As I walked up to Shiloh’s house, the lights blazed brightly through the lace-curtained windows. Strands of music and conversation became louder when I got to the porch. Now I felt nervous about my impulsive decision to crash Shiloh’s birthday party. But I wanted to see her again. No, it was more like I needed to see her again.

She was the one girl I couldn’t seem to get out of my head.

I knocked twice on the door. It was flung open by Shiloh’s mother, Darrah Broussard, who stood in the doorway looking at me like she’d just seen a ghost.

To break the tension, I forced a smile and said, “I’m a friend of your daughter’s, and I’m here for the party.” When she did not respond, I held out my hand, but she ignored it. “How do you do, Miss Broussard?”

Shiloh’s mother was acting rather strange and impolite, making me shuffle my feet. Why did most of the people in Fallen Oaks act like I was the damn Anti-Christ?

Glancing over her shoulder, I noticed a hushed murmur had stretched throughout the room. Maybe coming here tonight wasn’t such a great idea.

“Fantastic. Suppose you should come in,” Darrah finally grumbled, and led me into the living room.

I shrugged off my black leather jacket and draped it over an armchair. I stood there for a moment, uneasily. It seemed everyone was staring at me. Monkey shit. I forgot to bring a present. Then my gaze rested on the birthday girl.

Shiloh licked her lips and pulled at the sleeve of her blouse. The cute curly-haired girl from church appeared and elbowed her in the ribs. They were whispering intently and glancing in my direction.

Might as well get this over with.

I ambled over to them with a wave. “Hey, you. Happy belated birthday,” I said to Shiloh, and then glanced at the curvy blond standing beside her. “And you must be?”

“I am Shiloh’s BFF, Ariana. Nice to meet you, Trent,” she said with a secret smile.

Ariana was pretty and her skin had this amazing sparkly glow to it, but there wasn’t a girl in Fallen Oaks like Shiloh Trudell. Not to me anyway.

While Shiloh stood there gaping at me in surprise, her friend held back a smirk.

My gaze appreciatively took in Shiloh, nearly short-circuiting my brain. She looked gorgeous tonight in a sexy lace knit-top with a short skirt and these high-heeled boots. Man, I seriously wanted to grab her and kiss those glossed, full lips right then, but I refrained.

Instead, I uttered, “You look beautiful tonight.”

Shiloh drew a deep breath, and said, “Thanks.”

I tapped a finger on my chin. “But there’s something different about you.” Maybe it was just because we hadn’t seen each other for a while, but she did look different. Whatever it was, I liked it. A lot.

For a second Shiloh looked panic-stricken, her body almost trembling.

I titled my head, studying her harder. Then it hit me. “It’s your hair.”

Shiloh blinked and seemed to breathe easier. What did she think I was going to say?

I smiled an uneven smirk. “What did you do differently?”

Shiloh shrugged. “Used a flat-iron. No biggie.”

“I like it,” Ariana said, defensively.

Damn, the best friend was killing my game. She didn’t like me. I could tell my charms would’ve gone to waste on her. Oh, well.

“I meant I like it, too,” I said quickly, and then winked. “Wicked sexy.”

Ariana tapped Shiloh’s shoulder. “That’s my cue to get some soda.” She left us and walked over to a table laden with munchies.

 “I hope you’re still going to work for us,” I said quietly. “Because I would be really bummed if you quit. But I wouldn’t blame you if you did…”

“No worries. I’ll stick around,” she said, her tone colored with sadness.

Biting my lip, I added, “And, uh, I’m really sorry about your friend.” But I didn’t know what else to say.

“Yeah.” Shiloh tried to smile. “Have you, um, heard from Paige’s family?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Sheriff Boyd said the investigation is ongoing, but he doesn’t have any real leads yet. And he won’t even tell us if the disappearance is officially considered a crime or just a runaway case.”

Shiloh nodded, and blinked back tears.

