“Ugh,” she cried before slamming her laptop closed. “Hey Katie? Are you around?” Autumn waited a beat for her ghostly friend to show up. “I have boy trouble.” Still, nothing. Where was that ghost?
Just then, there was a knock on her door. Evelyn opened it up and popped her head in. Autumn opened her mouth to speak, but her mother cut her off. “Don’t worry. I’m not here to ask you to do anything. I want to talk about your birthday.”
Well, that was surprising. “My birthday?”
Evelyn entered the bedroom and sat on the edge of Autumn’s bed. She heaved a great sigh. “I know I’ve been preoccupied with the business, but you’re turning eighteen in two days. Don’t think I forgot.”
Autumn fiddled with a loose thread in the bedspread. “I know you haven’t forgotten.”
Her mother smiled. “I thought maybe we could bring in take-out and watch some of your favorite movies. Or watch the first season of Veronica Mars. And we can eat junk food.” She playfully bumped her shoulder. “Cora said she’d bake a cake.”
“Oh, she doesn’t have to do that,” Autumn said. “Liam wants to take me out.”
Evelyn’s face soured. “Oh. What are you guys planning on doing?”
Autumn squirmed. In the past, Autumn’s birthday was a celebration, not just of another year, but of the season. Like she had told Liam, her mom would bake an apple pie. There’d be cozy sweaters and a fire blazing. When she was a kid, her mom would take her trick-or-treating for hours. But now, Cora was going to bake her a cake?
It was different here. Liam suggested getting dressed up and checking out some Fantasy Fest events. But Autumn left that part out. She just shrugged. “You know, dinner. Maybe we’ll go to Mallory Square.”
Her mother got to her feet. “During Fantasy Fest? Do you really think that’s appropriate?”
Autumn rolled her eyes. “Mom, seriously.”
“There’s a lot of public nudity. It could give the boy the wrong idea.”
“Liam’s not like that. He also grew up here. I doubt he’s as shocked by what he sees as you are.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” Evelyn said. “If it isn’t shocking, then what’s to stop him from thinking it’s okay to take advantage of you?”
“Mom!”
Evelyn waved her arm in the air, as if that could erase her words. “Fine, go, if that’s what you’d prefer.”
Autumn recognized this tactic. Guilt. Truthfully, she did prefer Liam’s company on her birthday to her mother’s. Since the divorce, her relationship with her mom had deteriorated, and she wasn’t sure it would ever go back to the way it was. Didn’t Liam say what she wanted was impossible now?
“But if I catch you drinking, I’ll put you on the next flight to Jersey.”
“Oh, is that all it takes?” Autumn muttered under her breath. When she caught her mother’s glare, she softened her voice. “How about we have an early dinner together and I go out with Liam after?”
Evelyn went to the door. “Sure. We could do that.” She put her hand on the doorknob, but stopped. “Be careful with this boy.”
Autumn’s cheeks heated. Was her mom going to give her a talk about sex and responsibility? “Don’t give up the things you want for him. That’s all I’m going to say.” Evelyn nodded as if she’d made her point and then left the room, making sure to close the door behind her.
Autumn plopped back against the pillow. Don’t give up the things you want for a boy. Well, that’s rich. Autumn’s mother had made her give up her life in New Jersey for what Evelyn wanted in Key West.
It became clear to Autumn that she no longer knew what she wanted. And it also became clear that what she wanted might have changed in spite of Liam or because of him. She couldn’t be sure anymore.
#
On Halloween night, Liam stooped down and checked his reflection in the side mirror of a Smart Car parked alongside the curb near the Cayo. He tousled his hair. He didn’t want to appear like he was trying too hard, even though he had been trying too hard. It took him an hour to get ready that evening. Pops had knocked on the bathroom door twice and asked Liam if he had fallen in.
Liam straightened his back and adjusted the tie on Pops’s old Navy uniform. Victoria once told him that blue brought out the color in his eyes. He hoped Autumn would think the same thing.
Liam clutched a bouquet of supermarket flowers to his chest, careful not to stain the white fabric, and opened the door to the lobby.
