Page 85 of Ace of Spades

“Jesus, how many flashlights can you fit in that thing?”

He smiles and it reminds me of Levi’s. Easy and light when he lets it be.

“You ready to do this?” He says, motioning to the lighthouse.

It stands there, a creepy reminder that ghosts can haunt us in so many ways.

I take in a deep breath as I look at it.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

Chapter22

Levi

Ishould’ve known something was up when I heard an unfamiliar bike approaching before midnight. I got up from the kitchen table where I was working and went out to the porch opening the door.

I was planning on saying something snarky and off-putting but when he swung into the parking space in front of our house, with a woman as a backpack, I reconsidered.

Wouldn’t want to embarrass him.

He kicked the kickstand, and took his helmet off and hooked it under one arm, hoodie sleeves shoved to his elbows, and that cocky smile on his face.

“Hey, Dad.”

He spotted me, tried to act casual, but his eyes flicked back to his bike and I followed his line of sight.

Watching her take off her helmet punched me right in the gut. She told me she was hanging out with her cousin…not withmy son.

She wore ripped black jeans, a fitted thermal, and that leather jacket I haven’t stopped thinking about since I saw her wearing it at the bar earlier.

Her gaze darted between us. Me, silent and simmering, and Theo, smiling a little too wide.

“Hey,” she said, breezy on the surface, but her eyes flicked to mine. Searching.

“I asked Theo to take me out to the lighthouse,” she said, explaining herself. “I heard it’s island tradition.”

“It is,” Theo chimed in, bounding up the steps and brushing past me to go inside. “We just need to grab a few flashlights.”

My jaw tightened.

“It’s dangerous up there. The outer stairs are rotted. You fall through the wrong plank, you’re screwed.”

Theo rolled his eyes.

“We’re not stupid, Dad. We’ll be careful.”

“I’m serious.” My tone was sharper than it should’ve been. I knew it. And they both noticed.

Sienna’s brows pulled together. “We’ll be fine, Levi.”

There was a beat of silence. Tension so thick it might as well be fog rolling in from the ocean.

Then Theo popped back out, quicker than I’ve ever seen him move.

“Where’d you get that bike?” I asked him, as he mounted it.

“One of the guys at the studio,” he answered back, turning the ignition. “Don’t wait up,” he called back to me.

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