“Maybe she’ll turn up,” I said softly, kindly. “People don’t just vanish.”

Shiloh stared down at her entwined fingers. “Yeah…maybe.”

The silence grew to an awkward level of blockbuster proportions. She stared at the floor, while I tried to hide my feelings. Both our emotions and fears were chaotic. Slowly, she raised her head and her gaze lowered to my lips. My heart was jumping like crazy in my chest. Was she thinking about kissing me again as much as I was thinking about kissing her?

“Uh, what’re you doing here?” she asked.

I slightly smiled, but kept her dad’s recliner between us, my eyes fixed intently on her big brown eyes. “Heard about your party from your friend Jada and I thought I’d drop by. See if you needed some cheering up.” It seemed obvious that she did. I could tell she was putting on a brave front for her guests. Losing one of her best friends had to suck. “Is that cool?”

“Yeah. Of course.” She was blushing. So shy and cute.

Shiloh traveled around the chair, but I shuffled in the opposite direction. My smile faded. I kept my posture straight, my shoulders back, and my arms crossed. She looked hurt, but I needed to talk to her before I lost my nerve.

“You’re acting strange,” she accused. 

Couldn’t argue with that.

I glanced around. Her dad watched us with a worried frown. The other guests kept sneaking peeks in our direction, too.

“No, I’m not,” I lied.

Shiloh leaned toward me. “What’s with you tonight? What’s with the über cool guy act?” she asked, sounding irked with me.

“Everyone’s watching.”

Her eyes narrowed. “So?”

I ran a hand through my hair. Time for a change of topic. “My uncle says you’re a fast learner, and doing a great job.”

Shiloh stared at me, looking completely thrown off by my remark before saying, “Evans’s an excellent teacher, er, boss—whatever. Very knowledgeable.”

Suddenly it felt very warm in in the dining room. But I had to ask, even though I dreaded her answer.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tugged at the collar of my shirt. “You haven’t said anything to anyone, have you?” I asked, my voice quiet yet insistent. “About Craven Manor supposedly being haunted?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. Sure. Because people are sooo believing in this sort of thing.”

Thank god. My family was already considered outcasts by the town; we did not need rumors spreading about the weird things going on at Craven Manor.

“I’d appreciate if you kept it that way, okay?”

Nodding, Shiloh said, “Sure. Yeah—I get it.”

Ariana walked back over to us, holding a can of soda.

I hitched forward slightly, breathing sharp. “Anyway, thanks for having me.” I gave her my best cocky grin before strolling over to chat with this cool chick, Jada  that I’d met at the gas station earlier today. She had struck up a conversation with me and mentioned Shiloh’s party. And now I was glad she had. 

“Hello there, Jada ,” I said smoothly, while I was fully aware that Shiloh and Ariana were whispering about me again. Sheesh, girls.

“Hello yourself, Trent Donovan,” Jada replied. “Staying out of trouble?”

“You know it,” I said and chuckled. “Still picking up guys at the gas station?”

She laughed. “You know it.”

I watched Shiloh slipping out the back door, and decided to follow her.

“Excuse me, Jada. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Hoping no one followed me, I slipped outside into the cool night air. I wanted to talk to Shiloh alone.

“Shiloh,” I said.

“What the hell? You scared the crap outta me!” she said, unevenly.

I crooked a smile. “Sorry! Kinda jumpy?”

“No,” she replied. “But you shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”

I laughed, and then grew serious. “So why didn’t you give me an invite to your party?”

It sucked that things had gotten so complicated between us. And I should’ve called her or tried to see her sooner, but I had no idea what to say that would make losing her friend okay. I wanted to fix our unstable relationship, but I didn’t know how. Maybe she didn’t either, and that’s why she hadn’t told me about her little birthday bash tonight.

She shrugged. “It seems you didn’t need one.”

“I suppose not.” I laughed quietly. Then a thought occurred to me, so I asked, “Does it upset you that I came uninvited?”

