Page 1 of All Hallows' Hex
CHAPTER1
Aimee
The car beeped twiceas the headlights blinked. I looked over to see Vera pocketing her keys and double-checking for her wallet and phone—doing the notorious pat down from chest to ass. Her boots scuffled as she moved across the damp pavement to where Sienna and I stood.
“All right, bitches,” she exclaimed. “Fuckinggirls’ night!” She whooped with her hands thrown in the air, the pink messy bun bobbing with the jolting movement.
“Is it bad that I’m relieved it’sjustus this time?” I laughed as we linked arms and started toward the entrance. “I mean, I love Shawn and Cody, don’t get me wrong. I just feel like we never get to go to these places by ourselves.” I watched as my confession brought goofy smiles to their faces.“Well, I tolerate Shawn. There’s a humorous element to him at times, I guess.”
Sienna proposed another costumed night for our girls only trip to Hallow’s Haunt. She came in half-skull face paint, while Vera opted for a simple scarecrow look. I took on a casual witch look, which really just meant wearing a cute dressy outfit and a pointed hat. I never cared to get super creative.
“I don’t love Shawn, for one, but I do adore Cody,” Sienna said in a follow-up. “I’m not thrilled at all about the prospect of running into Everett for . . . two?”
“Three,” Vera countered. “We’re doing a strict no boys allowed rule. There will be no entertaining the Dick Squad in any capacity tonight.”
“TheDick Squad?” I clarified, nearly falling into a fit of laughter.
“Yeah, them and their grubby little dicks being all asshole-y, not having it tonight.” Vera put her nose in the air as Sienna and I snorted.
“I mean, I wouldn’t really say grubbylittledick where Everett is concerned,” Sienna muttered as we left the gate’s turnstiles. Vera elbowed her.
“Sienna, no dick talk!”
“Fine,fine!”
“Do you miss him?” I asked, ignoring this newly imposed rule that wouldn’t affect me tonight.
“I don’t know what I feel. Feelings are a lot, and emotions are heavy. What if he was just extremely horny?” she pondered as we made our way down the main avenue.
“I doubt that he'd risk his job for a piece of ass,” Vera spouted off. Sienna’s eyebrows bounced up toward her hairline and she gave Vera an incredulous look. “I’m not saying you’re just a piece of ass, dammit. I’m saying if his job was on the line, clearly, he saw you as someone worth taking a chance on.” When Sienna nodded, she jokingly wiped her brow for the crisis averted.
“Have you considered calling him?” I asked, taking in the people around us and looking for our clown friend.
“Nope. Not doing that right now.” Sienna shut us down, and I felt the chill freeze us out of that conversation. Vera seemed to pick on the shift so she changed the topic.
“Cody asked me if I was free around Halloween weekend.” Both Sienna and I looked at her with confused shock.
“The hell is that supposed to mean? Like a date?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around it.
“He wouldn’t really give much information. When I asked if we were all coming, he simply mentioned putting something together and that he just needed to know what day I was free.” Isnorted another laugh at her statement.
“Since when is Cody a planner?” I snarked.
“She has a point, Ver,” Sienna agreed. “Ooh, food. One second,” she interrupted herself and ran across the avenue to a Chinese fast-food vendor.
“I really hope Everett is off tonight,” Vera confessed quietly, as though she’d be able to hear us all the way over here. I looked at our emotionally hazy friend. She smiled at the server, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Do you think he’d try to talk to her?”
“No,” she said honestly. “He didn’t ask for her number. He knew she wasn’t jumping with him that night and let her have that control. By all accounts of hers, he was the perfect gentleman to her choices. I just hope he’s off work for his sake.”
“I’m sure it’ll work out with the least bumps and bangs.” I stopped my input there as Sienna paid the man and made her way back to us. She delighted at the food she was inhaling, a temporary happiness.
“Fuck yes, this is my favorite place to binge. I can’t tell you why, but it’s shittier outside the park.” Sienna shoveled another bite of chow mein into her mouth.
“Then why do you keep going there?” Vera asked with a laugh and shake of her head.
“I’m a glutton for punishment. I don’t know what to tell you.” Sienna smiled back at us, fully satisfied with her choices.
