Page 75 of The Haunting of Lockton

“What?” I asked.

He shrugged. “You’re just kind of special.”

I didn’t feel special, but something about how his eyes crinkled as he looked at me and the way his fingers threaded with mine, he almost made me believe it.

Around five o’clock, I walked Skyler out to his SUV. Despite the prediction of a cold front moving into the area, beneath the bright sunlight, no cloud in sight, the day was on the warmer side. It would soon grow colder once the sun set, taking away that warmth.

“I enjoyed today,” he said, pulling his keys from his pocket but making no moves to get inside his vehicle. Instead, he faced me. “Apart from your ghost boyfriend nearly killing me this morning anyway.”

“Alan’s not my boyfriend.” I rolled my eyes, and he smirked. “But I had a nice day too.”

When would I see him again? I couldn’t bring myself to ask. It’d make me sound too pathetic. And clingy.

“I’ll talk to you later.” Skyler’s keys jingled as he used the fob to unlock the door.

“Yeah.” I shifted my weight to my opposite foot. “Later.”

He reached out and grabbed the bottom of my sweater, tugging me into his space. We were so close our chests touched. He angled his head up a fraction and brought our lips not even an inch apart. My breaths stilled in my lungs, and my pulse thrummed faster.

Skyler kissed me, a light pressing of our mouths before he drew back. “If you go stalking around graveyards tonight, let me know, and I’ll come with.”

I tried for a scoff, but it came out rougher than intended. “I’m not working tonight. So no graveyards for me.”

Holding eye contact, he took a step backward and opened the door before sliding in and starting the engine. I stood in place and watched him drive away, then took a deep breath and angled my face to the sky.

Much like the air becoming chillier as the sun made its descent in the sky, my warmth had left me too.

When I went back into the house, I closed the door and leaned against it, my lips still tingling from the goodbye kiss. I had tried shoving down my budding feelings for Skyler, but the flutters in my belly couldn’t be tamed.

A problem for future me to deal with.

***

“Isn’t he the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?” Levi asked as he showed me a photo on his phone of his cat, Loki, wearing a turkey outfit. “And just look at that hat. He didn’t try to swat it off or anything. He’s such a sweet, precious boy.”

Cuter than the cat—who, yes, was adorable—was seeing a tatted, goth guy like Levi gushing over said cat, even using a little high-pitched voice.

“Loki is the king of cuteness,” I answered with a nod.

“Right? Total royalty.”

Two people came in and bought tickets for the ride-along tour with Madison later, then left. Madison had the day off and was only working that night. Apparently, her new boyfriend was going on the tour later, too, to see her in action. Which meant she’d be even more theatrical and extra than usual.

The customers were in for a treat.

“How was your day off yesterday?” Levi asked. “Do anything fun?”

Fun. I supposed that was a good word for the day I spent with Skyler. He claimed the door I used to keep everyone out was closed, but I’d say it was cracked now. Light from the hall spilled in to chase away some of the shadows inside.

“It was good,” I told Levi, feeling a smile pull at my lips. A smile that only grew when my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I stepped into the breakroom out of sight of customers to check it.

Skyler:I can’t get them outta my head.

Me:What?

Skyler:Your pancakes from yesterday. I need them in my tummy.

His tummy? Could he be any more of a goofball? Well, that made two of us. As I typed back a reply, I beamed so wide I was certain I looked like the biggest goofball of them all.