She smacked my arm good-naturedly. “No, it doesn’t upset me, Sparky.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Such a smartass.”

She was gazing at me, and this strange edginess hit me hard. The playfulness ebbed away and the air thickened with unsaid words, hurt feelings, and buried emotions.

Shiloh was staring into my eyes so intently it made me uncomfortable. Was she pissed that I hadn’t called? Things had been tense between us after Paige Jones disappeared, and truthfully I’d been a little afraid to contact her—afraid she blamed me or my house for what happened to her friend. It was stupid, but it was how I felt.

She blasted me with a dirty look, and blurted, “I’m not sure what you’re hoping to accomplish by just showing up here tonight, but there’s no need to sweet-talk me. I haven’t told anyone about the manor. Okay? So you can just leave now if you want to…”

I stepped back, feeling like I had just been punched in the gut, and my lips curved downward. “Look, I’m really sorry about your friend. And I only came over tonight to smooth things over with you, but I guess you’re still pissed.”

She frowned. “Excuse me?”

“It’s obvious you’re not happy to see me. But there’s no reason to be all salty with me.”

We stared at each other in angry silence. Now I felt like the biggest tool. Shiloh felt wounded by Paige’s disappearing act, and here I was practically yelling at her. Yeah, coming here might’ve been a bad idea.

After another tense moment, Shiloh ruefully smiled. “Now who’s being sensitive?” Her voice sounded gentler. “Didn’t mean to sound so bitchy, I just feel like an epic failure right now. And I wish I knew what happened to Paige.”

“I understand. So, we cool?” When Shiloh nodded, I said, “Good…uh, what do you think actually happened to Paige? I mean, her disappearing act was pretty strange.”

She was quiet, and then said slowly, “I…think she ran away like the others.”

I frowned. “Others?”

“Yeah. Other kids have vanished over the years. Sometimes they find their bodies, sometimes they don’t.”

Shit. That was odd. Teens just disappearing like Paige did. My chest constricted. I stared at her, opened my mouth to speak, and then shut it. Too weird.

Now she looked miserable, tears gathering in her eyes. We needed to talk about less morbid things. It was her party, not a damn funeral, and I was pretty sure that Paige chick would show up eventually. She probably ran away from home because her parents wouldn’t let her stay up to watch True Blood or something else equally lame.

I moved closer. “Enough morbid talk,” I teased. Then I checked her out again. Damn, she was hot. Too pretty to be so sad-faced. “You know, you have a unique bone structure. Like an Indian princess.”

“Uh, original…” Shiloh muttered, but she wore a slight smile.

I hated her looking so lost and sad. A tear trailed down her cheek, and I gently wiped it away. “It’s true .” I crookedly smiled.

“Does that flowery talk usually work on girls?”

I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Gets ‘em every time. Not you, though? Think you’re immune to my charms?”

Her head cocked to the side. “Depends. Is that your best line?”

“Ouch! Harsh.” I placed my hands over my heart, pretending to stumble backward. “Honestly, you’re the type of sweet girl a guy like me could get serious with.”

“Hmm, then a test.” Shiloh spun around, putting her back to me. “What color are my eyes?”

“Really?” I was quiet a moment, and then said with amusement, “Deep brown. Dark as a forest on a moonlit night. More the color of sable, mysterious and full of secrets. And when the sunlight hits them, the iris turns a gorgeous bronze hue.”

She turned to face me. Her mouth hung open.

I gave myself a mental fist pump. Bonus points for me.

Shiloh moved behind the stone bench. Golden light from the kitchen windows leaked onto the lawn. The burning attraction I possessed for Shiloh seemed both electrifying and startling.

“Um, I’ve been thinking…maybe while I’m working for you—we shouldn’t be making, uh—I mean, hanging out.”

She’d almost said making out, which made me suppress a smile. But I didn’t call her on it.

