Page 23 of Your Masked Haunting

Ransom boops his nose, and Ledger’s eyes slam shut in annoyance.

“You don’t mix well with parties. But that’s why you have me. Come on, bro. It’s basically a welcome party for us.”

Ledger rolls his eyes, shaking his head slowly side to side. “This is a bad idea.”

“What is? I love a bad idea.” Bates enters the conversation, Kol on his heels.

Standing to my feet, I nod toward the newbies. “I invited these two to Serena’s party tomorrow. Ledger’s chickening out.”

Bates cracks his knuckles and blows out an exhausted breath. “You know what that calls for?” He snaps his fingers. “Peer pressure.”

Bates ushers the two out of the locker room, throwing his arms around their shoulders as we head to the parking garage. “Think of it as team bonding. You guys want to win another ring. We want to win … well, for the first time. We can’t do it without you. This will bring us all closer. Do you not care about building relationships with your teammates?”

Ransom practically giggles, and I can see Ledger relax his shoulders beneath Bates’s arm, gradually giving in.

“I think you guys might be a horrible influence on us.” Ledger scoffs.

Kol laughs. “Yeah, right. I heard about Worship Night.” A beat of silence, and an unknown look passes between them. “You two were fucked up long before you got here.”

“All right, fine.” Ledger peers back to Kol, a devilish smirk on his lips. “Going to get costumes now then?”

Ransom rubs his hands together. “I have the best ideas.”

“I’ll send the details over,” I announce, opening a new text. “What’re your numbers?”

They give them over as we reach the parking garage, Bates releasing them from his arms. I add them in, but Kol stops me before I type into the text box.

“Throw us all in there. A new group chat.”

“Same group name?” I ask, referring to the one Bates, Kol, and I have had for years.

He shakes his head, a devious smile tipping up the corners of his mouth. “Nah, how about a new name—Code of Sinners?”

Mona’s curled up in bed, and having to lie in these cold sheets without her warmth has to be the definition of torture. She’s meant to be curled into my side, her palm flattened on my bare chest. It’s what fucking dreams are made of.

Soon enough, I keep telling myself because that’s the only way I’m going to hold on to my restraint.

I’m not ready to remove the mask, not until she’s one hundred percent committed to me. I know the irony of wanting her name tattooed on my body when I haven’t even told her mine.

To be honest, I think a part of me is scared for when the mask comes off. There’s never been someone in my life, aside from my best friends, who has loved me for me. There’s always a catch, a favor, a wanted invite, money request. It’s an inevitability.

For the people I love and who have good, pure intentions at heart, I will always lend a hand. I would drain my bank account dry for Bates and Kol if they truly needed it. But that’s because I know where I stand in their minds and hearts. I just want the same security with Mona before I lay my soul on the line.

I type out a quick text, feeling like a schoolboy asking a girl to prom.

Got any plans tomorrow night? Say seven o’clock?

She perks up as the notification appears on her screen, rolling onto her stomach and bending her knees, feet kicking back and forth.

Typing a message out, she nibbles on her bottom lip, and I wish I could tell her how cute she looks right now, especially in her oversize shirt and little shorts that are now in full view with the blanket shifted off her legs. But I stop myself, not wanting to reveal that secret just yet. Evidently, I like keeping some things close to my chest.

Scaredy-Cat: Hmm, depends who’s asking

That depends on which version of me you want

Scaredy-Cat: Maybe the one who had me pinned down by my neck, dick grinding against me. I liked him

Oh, so you just want a booty call, huh?