Page 84 of The Haunting of Lockton

Clearly, he had something on his mind, but I wouldn’t pry. He’d tell me when he was ready.

We left the courtyard and followed the sidewalk down to the ice cream parlor slash dessert shop we’d found on our first day in Ivy Grove. Julian ordered vanilla ice cream in a cake cone while I splurged, as usual, and got a hot fudge brownie sundae with peanuts, whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and a cherry on top.

Was I eating my feelings?

Maybe a little.

And it was then, as I was devouring a massive amount of those sugary feelings, when we passed a shop with crystals and witchy shit dangling in the storefront window.

Julian came to a sharp stop and faced the entrance.

“Wanna go in?” I asked.

“Please do,” an unfamiliar voice said to my right. The guy then came into view, and I nearly missed my mouth as I’d been going in for another bite. With mid-length black hair, deep blue eyes, and a slender build, he was a damn knockout.

“I was just looking,” Julian responded in the polite tone he used with strangers. “I have little experience with any of that.”

The guy cocked his head. “You may be surprised. I like to think there’s something for everyone inside.” He placed a hand to his chest and did a little bow. “I’m Callum. This is my shop.”

“Callum?” Julian’s eyes then blew wide. “Taylor’s Callum?”

Huh?Taylor knew this guy? They must’ve talked about it during their hangouts and sleepovers.

Callum’s smile softened. “You know Taylor? He’s quite the cinnamon roll, is he not? Nothing but sunshine and warm smiles.” His expression fell a little. “I haven’t seen him in a while. Work has kept me away. I got back into town yesterday.”

“Back from where?” I asked, then ate another bite of my hot fudge sundae. I spooned up an ooey-gooey chunk of brownie bathed in chocolate fudge and caramel drizzle and had to suppress a moan. It was heaven in a plastic cup.

“Away,” Callum answered me, somewhat dismissively, before motioning to the door. “Please come in.”

Julian followed him into the shop, and I walked in after them. My nose tingled from the smell of incense burning on one table. Other scented sticks were displayed along with it: cedar, pine, sandalwood, and spring water. I smirked at one called “orgasmic bliss.” The label on the jar beside it said “ecstasy.”

Maybe this shop was more interesting than I’d initially given it credit for.

Julian admired some shiny rocks, then flipped through a book. Ofcoursehe’d found a book. This one had a purple spineand a creepy eye symbol on the front cover. Other symbols were on the back. He tucked the book under his arm and grabbed another to flip through.

“You two are paranormal investigators, yes?” Callum asked from beside me.

I jumped a bit, not having realized he was standing so close. “Uh, yeah. We are. We came to check out Lockton.”

“Ah, the asylum.” He nodded. “Such a dark history. The souls within those walls have known so much pain and endless suffering. They still do, I imagine.”

Okay, this guy was hot but extremely odd. He was right though. The current occupants of Lockton might’ve been dead, but many of them still suffered. Being ghosts didn’t mean they didn’t still experience grief or other emotions.

Paxton had taught me that.

Fuck.Something heavy plummeted to my gut at the thought of him, heavy with jagged edges that scraped my insides on the way down. So much for the distraction. I peered down at my half-eaten sundae, my appetite lost.

“What a shame it’d be for him to slip away.”

“Huh?” I looked at Callum.

He watched me with an acute awareness that, quite frankly, weirded me out a little. “My apologies. I try not to pry into other’s personal affairs, but with emotions so intense, I can’t help but feel them.”

My jaw went slack. Had he read my freaking mind?

“Sky!” Julian came over with an armful of books. “This shop is amazing. I might’ve… um, found a few things.”

“A few?”