Page 14 of All Hallows' Hex
Crossing the bridge, I came to a dead stop. Aimee sat by the fountain. Every year, Hallow’s had it dyed red to fit the spooky, bloody vibe and it’d become one of my favorite pieces, though it was a small detail in the grand scheme of things. But tonight, she outshined the wonder of that fountain. Her bright red hair drifted on the breeze as she looked between whatever she was scrolling on her phone and the parkgoers. The memory of how she tasted hours ago warmed me, and the desire to be wrapped up in her again surfaced.
I took a deep breath, calming my heart rate to acceptable before I walked over. She didn’t notice my approach.
“Hello, my spooky dear.” My arms wrapped around her shoulders, startling her, but she relaxed into me. “Ready to go?” I held out my hand and she took it happily as she stood beside me.
“I am. Sienna left a while ago and Vera just got the text from Dakota to meet him out front.”
“Oh good. Have you been waiting long? I tried to get here as soon as I could.” Aimee’s smile was sweet and polite, lifting her full cheeks and brightening her eyes.
“No, don’t worry. It’s been fun watching the haunt actors.” She looked out into the crowd, her eyebrows raising as she exclaimed, “Ooh! I even got to see Matt and Elijah perform at the pavilion.”
Watching her get excited sent a buzz through my system. Her happiness was contagious. I framed my hands around her face, pulling her lips to mine. It was selfish and impatient, but I needed to feel her against me.
“I love that you enjoy this place so much. How’d they do tonight?” I asked, dropping my hands and taking hers again as I led her to the turnstiles.
“They were incredible!” Aimee beamed. “You were right about that sensuality thing by the way.” Her head shook a bit as she looked off.
“Caught the way Eli stares at Matt?”
“How’d you know that’s what it was?” she asked, her head whipping back to face me. Realizing she shouldn’t be surprised, she smiled as I laughed.
“I was there when Matt and Elijah were introduced to each other as partners. They both do it. That practice gym felt hot and stuffy not a moment into it. I think everyone felt a little hot and bothered after watching them.”
“Even you?” She was shy with her question. “I thought you were a lesbian.”
“I am,” I admitted. “But fun is fun on occasion.” From the corner of my eye, I caught the furrow of her brow as she tried to read the underlying message there. Before I could explain, we’d reached the turnstiles and were stopped by a park attendant.
“Will you be reentering the park tonight?” He held out a stamp and ink pad.
“No, thank you. Have a great night!” We moved through without letting go of each other. A childish giggle at the thought wanted to break free.
“So,” I said, clearing my throat. “Do you still want to come over for the night? If not, I can take you home.”
“Honestly,” she sighed. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.” Aimee squeezed my hand and despite the cool temperatures, I could’ve melted right there.
“Well, I apologize for the walk to the employee parking lot. It’s a bit near the back,” I explained as we stepped onto the pavement.
Aimee didn’t seem to mind as we walked in comfortable silence. Our joined hands swung back and forth between us as the wind pushed the chill into our coats. I glanced over, unable to focus on anything else because I just wanted to admire the pattern of her freckles or the curl of her hair. Instead, I caught the creeping blush.
“Are you blushing, Ms. Aimee?” That beautiful pink shade deepened.
“I suppose I am. I was thinking about . . . earlier.” The crunch of the gravel was loud as we walked past her confession.
“We can do that again if you want.” Her hand tightened around mine. We passed multiple rows of cars before my black sedan came into view.
“I’d love that.”
I hit the automatic start button on my key fob as we passed Everett’s Infiniti and Matt’s Wrangler. It was dead quiet back here. Aimee moved to go to the passenger side, but I pulled her to a stop. Walking backward, she followed me in confusion until my hand slid over the back door handle and I opened it.
“Backseat first,” I said, nodding to the empty seats. Her eyes were wide, but she got in and slid to the other side without question. Before stepping in, I whispered a prayer to myself. “Gods bless me.”
I took my place beside her, shutting the door and encasing us in silence. The tint of my windows damped the obnoxious streetlight.
“Can you drive from back here?” She laughed nervously, fidgeting with her hands in her lap.
“I wasn’t planning to leave just yet.” I trailed my nail up her leg, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Her laughter turned to deep breaths as her chest heaved and she look over at me.
Her eyes dropped to my lips before she leaned in. I wove my fingers through her hair, bringing her mouth to mine. When I licked across her lips, she opened for me and danced her tongue across mine. She was sweet everywhere, but I could tell she’d eaten cotton candy.
