Chapter 5

5

TALLULAH

I t was my first night in the house, and a storm was rolling in. I sat on the porch swing with my laptop, watching the trees sway in the wind with a cup of tea beside me and a blanket covering my shoulders.

The sky lit up as lightning raced across it. The deep rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, and I drew in a deep breath, smiling at the earthy scent of the impending rain. I loved thunderstorms.

Growing up in an arid part of California, rain had been rare, so I’d been eating it up since I’d arrived here, reveling in every storm instead of wishing it away.

Every so often, when lightning forked across the entire sky, it illuminated the dark rolling lawns of the Carmichael property and the giant old trees surrounding it. Considering the house I was in was supposed to be haunted, I guessed some people might’ve found a storm on my first night to be a rather ominous sign.

I wasn’t one of those people.

The house had been on its best behavior since I’d gotten here this morning, and contrary to how others might’ve felt, I found the place quite warm and inviting. Especially right then, sitting under the yellowish glow of the porch lights and watching Mother Nature at work. It was peaceful.

For me, this was the perfect way to end my first day as an employee of the Morrison Group. Regardless of having been brushed off by Niall earlier, I’d actually had a pretty good, pretty productive afternoon. After looking up information on festivals past, I’d even started putting together a whole list of ideas for the event we had coming up.

My creative juices were well and truly flowing, and I was having so much fun coming up with different ideas and ways to implement them that I felt like I was having the best luck in the world. In just a few days, I’d gone from sleeping on a futon and being damn near broke, to living in a gorgeous, historic house all by myself and I’d checked my bank balance earlier. Things were definitely looking up after the bonus I’d received for signing up on such short notice before the festival.

It really felt like my life was finally coming together, and as the wind blew through my hair while my fingers flew across my keyboard, I truly believed it was blowing away the bad juju that had been following me around most of my life. Freeing me from the constraints of my upbringing once and for all.

As the storm picked up, so did the creativity levels of my work. It was almost like I was racing forward through time, floating above the plantation and physically seeing what needed to be where. Since it also allowed me to see where there would be dull spaces, it inspired me to think of things to fill them with.

Maybe some of the spirits who lived in this house had been creative people. It certainly felt like I was getting some otherworldly help. I was on fire—until suddenly, the power went out.

A gust of wind ripped across the property. I heard a slight whir and then there was nothing. The lights in the plantation house in the distance, in the garden, on the perimeter, and even the yellowish porch lights I loved so much flickered and then they went out.

A shiver shot down my spine and my extremities went cold. There was only one thing I was truly scared of in this world, and that was the dark. Not just a darkened room. Those were fine.

My fear was of the pitch black. The empty kind of darkness that made me realize how small I was on this big plantation all by myself. Goosebumps broke out on my skin and I just froze, hoping the power would come back on.

I didn’t even have my phone with me. All I had was my laptop, and right then, while I was happy for the weak light it provided, it did little to illuminate anything outside its little bubble.

More lightning cracked and another gust of wind tore through me. The grumble of thunder that followed suddenly sounded exactly like that ominous warning I’d dismissed before. I trembled and curled in on myself, knowing I should probably go check if the power had simply tripped, but I was not quite able to convince myself to get off the swing just yet.

For the last couple years, I’d grown used to having people around me. At work while I’d been slinging drinks or presenting tours, and even at home with my roommates, there had always been someone else nearby.

Now, however, there was no one and my confidence was waning fast. As the night went on and the storm howled, I was seriously starting to wonder if I could swing staying in this big house all by myself.

I tried getting back to work, but when that didn’t go anywhere, I decided the best thing I could do was to go to bed. The sooner I fell asleep, the sooner it would be light out.

It took a few minutes of convincing myself before I finally managed to slide my feet forward and put them on the porch. As soon as they touched the floor, I gripped my laptop, jumped up, and made a run for it.

My footsteps pounded across the hardwood floors, the light of my laptop barely enough to keep me from running into all the furniture that now seemed so grotesque when it’d been so beautifully antique before. Icicles grew in my stomach as I fled upstairs, raced down the hall to my bedroom, and hurriedly slid into bed.

Thankfully, I’d put on my pajamas and showered earlier. I hadn’t brushed my teeth yet, but screw it. No one would care about my dental hygiene if the dark got me tonight.