I rocked on my heels, gazing at the stars. “Fine. Whatever you say. Not gonna push, mon amour.” I knew the French pet names were getting under her skin, and maybe even into her heart.

It was time to make a hasty exist. Didn’t want to push my luck and have things go sour between us again, so I backed up toward the door.

 “Trent. Stop.” I paused and looked at her, her voice sounded raspy, betraying her true feelings. “Please don’t go. I’m glad you came to my party. It did cheer me up.”

Usually, I tried to mask my emotions and keep up my tough-guy act, so people couldn’t see the real me. The tragically scarred me.

But I stopped, and my trademark smirk returned. “Good. That was my intention. Honest…and I missed you.” I groaned and moved closer. “Why fight what we feel, right?”

“Right.”

“Give me a chance, Shiloh. Another date. Some time alone with you.” My voice deepened with seriousness.

“Yeah. Okay.”

I moved to stand directly in front of her again, my eyes scanning her outfit. “Um, can I ask you something? You wear a lot of pink. What’s that about?”

 “It’s my favorite color.” At my head shake, Shiloh added, “What? I can’t be a feminist girly-girl and like pink?”

I held my palms up. “Slow your roll! Just asking.”

The full moon cast a soft glow over the mowed grass. A long stretch of awkward silence descended. Shiloh glanced up, and I reached out and gently took her hand.

“Why are you frowning?” I asked.

“Just wishing I knew what happened to Paige…”

I sighed. “Me too.”

As Shiloh turned to walk toward the house, I touched her arm. Shiloh paused and looked up at me, tears filling her eyes.

My voice lowered. “Hey, don’t look so sad.” I cupped her cheeks with my hands, my thumbs sweeping away the trickling tears. My skin tingled from the intimate contact.

I moved closer, closing the distance between us. I took the tip of my finger and pushed back a strand of hair from her eyes. I slid the hair behind her ear, my fingers trailing across her cheek.

Nothing else existed when I stared into her eyes. My heart began to pound. It felt like my ribcage was too small, like it restrained the pumping of my heart and the expansion of my lungs. I inhaled her scent, and it filled me with more longing. Shiloh leaned into me and my body responded involuntarily. Her hands rested on my chest, my muscles flexing under my shirt at her soft touch. I cradled her head in my hands, lowering my face closer to her parted lips, which called to me like a siren’s song.

That’s when I noticed the shadows were moving, slithering over the grass.

My hands dropped to my sides and I stepped back. Blinking rapidly, my mind raced with confusion. Uncertain and tangled. I pressed my lips to her forehead, seeking the centering effect she has on me. Before Shiloh could react, I pulled away.

Shiloh peeked at my face. I was still gawking at the shadows, too stunned to think or move.

A strange wind swooshed through her hair, lifting the strands, and they floated around her face. My senses were hyper-focused on Shiloh.

I had squeezed my eyes shut. Before I opened them, I glimpsed a mental image of Shiloh lifting her arm. With her index finger pointed at the shadows, she seemed to zap them. They whimpered and turned to shades of gray.

Okay, I was officially going batshit crazy. I opened my eyes, trying to make sense of the image.

I gripped her shoulders. “What were you doing?”

“Did you see what I saw? Four little blobs of evil sneaking up on us?”

Was she serious? Or did she need a one-way ticket to Crazy Town.

“No…” I lied.

Neither of us spoke. Just locked eyes. I raised my hand, tracing her lips with my fingertips. Then before Shiloh could question me further, I lowered my head and put my mouth over hers. My hands gripped her hips, tugging her tighter against my body. The kissing became hotter, more intense. Her hands inched upward and coiled around my neck. I knew I should keep her in the friend zone. But I really, really didn’t want to.

Not sure which one of us pulled back first, but I gently kissed the hollow of her throat before stepping away.

She raised her head, and brought her lips back to mine. We kissed with all the passion in the world. Until someone stepped onto the back porch…