Page 93 of Incipient

“Do you think they got enough pumpkins?” mused Trace as we walked up to the sprawling mansion adored withhundredsof jack-o-lanterns that covered every square inch of the front yard. Every one of them carved to perfection and lit up from the inside with flickering candles. I’d never seen anything like it in my entire life.

“It wouldn’t be Caleb if it wasn’t over the top,” I said as I admired the red and orange spotlights crisscross over the front of the house and then followed Trace up the walkway.

Once inside, the decorations only seemed to get more elaborate. Spiderwebs and creepy cloth hung from every corner of the house as smoke machines puffed dewy fog into the rooms. There were people dancing everywhere, dressed to the nines in costumes and makeup that rivaled the pros, as music blared out from the four-foot speakers.

Trace snagged my hand as to not lose me in the shuffle and then lead us deeper into the house until we reached the kitchen. A massive cauldron sat on the island filled with red punch and plastic eyeballs floating around the surface. The kitchen lights had been changed to a rich purple as skeletons and bats hung from the ceiling. Not a single detail had been overlooked, and all I could think about was how much this must’ve cost.

“Hey! You guys made it,” shouted Caleb as he spotted us from across the room from where he had been chatting with Ben and another guy I didn’t recognize.

The two of them immediately rushed over to us with drinks in hand. Caleb, dressed as the Mad Hatter, fist-bumped Trace as Ben the Werewolf lifted me up into a bearhug. The two of them cheered and howled and then switched places and did the same exact thing. Clearly, they had sampled the punch. A few times.

“Blackburn, what’ll it be? You want some punch? Get the girl some punch!” he yelled back at no one in particular.

Laughing, I held my hand out to calm him down. “I’m good, Cale. I think I’ll skip the punch this time,” I said, remembering myself crawling on all fours in his bathroom after blowing chunks in the toilet at his last party.

“Come on, Blackburn. One drink! You have to have at least one drink with us,” he said as he turned for the cauldron and filled up two plastic cups with the voodoo juice and then handed one to me and one to Trace.

“Thanks,” I said, promising myself that I was only going to sip it. “Where are the girls?”

“I think Carly’s dancing with Morgan,” he said, swaying a little as he ticked his chin toward the fridge. I was sure he’d meant to gesture toward the living room.

I took a tiny sip from my cup and then handed it off to Trace. “I’m going to go say hi,” I informed and then lifted up on my toes to kiss him before heading off into the massive living room.

I normally didn’t have any trouble spotting either of them, especially Morgan with her fiery red hair, but the entire room was illuminated red and everyone was wearing a costume, making it almost impossible to recognize anyone.

I wandered around for about a minute or so, elbowing my way through the gyrating bodies and hordes of people making out before I heard Carly’s distinctive squeal over the music.

“You came!” she said as she skipped over to me while Morgan followed behind, taking her sweet time. “Did you see the pumpkins outside? That was totally my idea,” she beamed, bouncing on her toes proudly. She was dressed as a bunny, but not the furry onesie type you’d see a kid dressed in. It was more of thePlayboyvariety.

“You guys really went all out. Everything looks incredible.”

“Is Trace here too? Did you guys come together?”

“Yeah, he’s in the kitchen with your brother and Ben,” I answered and then smiled at Morgan as she finally reached us. She was dressed as Little Red Riding hood and was totally pulling off the red cape.

“I’m going to go say hi,” informed Morgan and then scampered off toward the kitchen.

So, apparently the whole besties thing was a stretch. Whatevs.

“I love your costume by the way,” said Carly, ignoring Morgan as she continued to grin excitedly. “Trace must’ve been all over you,” she said with a swoony look in her eyes. She didn’t give me a chance to respond when she grabbed my hand and started hauling me toward the center of the room. “Let’s dance!”

Feeling a little self-conscious since I didn’t have my liquid courage keeping me company, I peered up at the people around us as Carly started swinging her hips in line with the hip-hop song playing. Realizing everyone was too busy dancing and having fun with their friends to notice me, I felt my apprehension ease and joined Carly.

Four songs later, I’d forgotten there was anyone in the room with us at all. It felt so good to drop my walls and let go, to dance as though absolutely no one was watching.

But someone was watching. I could feel his eyes on me and the hum of his body the moment he entered the room. Glancing back, I met Trace’s eyes and smiled as I continued to move my body to the music. He bit down on his lip as moved along the edge of the room before settling his back against a wall, watching me through a perfect, unobstructed view.

“Gosh, I love the way he looks at you,” cooed Carly as she leaned in to whisper-yell into my ear. “I hope I find someone that looks at me like that someday.”

At her words, I looked back at Trace again and felt my cheeks warm. His brilliant eyes were fixed on me as though I were the only person in the room.

I could live to be three hundred years and I’d never tire of the way he was looking at me.

Feeling emboldened, I stepped it up a notch, rolling my hips to the beat as I imagined myself putting on a private show just for him. Torturing him with the pop of each hip and the subtle sway of my ass. It had been so long since I let myself dance, I’d forgotten how much I loved it.

How freeing it could feel.

My arms lifted over my head as I winded my hips, slowly dropping into a couching position before making my way back up the other way. Firm hands gripped my waist, and I knew it was Trace. My body always knew when it was him.

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