As I tucked the covers tight around me, burrowing my head into the pillow, my heart galloped and a cold sweat broke out across my brow. Someone is watching me.

Another voice in my head scoffed at the thought, and those two parts of my subconscious went to war. What were you thinking, moving in here all by yourself? Relax, it’s nothing. Probably just the storm. Nothing? Ha. Keep telling yourself that. Do you have any idea what can happen to people in darkness this complete?

I groaned and closed my eyes, willing sleep to come get me, but it didn’t. My internal battle kept raging. If I’d had a car, I would’ve been climbing into it right about then. I was sure my former roommates wouldn’t mind me spending another night there.

Just as I thought I was losing it, I heard a noise downstairs. A door opening and closing, and I sat bolt upright in bed. Footsteps followed the sound of the door and I swallowed a scream. Grabbing an old candelabra as a weapon, I leaped out of bed and crept downstairs to investigate.

Happily armed with my phone now as well, having taken it off the currently useless charger in my bedroom, I switched on the flashlight and screamed at the sight of a figure turning the corner just as I came down the stairs.

Lightning lit the room as the figure cursed. “Fuck, Tallulah. It’s just me. Stop that. It’s blood-curdling.”

I blinked hard and my screams died down when I realized it was Niall. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought you might be fearless, but what exactly were you going to do with that candelabra? Beat me? Swing it straight through a ghost?”

I shrugged. “I might’ve beat you with it. I still will if you keep creeping around my house in the middle of the night.”

“Technically, it’s my house,” he reminded me, squinting when I lifted the flashlight to shine into his eyes. He held up his hand to shield them, glowering into the light. “A thank you might be nice, seeing as I came all the way out here to make sure you’re okay.”

“Why?” I asked, completely confused. “Are you making the rounds on all your employees?”

“Only the ones that live on my property. The power is out all over the city and surrounds. I thought that since this is your first night here, you might appreciate a little backup if you lost power. I know you don’t have a car.”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, lowering the light and conveniently neglecting to mention how happy I was that he was here. I didn’t want to be alone and I didn’t even care that my boss had come to check on me.

It was actually pretty sweet. The storm was still picking up and I felt infinitely better having him here. Rain lashed against the windows in never-ending sheets now, and I cocked my head at him. “Would you like something to drink? You had the place stocked for me, which I appreciate.”

“You’re welcome, but I’m alright.” He strode over to one of the arched windows and pulled away a curtain to stare into the darkness outside. “Unfortunately, I’m not even going to try driving off the estate in this weather, so it looks like you’re stuck with me tonight. I can’t believe how much worse it’s already gotten.”

I smiled and quickly ducked my head to hide it as he turned to face me again. “Well, while you’re staying, would you like to hear about some of the ideas I’ve had for the festival?”

He regarded me for a moment, then unbuttoned his coat and swept across the room, elegantly lowering himself into one of the gothic armchairs. “I’d love to. I must admit, I’m already impressed that you’ve even suggested it. It speaks to your work ethic.”

“It doesn’t really feel like work when you’re having so much fun with it,” I said lightly, padding across the room to take a seat opposite him. Now that I wasn’t all alone in the dark, I was already perking up again.

I felt his eyes on me even though I couldn’t really see them. “You know what they say, right? If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

“I’m finally starting to understand that sentiment,” I said, clasping my hands together in my lap as I tried to gather my thoughts. “Right, so I’ll start by saying that I love what you’ve done with previous festivals, but I feel like we need to inject more oomph.”

“What on earth is oomph ?”

I chuckled. “Don’t sound so confused. The festivals so far have been amazing, but it’s going to be even better this year. We’ll have the haunted tours, of course, but I feel like we should also be utilizing the grounds more.”

“We have the band playing and all sorts of food and drink trucks outside.”

“Sure, but we could also have a haunted maze of sorts, perhaps a hall of mirrors, and then maybe some tamer stuff for the little kids. Pony rides and a little petting zoo, but we’ll decorate it so it’s also Halloween themed.”

“That sounds good.” He paused for a beat. “It’s rather simple, but you’re right. It will definitely elevate the event as a whole. More attractions give them more value for their dollar. I like it. Good job, Tallulah.”

