frowns. “What? Like a demon’s attached to it?”
“Wow. Here I was, worrying you’d think I was mooching, when really you’re out here thinking I’m trying to get you possessed. Shit!” I throw my head back and laugh. “But no—it’s not a demon. It’s, like… a benevolent energy. I think it likes you.”
“Of course it does,” Autumn says, giving a toss of her head. I’m hit with a wave of coconut—along with the desire to bury my face in that luscious red hair of hers. God, could this woman be any hotter?
“Well, anyway. If you’re still worried you’re mooching, I’d say you can stop brainstorming how to make it up to me,” Autumn says.
She shoots me a smile, her fingers already doing up the clasp of the pendant chain at the back of her neck.
“This right here is perfect—as long as I don’t end up cursed. ”
I glance at the brilliant red gem, now tucked in the valley of her cleavage. Goddamn. It looks even better next to her creamy, porcelain skin than I thought.
I look her right in the eye. “If you end up cursed, I promise I’ll be your servant forever and for always.”
“Nah, you’d like that too much,” Autumn says, shooting me a coy smile. “See you tonight.”
Without another word, she picks up her bag, slides on a pair of sleek, black aviators, and heads off toward town.
If Autumn Carroway thinks that’s the only way I plan to make things up to her, she’s deadass wrong. I’ve got a million ways I plan to repay my debts.
And I guarantee we’ll both thoroughly enjoy every single one of them.