Page 29

Ethan was distracted.

For once, it wasn’t by some reckless scheme, his own thoughts, or bad decisions—it was by his own chaotic group of jock friends, who had decided that throwing each other into the glowing sea fully clothed was the ultimate way to celebrate his birthday.

He was laughing, shoving back at them, trying to escape, but I knew how this would end. Ethan was going into that water whether he liked it or not.

Which meant this was my chance.

While everyone’s attention was on the impromptu wrestling match near the shoreline, I quietly stepped back, slipping away from the circle of noise. No one noticed—not even Joy, who usually had a sixth sense for whenever I was trying to disappear.

I walked toward the town.

The quiet hum of distant streetlights replaced the sound of the waves behind me, and the farther I got, the more I could breathe.

The beach had been suffocating in a way—too much energy, too much chaos, too much Ethan.

And yet…

Here I was, sneaking off to find a gift for him.

The realization was annoying.

I was the kind of person to buy birthday presents, but not for someone who spent most of his time making my life miserable. But something about Ethan made me feel like maybe I should do something. Not that I'd ever care to admit.

Worse—I had no clue what to get him.

My shoes scuffed against the pavement as I entered the town’s dimly lit streets. Most of the shops were closed this late at night, but there had to be something open. Something that wasn’t just overpriced keychains or tacky tourist souvenirs.

Something that actually felt like Ethan.

I sighed, stuffing my hands in my hoodie pockets. “What the hell do you even get for a guy like him?”

The night pressed down on me like a thick, suffocating blanket.

I walked with purpose, my steps echoing faintly against the pavement. The town was quiet—too quiet. The only sounds were the occasional flickering streetlight and the distant rustling of the wind through alleyways.

Then, I heard it.

Footsteps.

Perfectly in sync with mine.

I slowed. They slowed.

I stopped. They stopped.

A shiver ran down my spine, the weight of something invisible pressing down on my shoulders. My breath hitched, and for a moment, I felt like I was there again—back in that house, listening to the creak of the floorboards at night, knowing someone, something, was awake when it shouldn’t have been.

My chest tightened.

It’s just your imagination. Just paranoia.

I turned around so fast my shoes scraped against the pavement.

Nothing.

No one.

Just the dimly lit road stretching behind me, empty except for the eerie glow of the street lamps. The shadows stretched unnaturally long, twisting into strange shapes. I swallowed hard, rubbing my palms against my jeans.

Get a grip, Clark.

Forcing my legs to move, I quickened my pace. But my nerves were frayed now, my senses hyper aware of everything. Every shift in the wind. Every flicker of light. Every phantom sound that might have just been in my head.

I needed to get back to the others.

I rounded a corner—only to nearly collide face-first into a vending machine.

I stumbled back, heart pounding.

Then I exhaled sharply, pressing a hand to my forehead. You’re losing it.

After a few seconds, my pulse started to slow. My eyes drifted to the vending machine, scanning the snacks inside. That was when another memory hit me—one that made my lip twitch despite everything.

Ethan .

That idiot had once stolen from one of these—the day I had unprecedented cardio running away from a guard. I had been horrified. He had been delighted.

The memory lingered in my head, softening my nerves.

Maybe I was being stupid, but… in some weird way, this felt right. I had been debating what to get him, and now, fate had handed me an answer wrapped in aluminum and artificial flavoring.

I pulled out my wallet, counting through the money I’d earned from freelancing. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. Sliding the bills into the slot, I punched in the code for the chips I remembered Ethan stealing last time.

A mechanical whirr. A dull clunk.

The bag dropped down.

I bent down, picked it up, and stared at it for a long moment.

Then, shaking my head, I muttered under my breath, “Happy birthday, idiot.”

It wasn’t much. But knowing him, he’d probably love it anyway.

The moment I stepped back onto the beach, the night breeze carried a damp chill against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

The salty air mixed with the scent of burning wood from the scattered bonfires, and the laughter of my friends echoed over the rolling waves, blending seamlessly into the sound of crashing water.

Joy was still dripping wet from whatever stupidity Ethan and Max had dragged her into, Shun was on her phone, and the rest of the jocks were shoving each other in and out of the water, completely carefree.

But something felt… off.

That was when I saw it.

A little farther from where everyone was gathered, a message was etched into the sand, perfectly carved as if someone had taken their time to make sure I would see it.

"I am watching you."

I froze.

For a second, my brain refused to process the words, refused to acknowledge what they could mean. But deep down, I knew.

I didn’t need to be told twice. I knew exactly who had left it.

My stepdad.

