Page 23 of A Little Crush
“Rore,” Tatum calls. “Any advice for Reeves who’s staying back with Hades?”
“Nope,” I squeak. “When you want him to start searching, just saytag.”
Lifting his head at my feet, Hades looks up at me. I show him my palm, silently motioning for him to chill. Satisfied, Hades lowers his snout back to the ground and relaxes. He learned this particular trick when I told my parents there was a not-so-small possibility that I’d be living alone at college. They wanted to feel confident I was safe, so they made sure Hades knew how to search for any unwanted lurkers in my house. Whenever I want Hades to sniff out any potential people hiding, I say tag, and he searches the premises. When Tatum came to visit, she found it hilarious and would hide in the bathroom or under the bed or…anywhere really, thus turning a nifty safety hack into a game of Hide and Seek. I’ve never used it in these exact circumstances, but I’m sure Hades will manage.
Reeves rubs his hands together. “Got it.”
“Aaaand, let’s go,” Tatum announces.
Looking at my dog, I show him my palm. “Hades, stay.”
Then, down the stairs we traipse until we’re sprawled out beneath the balcony. Well, everyone but Reeves and Hades. With a flick of Reeves’ finger, the cabin lights go out, blanketing the yard in darkness. My heartbeat ratchets up a notch as I look at my feet, but all I see is darkness. Thanks to the tall pines and balcony over my head, the stars and moon are shit at lighting up anything, which means I’m totally going to fall on my face out here.
I blame Tatum for this one. She’s the only person who knows Hades’ little hide-and-seek trick. Jokes on everyone else, though. Because Hades might know how to find people,but the only person he’s going to look for is me. At least it means I won’t be alone for long in this eerie ambiance.
“Let’s go hunting!” Tatum announces to the dark night.
A branch snaps off to my left, and my pulse jumps.
I blink slowly, praying my eyes get their act together and adjust to the darkness. When they do, I find Dodger grinning at me. “You good?”
“Fine,” I mutter as Ophelia and Maverick vanish behind the edge of the house.
Before I can stop myself, I scan the space for Jax, but he’s already missing. Hell, maybe he stayed on the balcony. It wouldn’t surprise me. He’s never been a huge fan of Game Nights, or at least not that I know of. Not that I should be thinking about him.
Focus, Rory!
“Good luck,” Dodger murmurs. He veers right, disappearing in the distance. Kate and Macklin’s family cabin is up in the mountains about thirty minutes from town, surrounded by trees, boulders, and hidden trails. It’s also surrounded by bears, cougars, snakes, mountain goats, and…well, if you name it, there’s probably a story or two in their parents’ repertoire starring one of the beasts. The reminder doesn’t exactly settle my anxiety.
“Come on, Squeaks,” Dylan urges. “Let’s be partners.”
“That’s cheating!” Finley calls.
“Says the girl holding her husband’s hand,” Tatum quips. “No partners. Once you find the ghost, you’ll have someone to hang out with, but not until then.” She nudges Paxton’s shoulder. “Come find me.” She runs off while my feet stay planted where they are.
“Chop, chop, Squeaks,” Reeves urges from above. “You too, Pickles.”
“Fiiiine.” Dylan trudges in the opposite direction, and Iforce my feet to move, careful not to trip on any roots sticking up from the ground.
It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. And everyone else will be fine. The last thought flutters through my mind, its presence more familiar than anything else. I guess that’s what happens when someone you love passes away. A constant niggling in the back of your mind about safety for those around you. Most days, I simply push past it. Forcing myself to do exactly that, I peek over my shoulder, confirming I’m somewhat alone. Satisfied, I dip behind one of the large pine trees. Its trunk is easily as wide as I am, and the thick bark digs into my back as I lean against it, trying to quiet my breathing. Pretty sure I only made it a dozen paces from the house, but as long as Reeves doesn’t send Hades to search for the ghost yet, I should be okay for a little while.
I’m not sure how much time passes when the familiar crunching of leaves, then a branch snapping on my left causes my heart to lodge in my throat.
Someone’s close.
The question is…who?
8
RORY
The temptation to peek around the trunk in hopes of getting a glimpse of whoever’s coming closer is strong, but I fight it, pressing myself a little further into the tree until my skin screams in protest. I gotta hand it to Tatum and Reeves. This is definitely a good way to get the adrenaline pumping.
“Oh, ghost,” someone sing-songs. Finley, maybe? It could be Lia. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Shit. Already? How did they find me so fast?
I seriously suck at this game.