Timothy sat at the desk. He raised his brows the minute he saw Liam. “Well, don’t you look dapper.”
Liam smiled. “You’re holding back. I can tell.”
“Oh, lover boy. If I wanted to make fun of you I wouldn’t do so when you’re here to take Autumn out for her birthday.” Then he lowered his voice. “But I will warn you, Miss Evelyn is in a mood. You better watch out.”
Liam frowned. “Is she here now?”
Nodding, Timothy whispered, “She’s in her office. Sulking. She wanted to celebrate her daughter’s birthday. But Autumn, like all teenage girls, would much rather be taken out by a handsome young gentleman.”
Just then, Autumn descended the stairs. Liam pressed the bouquet of flowers to his chest, his sweaty hands coating the plastic sleeve. Liam’s stomach did that thing where it churned a bit like the drum of a washing machine. Autumn looked beautiful. And hot, even though she was wearing the same dark blue sailor uniform as Liam. The uniform, even though cut for a man, managed to hug Autumn’s curves.
“Wow,” said Liam.
“Thanks,” said Autumn. “I found it in the attic. It was Uncle Duncan’s.”
Liam licked his lips and handed Autumn the bouquet. Her face lit up.
Timothy reached over for the flowers. “I’ll put these in water and leave them in your room.”
Evelyn emerged from her office and narrowed her eyes at Liam. “What do you have planned for this evening? Although, I’m afraid to ask.”
“Mom!” Autumn exclaimed.
Liam cleared his throat. “First, we’re going to check out the costume promenade on Duval. And then my buddy’s cousin is taking us on an evening cruise.”
Evelyn arched her brows. “Your friend’s cousin?” She said the words slowly as if trying to process the connection.
“It’s okay,” said Liam. “His cousin is an experienced sailor. It’s totally cool.”
“That makes me feel so much better,” Evelyn said dryly.
“Mom,” Autumn hissed. “We’ll be fine.
Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s the name of this boat?”
“Ladykiller,” Liam said without hesitation. He clutched Autumn’s hand. “Ready?”
She stifled a laugh. “Yes.”
Liam and Autumn walked outside and headed to Liam’s scooter.
Autumn said, “You’re terrible. You totally freaked out my mom.”
Liam smiled. “She deserved it a little.”
“Yeah, she did.”
Before putting on his helmet, Liam kissed Autumn on the cheek. “Happy birthday.”
Autumn kissed Liam on the mouth. “Happy Halloween.”
#
Autumn felt giddy and a little light-headed from the spiked fruit punch served on the boat. Liam warned her about drinking it, but the red liquid tasted so sweet. It also made her forget all about her problems with Inez, Katie, and even her mom. Autumn giggled as she stumbled through the gate and into the darkened patio.
Liam put his finger to his lips and whispered, “Shhh.” Autumn waved him away. It didn’t matter. All the guests, except for Mr. Fletcher, Autumn assumed, were outside enjoying the crazy festival.
Autumn threw off her sailor cap and flounced into a lounge chair. Her butt sank beyond the broken plastic slats. She laughed loudly.
“Autumn, your mother’s going to wake up and kill us both,” Liam said, not even trying to hide his nervousness.
Autumn grinned and shook her head. These last few days had been exhausting. Th
ere was no way Evelyn could stay awake.
She stared at Liam. The evening air cooled the heat radiating off her skin. She wanted desperately to put her hands on his hips and pull him down on top of her. Autumn wasn’t sure if it was the rum punch making her think these things or the way her body tingled when she did, but she wanted to kiss him, and she wanted to kiss him now.
She sat up and tugged the thin white tie of Liam’s uniform. He smiled and eased onto her. Liam pushed her hair off her face and stared at her lips. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said, his voice a soft whisper.
Autumn sucked on her bottom lip. “Absolutely, we should.”
He smiled again and kissed her tenderly. Autumn couldn’t take it anymore. She pulled Liam onto her, wanting him to crush her body with his own. She parted his lips with her tongue and Liam groaned. He stopped for a second and adjusted his body. “I don’t know where to put my hands,” he said, sheepishly. “I don’t want to crush you.”
