rather isolated area. I triple checked that the doors were locked and took a set of throwing knives from the box in the closet, just in case I need to defend myself.
Though—let’s be honest—my ninja skills are nonexistent, and I’ll probably end up slicing my hand open in the process. Still, it makes me feel better. I’m tired but don’t want to attempt to sleep until I can hardly keep my eyes open.
I flip to a page about tea-leaf reading. There are notes written in the margin, and I recognize the handwriting as Aunt Estelle’s right away. I have good vision, but the tiny handwriting is hard even for me to read. I lean in, narrowing my eyes, and try to discern what she’s written on the page. It doesn’t help that the ink is smeared.
My phone chimes, startling me a bit, and I blink rapidly as I turn to grab it from the nightstand. Ethan sent me a text, and I stare at the screen for a few seconds, smiling, before I open his message and see a photo of a couple sitting at a table at what looks like a small-town diner.
Ethan: She ordered a muffin but hasn’t touched it. She’s probably a vampire, right?
I laugh and look at the photo again.
Me: And there’s only one cup of coffee. Definitely a vampire. Better order some garlic breadsticks or something.
Ethan: Way ahead of you. I’ll order the garlic mashed potatoes as well just to be safe. Are you in Indiana yet?
Me: Yeah. It’s kind of creepy here.
Ethan: Indiana is creepy?
Me: Hah, maybe a bit. I mean the house where I am. It’s old but I don’t think my aunt died here.
Well, fuck. I wish I could unsend that text, because I can’t remember if I told Ethan I was here, in my aunt’s house, or if I even mentioned her passing. It’s a bad habit of mine, not able to remember what I actually said versus what I thought about saying. I tend to repeat myself a lot that way. Shaking my head, I get up to change out of my clothes and into my pajamas. I’m holding my phone as I start to tug my jeans down. Another text comes through, and in my haste to see what Ethan said, I lose my grip on the phone and scramble to keep it from clattering against the hardwood floor.
“Anora?” Ethan’s voice comes through the phone. “Are you—”
I hit the red button and drop the phone on the bed, squeezing my eyes shut. My jeans are halfway down my thighs, and I pull them down the rest of the way. I step out of them when Ethan calls me back. Hesitating, I tell myself it’ll be more awkward to explain myself later, and answer.
“Hey, sorry. I was taking my pants off.”
“So you decided to FaceTime me?”
“Oh my god.” I bring my free hand to my face. “No, I, uh, I…fuck.”
“I mean, it’s not expected but I’m not opposed,” he says seriously. “I will happily oblige if you want to take your pants off while FaceTiming.”
“I didn’t mean to,” I finally rush out. “I was taking my pants off and holding my phone at the same time.”
“I’m still intrigued.”
I curl my lips over my teeth and shake my head at myself. Way to fucking go, Anora. “It’s not as kinky as it sounds. I’m changing into pajama pants. They’re fleece and printed with llamas wearing sombreros.”
“What if I was really into that?”
I pull my pajama pants from my suitcase and sit on the bed, tucking my legs under the covers. “Then I’d say that makes two of us.”
Ethan laughs. “You’re okay, though, right?”
“Yeah. It’s a little creepy knowing I’m alone, but the house is all locked up.”
“It was your aunt that died?”
“Great-aunt, technically.” I lie down and pull the blankets up. Now that the sun has gone down, the house is getting chilly. “I’ve never even met her,” I add, not wanting Ethan to think I’m broken up over my aunt’s death, but then realize how weird it might sound that I’m the one supposedly handling her affairs. “I mean I did when I was a kid. I, um, never met her recently. Saw her recently.” I roll my eyes at myself and a few seconds of silence tick by.
“The muffin,” Ethan says in a hushed voice. “They’re eating it.”