A cold weight settled deep in my stomach. My breath hitched, my eyes darting around the area. The bushes nearby swayed gently in the wind, dark and concealing, casting shifting shadows across the beach. They were dense enough to hide someone. Him. He could be right there, watching me, waiting.

A thousand thoughts slammed into me at once. Wasn't he dead? How long has he been following me? How did he even find me here? What does he want?

The urge to run shot through my veins, but I forced myself to stay put. No sudden movements. No panic. Just… breathe.

I clenched the bag of chips in my hand, my knuckles turning white.

Act normal.

Pretend like I hadn’t just been marked. Like my past hadn’t just crept up on me when I least expected—when I thought I had completely healed.

I turned on my heel and walked back toward my friends, careful to keep my shoulders loose, my steps measured. The warmth of the group’s energy quickly swallowed me up, their joy and noise like a barrier against the unease still curling in my chest.

Ethan spotted me first, brows lifting in mild curiosity before his eyes landed on what I was holding.

I tossed the chips at him.

“Happy birthday, idiot.”

He caught them midair, blinking at me before realization dawned. “No way. You actually got me something?” He turned the bag over in his hands, then let out a breathless laugh. “Hold on. Are these—?”

“The ones you stole last time?” I deadpanned. “Yeah.”

Ethan’s grin widened. “Ghost boy, I think I love you.”

I scowled. “Shut up and eat your damn chips.”

His laugh was loud and so Ethan—bright, carefree, like nothing in the world could ever shake him. He tore the bag open, stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth. I forced myself to relax. Focus on the moment. On the now. The message in the sand could wait.

Then, of course, Max had to open his mouth.

“So. Here’s the thing,” he started, leaning forward with that unmistakable glint of mischief in his eyes. “We don’t have drinks.”

Joy, still shaking water from her hair, scoffed. “And?”

“And,” Max dragged out, “there’s a bar nearby.”

Shun groaned, not even looking up from her phone. “Oh, here we go.”

Max ignored her. “I say we go get drinks.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” I asked, raising a brow.

Max grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.” He gestured toward the bar in the distance. “See the witches standing outside the entrance?”

We all turned to look. Sure enough, two tall, cloaked figures stood on either side of the door, scanning people before letting them in.

“They seem to be letting in couples,” Max continued. “So, lucky for us, we happen to have an amazing couple right here.”

He looked directly at me and Ethan.

I almost choked on air. “Excuse me?”

Ethan, to my absolute horror, smirked. “You think we’d make a great couple, Max? You should’ve just said you’re a fan.”

Max threw an arm over my shoulder. “Oh, I’m more than a fan. I’m the founder of the Clark-Ethan ship.”

I shoved his arm off. “You’re delusional.”

“You’re in denial.”

Before I could argue, Max held up a finger. “Wait, I’m not done. Since most of us are soaked, and someone is still dry, I’m donating my last pair of dry clothes to Ethan. And since we can’t exactly go in looking like high schoolers, I conveniently brought fake beards.”

Joy blinked. “Max. What the hell?”

Max grinned and pulled a small bag from seemingly nowhere. He shook it slightly, and out tumbled two ridiculous-looking fake beards.

I stared at them. “You brought that, but not extra snacks?”

“Priorities, Clark.”

Ethan was already holding the dry clothes against his chest, inspecting them. “So let me get this straight. Ghost Boy and I pretend to be a couple, sneak into the bar, grab drinks, maybe dance a little, and leave before we get caught?”

Max nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly.”

Ethan turned to me, raising a brow. “Well, babe? You in?”

I groaned. “I hate all of you.”

Max clapped his hands together. “That’s the spirit!”

Ethan started unbuttoning his wet shirt. I instantly turned away, heat creeping up my neck.

Max nudged me. “You looked.”

“I did not.”

“You so looked.”

I ignored him, trying to focus on literally anything else while Ethan changed. When he was finally done, he looked… annoyingly good. Max’s clothes fit him well—almost too well—giving him the effortless confidence of someone who knew he looked good.

I scowled. “You look normal. Great. Can we go now?”

Ethan grinned. “Not so fast, babe. We need the finishing touch.”

I had exactly one second to react before Max slapped a fake beard onto my face.

“What the hell—”

Ethan burst into laughter. “Oh my god—”

“Max, I swear—”

But Max was already slapping the second fake beard onto Ethan, stepping back to admire his work.

He nodded in approval. “You both look fantastic.”

Ethan was still laughing, reaching up to adjust the absurd, itchy thing now attached to his face. “This is the dumbest thing we’ve ever done.”

Max grinned. “And that’s exactly why it’s gonna be legendary.”