Autumn guided his hands to her waist. “Start here.”
He kissed her again, this time more urgently. Autumn adjusted herself so that she could wrap her legs around Liam’s waist. Liam put his hands into Autumn’s and slid them up so they were above her head. As they kissed, their bodies moved together in rhythm.
“We need to stop,” Liam said, panting.
“Why?” she asked, her voice practically a whine.
Liam stood up. “Because I’m a gentleman. And you’ve had too much to drink. Also, making out near the pool gives me the willies. Aren’t you worried about who’s watching?”
Autumn doubted Liam meant guests. Perhaps, if she hadn’t drank so much she’d care about ghostly voyeurs. But, even if she was sober, she’d still want to kiss Liam. A lot.
Autumn sat up a little and pouted.
Liam leaned down and kissed her again on her lips, but the kiss felt chaste compared to what they had just been doing.
Light flooded the patio and Evelyn’s sharp voice rang out, “What’s going on out here?”
Liam leaped off Autumn. He yanked down his shirt, but it was no use. Evelyn regarded him with those suspicious eyes of hers. Autumn could tell there was no escaping her mother’s wrath.
“We were just—” Autumn began.
“I can see what you were doing,” her mother said. Then she eyed the sailor uniforms. “What happened? Did you ruin Uncle Duncan’s uniform?”
Autumn glanced down at the inky blood splattered on the front of her shirt. “There was a fake rubber octopus attached to me at one point during the festivities.”
Evelyn tightened her robe. She steadied her voice and this unnerved Autumn more than her mother’s screams. “Liam, I think you better go.”
“Mrs. Abernathy,” he began, but she held up a hand to stop him.
“I was never intending to keep you on past Fantasy Fest.”
“Mom!” Autumn cried out.
“I’ll pay you for this week.”
Liam faced Autumn. “Did you know about that?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “My plan was to talk her out of it.”
Liam squeezed Autumn’s hand. “I’ll call you.” His voice was barely a whisper.
“Don’t go,” Autumn pleaded.
Liam smiled weakly. “It’s okay.” He kissed her lightly on the cheek and disappeared out the side gate.
Autumn whirled on her mother. “Mom, that was cruel.”
“That was nothing. I knew this nonsense with Liam was going too far, but Aunt Glenda kept saying, ‘You’re young. Be free.’”
“So what’s wrong with that?”
Evelyn’s eyes flamed. “Don’t throw away your future for some guy like I did. You’ll have nothing to show for it.”
Autumn stepped back as if her mother had slapped her. In a way, she had. “You mean Dad.”
Evelyn softened her stance. Her eyes searched Autumn’s face, looking for some trace of recognition. “Look, I’m forty-three years old. I’m divorced and broke. All I have is this ridiculous bed and breakfast, which I have sunk whatever money I had into.”
Autumn blanched and felt the sting of tears about come. But she held up her head. “You have me, Mom. Am I not good enough? Was I not worth the sacrifice?”
Autumn brushed past her mother and hurried inside to the empty kitchen, where she hoped to cut a slice of Cora’s Key Lime pie and devour her sorrows.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Liam straddled his scooter and patted his pocket for his set of keys. What a night. It started off so well until he got fired. He should’ve known Evelyn had no intention of keeping him on; he just wished Autumn had given him a heads up so he didn’t feel like such a chump.
Liam dropped his chin to his chest. The keys must had fallen out of his pocket when he and Autumn had been making out.
“Crap,” he muttered. He would have to go back to the patio and find them. He let his helmet dangle from the handlebars and dismounted the bike. He pushed through the white gate, which squeaked on its old, rusty hinges.
The pool water was still like the night air. The Cayo looked dark inside, aside from a light left on in the lobby for the nocturnal guests, still partying in town.
Liam skirted around the pool and sidled past an old patio chair. He scraped his leg on a rusty screw that jutted out from the chair. It ripped a hole in Pops’s old uniform. Liam cursed under his breath. He walked over the old lounge chair and bent down, his hand searching for his keys. He patted the concrete, his palm scraping against it until his fingers touched metal. He clutched the keys tight in his fist.
