Page 57 of Your Masked Haunting

“Need a peek under the hood? Spread ’em,” Ransom says, joining the conversation. “I was told, in a past life, I was a doctor. I’m sure a lot of that training is instinct. I probably still got it. Let’s take a peek.”

Kol bursts out laughing, sounding brighter than he has been recently, which warms my heart. “Jesus Christ.”

Ledger steals the water bottle from my hand. “When’s the next craft night?”

“Shh! Shh! Shh!” Bates, Kol, and I hush him.

His eyes are wider than ever as he raises his hands. “What the fuck? What?”

“Do we need to make a damn rule book?” I scoff. “I assumed keeping our group under wraps would be common sense.”

Ledger pinches the bridge of his nose. “Can you please get to the point? We’re up soon.”

I lower my voice enough so only our quintet can hear. “You can’t just talk about Craft Club. It’s sacred. You certainly don’t bring it up in front of people we’re never going to invite in.”

Wetting his bottom lip, he bites down, his chin falling to his chest. “If that’s the first rule, is the second to also not talk about Fight Club?”

“Craft Club,” I correct him sternly. “How dare you?!”

“Okay, okay. I got it.” A genuine laugh hits him as he gets to his skates and nears the boards, throwing a leg over. “Ransom, come on.”

Ransom tosses the half-eaten granola bar at the bench as he hops the boards and skates out with Ledger. I know they’re still new to our team, but after the last couple of hangouts outside of the arena, I don’t know how we ever lived without them both on our team and in our friend group.

Practice flies by, and I’d be utterly dead if it wasn’t for the plans I’ve been looking forward to all day long. After a quick shower, towel-whipping fight, and a Minnesota goodbye in the parking lot, I’m on my way to The Schrader House.

I recount my conversation with Cambrie and my mom this morning when I officially announced my relationship. Cambrie, already knowing damn well who it was, was over-the-moon excited. I told them both that I still need to ask her if she’s ready to take the next step, but I am. They were nothing but supportive, same with my dad when I talked with him shortly after. Their acceptance wasn’t my concern, but rather their desire to immediately invite Mona in.

She’s going to hit it off with them—I already know it. And thanks to the eagerness of my mom and Cambrie, there’s a dinner at my parents’ place tomorrow that will be the perfect opportunity. Now, let’s just hope when she sees who I really am under the mask, she doesn’t run away.

But I doubt that.

Even when I talked to her one-on-one, I could feel that pull between us. She could too; it’s part of why she lashed out so hard at me. Probably guilt for finding me so damn sexy while she had a masked man back at her metaphorical home, waiting in bed.

We can make this work. I believe in us more than anything in the world. I just need her to give us, the real me, a chance.

My phone rings as I wait for her to answer, desperate to hear her voice.

“Hello?” It’s as smooth and beautiful as ever.

“Hey, gorgeous.” I talk to her through my car’s Bluetooth system. “What’re you doing?”

Her voice is flirty and light. “Don’t you already know?”

I chuckle, glancing at my phone screen propped up in the vent holder with the live camera feed of her in clear view. “You know me so well.”

“You’re my person, so it makes sense.” She shrugs, as if her confession didn’t just jump-start my fucking heart.

Be cool. Be cool. Be cool.

“Yeah, that’s great.” What the hell is wrong with me?! There’s no way I can pretend to be nonchalant; it’s not in my DNA. “Please ignore that. I was⁠—”

She cackles, cutting me off. “Oh my God! You can’t fool me, Spooky Boy. I know how down bad you are.” She falls back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling with the biggest smile. “I’m your person, and you’re mine. Simple.”

“I’ve created a possessive beast,” I say timidly, and she giggles again, fireworks exploding in my heart.

“Careful, I might bite.” She chomps her teeth together playfully, the clap of bone sounding through the speaker.

“You can mark me wherever the hell you want,” I tell her honestly, exiting off the freeway.