I preened a little bit at the praise, then remembered that I wasn’t a peacock and rolled my eyes at myself in the dark, glad that he couldn’t really see me. “I still feel like I’m missing something, though. My plan for tonight was to watch some scary movies in the hopes of finding inspiration.”

“I detest scary movies,” he said suddenly. “I’m suddenly glad that the power is out and your plan can’t come to fruition.”

“The more I learn about you, the more surprised I am that you live where you do and that you’re in the line of business you’re in.”

Niall shrugged, turning to the window to watch the lightning. I did the same, strangely content with the amicable silence that had fallen between us. He didn’t let it last long though, his gaze still on the storm as he started speaking.

“I like to think that where I live and my line of work chose me ,” he said, his voice only just loud enough to be heard above the storm. “Right out of college, I knew I wanted to start a business in real estate, but as I researched the possibilities, I realized I wasn’t excited about the idea of tearing down the old to bring in the new. One day, I was walking around town and it occurred to me that perhaps my calling was to restore the old and leave the new to other people.”

“Why?” I asked.

“No one really cares about the modern skyscrapers, do they? As a practical matter, there is definitely a place for rejuvenation, but there were already so many people in that game that I felt like someone had to step in for the old. There are some new buildings, of course, that draw in crowds, like the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, but mostly, people are interested in history. As am I. I felt compelled to do what I could to protect that which people care about.”

“Ah.” As I listened to him intently, I found that I liked hearing him talk. He had a nice voice and a quietly confident manner of speaking that I truly enjoyed listening to. I was loving every second of his story, but when I told him so, he frowned.

“Are you teasing me or being serious?” he asked. “Normally, I can read people, but not you. Plus it’s dark.”

“I’m serious,” I said honestly. “I really like your voice. I’m also curious to find out how it all chose you.”

“Right,” he said, pausing again briefly. “Buildings in a state of neglect or disrepair are obviously far more affordable than land situated in a prime spot, but buildings that are rumored to be haunted? One can often purchase them for a steal.”

“So you decided to start there?” I guessed. “That’s actually pretty smart.”

“I won’t lie, the idea scared the crap out of me at first,” he admitted. “Eventually though, as I looked deeper into the history of the houses, I realized what a travesty it would be if they weren’t restored. They’d seen so much. Had so many legends surrounding them. They’d become part of the very fabric of the city and yet they were abandoned. Neglected. People often didn’t even look at them as they rushed past. Once I realized that, it was a done deal. Like the idea had attached itself to my soul and I couldn’t simply stand by anymore.”

“I think it’s safe to say you definitely stepped up for Team Old.”

He chuckled, and the sound was a lot richer and more genuine than I had expected from him. I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard or seen any sign of amusement from him, yet the sound had been easy. Like he was actually capable of humor.

“Every new project is still daunting when I first start digging into its history,” he confessed. “Plantations have so many horror stories. Completely heartbreaking stuff. But preserving that history is crucial. To show how far society has come, we have to show people how things used to be. And with history like that, obviously folks think the place is haunted by more than bad memories.” He shrugged. “Maybe it is.”

I glanced around the room, fully convinced a specter would materialize from the darkness. The shadows made the place look a lot less friendly and warm in here than it had this afternoon. “It’s getting pretty late. We should probably head to bed before a restless spirit decides to join the conversation.”

“Agreed,” he said. “Well, about getting some shuteye. Not about the ghosts. Which bedroom have you chosen? I’ll take one next door so I’m within hollering distance. Just in case you’re right about any uninvited guests showing up.”

“Do you really think it’s necessary for us to sleep in separate bedrooms?” I asked, uncomfortable with the idea of being by myself in the impenetrable gloom. Lightning revealed the world in split-second flashes. It was just enough time to think you saw something before the world went black again.

It might’ve been my imagination, but he sounded pretty relieved himself when he agreed. “I can sleep on the floor in whatever room you’re staying in—if that will make you feel safer. I’ll just take some of these cushions up with me.”

“That’s really not necessary either. We’re both adults. We can share a bed without making it weird.”

“I’m your boss,” he said.

I stood up from the couch I’d been on, smiling, and I focused on those eyes that somehow held their sparkle even in the deepest dark. “So what? If I promise to keep my hands to myself and not to cry sexual harassment in the morning, will you please sleep with me, Niall?”