Page 106 of The Haunting of Lockton

When I returned my gaze to Skyler, his eyes were on me too. Heat pooled low in my belly as his voice filled the space around us, our gazes locked. The moment felt surreal. Pivotal in someway. With each strum of his guitar and every smoky, raspy note he sang, I realized just how much I liked Skyler Knox.

More than I’d ever intended to.

Chapter Fifteen

Skyler

I rode the high of my performance as I set the guitar back in the case and exited the stage. Before that night, I had only played in front of Julian. Playing on a real stage, regardless of how small, was indescribable. It felt like home.

Or maybe that was only the booze talking.

I sat back at our table. “Well, no one’s ears are bleeding, so that’s a good sign.”

“I bet their hearts are though,” Taylor responded. “Dude, you’re freaking incredible.”

“Thanks.” With my face hot, I glanced at my beer and took a swig, uncaring that it was lukewarm now. I didn’t get self-conscious easily. I thrived off being in the spotlight, like with our show. This was different. Because it meant more.

So much more.

“It really was incredible,” Paxton said. His gaze was fixated on the tabletop, and his cheeks were flushed. From the wine or something else?

I tried to read his expression but couldn’t. That door was closed.

Julian checked the time on his phone. “We should head out soon. It’s almost midnight.”

“I’ll get us water and more food to help us sober up,” Taylor said before hopping up from his seat. He returned with iced water for each of us, fried pickles, and a basket of salty fries.

Paxton curled his nose at the pickles.

I fought a smile and dunked a pickle into the mustard Taylor had brought for the fries and popped it in my mouth. The battle not to smile was lost as he then curled his nose atme.

“You eat pineapple on your pizza,” I told him. “You have no room to judge.”

After our buzzes wore off, soaked up from all the fried, carb-loaded goodness, we paid the tab and headed for the exit.

“Hey, Knox?”

I looked at Jovie over my shoulder.

“Come back anytime,” she said. “The stage is yours when you want it.”

Excitement stirred in my chest, and I tried hard to shove it down. Ivy Grove was just a temporary town for us. We would leave someday. Days from now. Maybe a week. Two max. Tonight had been a onetime thing, mostly driven by a generous dose of liquid courage. It wouldn’t—couldn’t—happen again.

So, I nodded to her and walked outside, doubting I’d ever step a foot back into the place.

“You coming to the hotel tonight?” Julian asked me as we reached our cars in the lot. We had parked side by side.

On impulse, I looked at Paxton. He stood beside the driver’s door of his car, fiddling with his keys as he stared at the ground. What the hell was he thinking about? Why did he seem so… off?

“I mean, not unless I get a better offer,” I said, intentionally making my voice playful in order to get a reaction from a certain someone. It worked.

Paxton’s gaze lifted to mine, and a smile wasn’t far behind. Well, a half-smile, like he wasn’t able to let it fully loose because his mind was elsewhere. Distracted. But by what?

“I’ll text you in the morning.” Julian unlocked the SUV and opened the door. Taylor walked around to the passenger’s side and slid in. “I’d like to get to Lockton early so we have time to look around while it’s still light out.”

We normally waited for nightfall to film our investigations because it was believed that ghosts were more active at night. But after meeting Alan, I’d say that theory was disproven. They were just as active in the daytime, but most of them probably hid themselves.

“Okay, but—”