Chapter 106


    Easton


    As soon as, "I love you, Easton.


    And I promise, ''leaves her mouth, I kiss her.


    I kiss her in a way that she''ll never forget.


    That, in twenty years from now, she''ll look back on and remember the power and strength behind it.


    The emotion.


    The love that I have for this girl.


    Goddamn it, she blows my mind.


    The moment I pull away, I hear another crack of thunder outside and I know I need to get a fire going in


    the living room in case we end up losing power.


    "Are you hungry? ''


    I ask, giving her onest kiss.


    She shrugs.


    "We had a big breakfast. ''


    She then rolls her eyes.


    "Not that I could really enjoy it, deep down I worried she was poisoning us. ''


    Iugh.


    The thought had crossed my mind, too.


    I get up from the bed and find her leggings and sweatshirt, tossing both onto the mattress, so she can


    get dressed.


    I put on a pair of grey sweats and a hoodie.


    As I turn toward her, I say, "There''s stuff for s''mores in the pantry.


    Any interest? ''


    “Ohhh, ''she groans.


    "I love those. ''


    Fuck, she''s gorgeous.


    She has no makeup on, her hair is a little wild, she''s covered in a sweatshirt that''s hiding most of her


    sexy body, yet she couldn''t look hotter in this moment.


    “I''m going to load the firece with wood and get it roaring.


    Why don''t you go find Sadie and Ryan and see if they''re hungry.


    There''s frozen patties and hot dogs in the freezer, I can always p some on the grill and we can eat


    them for dinner—or even breakfast tomorrow. ''


    She looks at one of the windows, then back at me.


    “It''s pouring outside.


    You''ll get soaked. ''


    "We have a backup grill in the garage.


    Don''t worry, I won''t get wet in there. ''


    She wraps her arms around my waist.


    "You''re right, the storm was the best thing that could have happened to us this weekend. ''


    I kiss her nose.


    "I know. ''I p her ass.


    "Now go. ''


    I head for the garage where my parents keep the Spare wood and load therge firece with some.


    I add in some crumpled—up newspaper and find the matches Mom keeps in the kitchen.


    Once I get the me started, nursing it at first by blowing in some air, I join the group in the living room.


    "Is it s''more time? ''Sadie asks.


    She''s holding a long, metal skewer, a marshmallow already at the end.


    “Have at it, ''I tell her.


    She squeals as she walks over to the fire, taking a seat on the rocky ledge.


    “So, what''s everyone feel like doing? Should we watch a movie? y a game? ''


    A crack of thunderes through the living room, causing Harper to jump.


    Since the entire back of the house is all windows, we can see the bolt of lightning that follows, shing


    across the wholeke.


    “Are we going to lose power? ''Sadie asks.


    "It''s a strong possibility, ''


    Ryan replies.


    "Don''t you agree, Easton? ''I nod.


    “It happens a lot here whenever there''s a storm. ''


    "So you must have candles? ''


    Harper asks.


    "Sure do, follow me. ''


    I take her into the kitchen where there''s a whole shelf of candles on the bottom of the pantry.


    I hand her several, and then grab some shlights.


    While I give everyone their own shlight, Harper spreads the lit candles throughout the room.


    “We don''t have to worry about food, ''


    I tell them.


    "If we lose power, the grill will still work. ''


    "Good, because this''ll hold me over for an hour or so, ''


    Sadie says, "And then hangry will set in. ''


    "You don''t want to meet hangry, ''Ryan says to me.


    “Noted. ''


    Iugh and walk over to the side of the firece where there are several cabs that frame the


    bottom of the entertainment center.


    I open one of the doors, reading thebels of the boxes inside.


    "We''ve got Twister— ''


    “Ohhh, Twister, ''Sadie says.


    “A big no to Twister, ''


    Harper interjects.


    "Hello, I''m not ying that with my brother. ''


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    “Good point, ''


    I say, and then I continue, “Monopoly, Clue, Checkers, Chess— ''


    My voice cuts off when a pound of thunder roars through the house, a buzzing follows, the lights


    flickering once before they go out.


    “Fuck, ''I sigh.


    "I didn’t expect it to happen that fast, ''


    Ryan says from the couch, getting up to grab a candle, setting it on the coffee table.


    I worry that the power won''te back until this storm is over and who knows how long that''s going to


    be.


    “We still have s''mores, ''


    Sadie says, pulling her marshmallow out of the fire.


    Harper is at the table, and Sadie joins her, adding the graham cracker and chocte.


    "Mmm, so good.


    Anyone want one? ''


    Harper takes the skewer from Sadie’s hand and says, "I''ll make one. ''


    She smiles at me.


    "Want to share it? ''


    I want to eat the chocte off her instead, but I say, "Of course. ''


    She''s just taking a seat by the fire when there''s a sh of light that shines across the front of the house.


    I assume it''s just more lightning, but the lightsts, filtering in through the blinds.


    "What the fuck, ''I say, moving over to the window.


    I move the blinds away to see what''s going on outside.


    “What do you see? ''Ryan asks.


    "I don''t know ... ''


    I squint, the rain making it hard to distinguish what''s going on out there, the storm making the sky so


    dark, I can barely see anything, but there''s definitely a sh of light that''s making its way through the


    trees.


    "I think it''s a car. ''


    “Who the hell would be here? ''


    Ryan asks.


    "And who would be driving in this storm? ''


    Harper joins me, the half—charred marshmallow at the end of her skewer.


    "I''m freaked. ''


    "Why, baby. ''


    I put my arm around her, holding her against me, licking some of the marshmallow off her finger.


    “I don''t know.The power is out, it''s dark and Halloween—y and no sane person would be on the road


    right now, yet whoever it is, is driving up your driveway. ''


    The car parks and it''s too dark to see the make.


    I can''t even distinguish the color.


    It looks like the driver''s side door opens and I leave Harper to rush over to the front door, opening it and


    yelling, “Who''s there? ''


    There’s no response as the rain pelts down, the crack of the thunder vibrating through the surrounding


    trees.


    “Who is it? ''Ryan asks.


    “Easton, say something, ''


    Harper adds.


    I''m squinting again, trying to make out the figure, realizing it''s running right toward me.


    I squeeze the door handle, not sure if I should keep it open or close it as the figurends on the front


    porch, pulling their hood back, showing me his face.


    “Hey, man, ''


    ke says, winded, just as I hear the sound of the passenger door open, seeing Aisha running straight


    for me.


    "The roads are too bad, and we had to turn around ande back. ''


    Harper is now next to me, her fingers digging so hard into my waist, she''s going to leave a bruise.


    “l was right ...it''s not a sane person, ''


    she whispers as soon as Aisha joins ke on the porch.


    “And this is a damn nightmare."