He hated being alone in the pool area. Ever since his first day here. The dark dulled his sense of sight, but heightened his sense of fear. Goosebumps erupted along his arms, and the little hairs on his neck stood at attention. He swallowed hard and made a beeline for the gate. Then he heard a noise behind him.
He froze in place.
“There you are,” a seductive voice called to him. He spun around and relaxed his shoulders.
“Autumn,” he said, putting his hand to his chest to calm his breathing. “What are you still doing out here? I assumed your mom was reaming you out.”
Autumn still wore Duncan’s old Navy uniform, but her hair was all disheveled. And the way she approached him was different. When she walked, her hips swayed side to side in a hypnotic rhythm.
She came closer and touched his collar. Her fingers danced over his skin, but instead of feeling bolts of electricity, he felt chills.
“Should we continue where we left off?” she asked, breathless.
Liam arched his brow. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He nodded toward the house where Evelyn was no doubt watching, infuriated. “I came back to get my keys.” He dangled them.
Autumn giggled oddly. “Don’t you want me?” Liam noted how her voice lilted a bit. She spoke with an accent.
He removed her hands from his uniform. “What’s gotten into you? You sound funny.”
Her eyes darkened. She backed away and yanked her hands through her dark hair. “Dios! You always do this to me.”
Liam retreated. Something was wrong. Very wrong. “Dios? And what do I always do?”
“Tease me,” she said, her voice sounding angrier. “You tell me it’s Mariana you love, but I know that’s not true. I see how you look at me.”
Now, Liam started to panic. “Inez. I’m not Leo Breyer. I’m Liam.” He emphasized the difference in the names. “William Michael Breyer and it’s not 1966.”
Inez growled. “You did this to me!” She lunged for him, brandishing a knife in her right hand. Liam screamed as the blade grazed his cheek. “Inez, no!” She charged him again, the knife nearly missing his arm. “Stop! I’m not Leo!” Liam ran to the pool shed.
Inez’s eyes darted all around. Liam flung open the shed door and grabbed the shovel.
“Please Inez. Let Autumn back inside her body. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Inez cackled and spat, “You’ve already hurt me!�
�
Liam’s stomach dropped. “I’m sorry.”
“You should be.” She charged him again.
Liam raised the shovel and brought it down.
#
Autumn felt trapped inside her body. She could see Liam’s fear. The way his knuckles turned white as he gripped the shovel. But also the way he held it. Like a baseball bat.
Autumn screamed, but it was no use. Inez was too strong. Her dark energy kept Autumn caged inside her own head. Timothy was right. She opened the door for this, and now she was stuck. Autumn knew she had a knife in her hand. She felt Inez in control, thrusting the blade forward, hoping to cut Leo. No! Liam! It’s Liam you’re trying to hurt.
Just as Liam brought down the shovel, someone slammed into her body, flinging her into the pool. She heard the shovel clang against the pavement. Inez was gone and with her, Autumn’s strength. She could barely swim to the ledge.
Autumn registered Timothy’s grim face as he stood at the pool’s edge. He waited a beat before saying, “Are you in there, Autumn?”
She spit out pool water and swung droplets from her hair. “Yeah, it’s me.”
Timothy pursed his lips. “Seriously?”
“Just help me out.”
Timothy held the skimmer pole out to her like a lifeline. She grabbed it and both Liam and Timothy yanked her out of the water.
Chlorinated water ran from her sailor uniform in rivers. She wrung out some of the water from her shirt. “Thanks,” she muttered, her eyes downcast, not wanting meet Timothy’s I-told-you-so glare.
“Girl.” He put his hands on his hips. “I told you not to let a spirit into your body, but noooooo! You know better, don’t you? You refused to listen to old Timothy.”
Liam rested his hand on Timothy’s shoulder. “It’s not Autumn we should be mad at.”
Timothy shrugged off Liam’s hand, crossed his arms, and huffed. “Maybe not, but the girl has got to learn. Now, you’ll never know when miss evil thang wants to jump inside you for a little revenge. She could overtake you at any moment.”
“We’ll figure out how to stuff her back inside,” Autumn said.
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