“Why is she so opposed to it?” His brown eyes slid to me and I forgot to talk for a moment. Not until he gave me a curious look and I realized I’d been staring.
“BecauseI’mnot allowed to be normal. She was so happy I was leaving my office job but was then personally offended by this new job.Freelance photography is unreliable. Traveling alone is unsafe. Camping? You don’t even like camping!”I said in a nasally voice meant to make fun of my mom’s nagging.
“Someone is paying me to travel and camp all over the United States for a year. Taking pictures! This is an amazing job.” I looked at Caspian, waiting and hoping for his agreement. This jobwasamazing and I was lucky I’d managed to beat out the competition and win the contract.Reallylucky. I was hardly qualified, having zero experience with product photography. I had to assume whoever was hiring fell in love with my nature photography portfolio enough to overlook the issue of professional experience.
“Yep, it’s pretty cool,” he said with a genuine smile as he swaggered beside me, still looking one hundred percent the rockstar despite the lack of eyeliner and a sweaty half-naked body. He had rings on his fingers, a black leather cuff on his wrist, and a teasing, confident smile that only a star could pull off.
It wasn’t that I needed my family’s permission—I was well past the age of needing that. Or at least I should be. It nagged at me that they were upset and worried though. I wanted them to understand and accept that I wasn't interested in the family business. It was exhausting and stressful dealing with their constant push. I just wanted them to be proud of me like I was of them.
“What’s your sister say about it?” Caspian asked.
“Leave me alone, I’m writing,” I huffed with a smile. “She’s finishing her latest novel,” I explained.
“Tell her I want a copy.” He slung his arm over my shoulder and I stood up a little straighter. Lizzy was a fantastic writer that excelled at science fiction horror. Also, she’d frowned at me when I told her about the job.
Not a single person was excited except Caspian. I reached up and squeezed the hand hanging off my shoulder, trying to show my appreciation for his support. I watched a small smile form on the side of his face in response.
Even a week after the show, I was still a bit surprised he was going with me. However, after the initial shock, I’d really warmed up to the idea. I hadn’t realized how worried I’d been about doing it all alone until I wasn’t anymore. It was relieving.
I found it odd though, with his career seeming on the verge of explosion. He deflected talk about that, waving it away like it wasn’t a topic that needed to be mentioned at all. The tragedy at his concert wasn’t a reason because he’d been planning on asking me before that had happened.
Whatwashis reason then?
“Five more minutes!” Someone barked out in the crowd of tv workers. There were cameramen, personal assistants, lighting crew, sound crew, and more; all haphazardly arranged in the dead grass of the lawn. Everyone began moving closer to the front of the house, a sense of urgency ramping up.
I spotted my mother and aunt standing at the base of the large stairs that led up into the dark, old building. The stars of this production.
My aunt was a famed tv ghost hunter. My mom was a world-renowned medium. They were strong, self-made women that I looked up to.
They both had long black hair that reflected a brown tint. Their eyes were a deep ebony. Both had lithe bodies, thin but strong. I was perfectly okay to be more rounded out. A downfall was my thighs currently eating my shorts. I frowned and tugged the fabric back down even though I knew they’d just crawl back up a moment later. I’d have to put this pair out of rotation. It was so hard to find good shorts.
My mom and aunt looked like a couple of witches, decked out in dark clothing, big hats, and gemstone jewelry. My aunt had tattoos all over her arms while my mother was tattoo free. Which meant that despite being identical twins, no one would ever confuse them.
“Guess we have to wait,” I huffed since the show was starting but my aunt noticed me just then.
“Ava! Come on, just in time!” she called out, her face remaining serious.
“Why couldn’t we talk at home?” I groaned as I stepped up to them. My mom pulled me into a side hug and smiled excitedly. I looked over at Caspian and he blasted me with a wide smile, no help at all. He seemed happy enough to be dragged into this while I was exceptionally frustrated.
“Caspian, is that you!” My mom gasped, moving forward and pulling him into a hug.
“The one and only,” he said, flashing a smile before he stepped back to my side.
“What a nice surprise.” She seemed genuinely happy, which wasn't surprising considering she'd been his stepmom for four years. She had missed him when he left too.
“Let’s put them both in the show,” she said with a quick nod as if all was decided.
“What?” My eyes darted around nervously. “Show? No, no, no.” My gaze drifted to the ominous house. It felt alive and angry. Its dark windows glared down at us and something shifted in one of the windows. I sucked in a sharp breath.
“Go with the flow, honey,” Aunt Maria said, snapping someone over. A crew member came walking over with microphones. Caspian watched apathetically as he was clipped up. I felt my breathing quicken.
Thishadbeen a trap and I'd fallen for it too easily. I'd been so desperate to talk sense into my family before I left but my mom had been refusing to listen. Then,all of a sudden,she was willing to hear me out if I came to today's shooting.
Caspian snatched my mic from the worker’s hands.
“I’ve got this,” he said with a toothy smile that looked unfriendly. The crew guy shrugged and walked off, barking it was time to start rolling.
With my mouth hanging open, I shook my head at my mom and aunt. They quickly turned away as if not seeing and began heading up the stairs towards the door.
