7. One Bloody Year

SEVEN

ONE BLOODY YEAR

JASON

After our date at the bonfire, we didn't even try to pretend that nothing had happened. The next day, we shared a ride to the gas station. During our shift, we couldn't take our eyes off each other, but somehow, we kept our hands and mouths to ourselves—at least until we got back to the hotel. Needless to say, he stayed another night. And another.

Seven days later, I told him to bring his stuff in because I couldn't stand watching him go out to his car whenever he needed a change of clothes.

We both didn't realize it at the time, but that was when he moved in. It just felt natural. No discussion necessary. As if there was no other way.

Days turned into weeks.

Before him, I spent most of my time working ten to twelve hours a day and playing whatever game was hot on one of the three consoles I owned at night. I kept myself busy with the excuse of running a business and taking care of a property my family was trying to sell. I'd go on a date once in a while when I had a day off, but let's face it. By the time I turned thirty, I'd resigned myself to spending most of my time alone. I told myself that it was okay, that the only person's love that I needed was mine. That worked for me for years. I had found my rhythm. I would say that I was happy, maybe not fulfilled, but my life wasn't bad.

After Nicholas scared his way into my heart, that perspective changed: he became a part of my life that I did not know I was missing.

It wasn't even like we were doing anything special, just things that probably sounded boring to most people. We cooked, watched horror movies, and tried out the latest two-player games. On our days off, we would go hiking or drive to Ashbourne to see a movie.

We also fucked every night. The more often we did it, the more we both craved it. Afterward, we would lie in bed, arm in arm, and fantasize about what to do with all the rooms in the hotel without actually planning to put any of our ideas into action. We talked until we fell asleep, and when we woke up in the morning, Nicholas was clinging to me as if he was freezing, even when it was eighty degrees in our room.

He didn't just make me feel wanted. He made me feel needed and… alive . With him, even mopping the vast hotel floors became a blast.

We worked together every day—of course, with all the shenanigans we had established in Nicholas' first week. He constantly attempted to scare me, and the more often he tried, the better he got at it. After each scare, my heart would beat faster than the last time, not only because of the adrenaline but also because of his broad grin as he held me close afterward. These scares were his way of showing me how much I meant to him. And strangely, I couldn't wait to see what he would come up with next.

Before we knew it, we celebrated Christmas, then New Year, then his birthday, then Valentine's Day (which became Ghoul entine's Day for us), then my birthday.

At the end of April, he told me he had to fly home to Seattle. His driving license was about to expire, and since he didn't have a home address, he was still using his parents'.

I'll never forget the grin on his face when I offered to use the hotel's address instead.

"That would mean I live here, like, officially ," he uttered.

"Aren't you?" I simply replied, and that was the end of that conversation.

The next day, I left him alone at the gas station for three hours, drove to Ashbourne, and got replacement keys for the hotel. By afternoon, I had them wrapped up like a present, with the rubber spider mounted inside that would jump at him when he opened it. I gave them to him when we got back home.

It was that night that he told me he loved me for the first time.

I was so euphoric at his confession that I gave him a million kisses and the fuck of the century in return, only to realize the next day at work that I hadn't even said the words back. (I made up for it within two minutes after my realization and all night long.)

By October, we had spent a full year together, and Nicholas was as much a part of Seastone as if he had never lived anywhere else. He knew all the regulars at the gas station by their first names, including their favorite treats and how they liked their coffee. After exploring the entire town, documenting all of it for his channel, he knew every street name and what business used to be in which empty building. He edited all the footage into a short online web series called ‘Seastone Secrets,' and it quickly caught people's interest all over town. More and more Seastonians agreed to tell their stories on camera, resulting in an influx of followers on his channel that nearly doubled his subscriber base to over six hundred people. Whenever I asked him if this might be his calling, he replied it was just a hobby that made him happy—and that he would not change that. But thanks to the show, he soon became so well-connected that he was even asked to pose as a zombie for the announcement poster shoot for this year's bonfire, an honor he gladly accepted.

I never dreamed it would turn out like this.

We were so well-rehearsed that sometimes we didn't even have to talk. It was as if we were thinking the same things. When I thought about getting a pizza for dinner, he would come in with two pizza boxes. When he said he wanted to see a specific movie, I had already bought tickets for a screening. When someone asked about my eye patch, he told the exact bloody lie I was thinking about before I could.

It was bone-chillingly amazing.

I stood behind the counter, hunched over some bills I had to prepare for my tax guy. The gas station was quiet. Uncomfortably quiet. Sure, some music was playing in the background, but that didn't distract me enough from the fact that I was alone.

It was the third time this week that I was on my own for my shift. Nicholas had gone to help Jack with one of his jobs. Again .

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't upset about it. I was just curious about how much help Jack would need from now on. He was self-employed and did whatever the people of Seastone paid him to do. Sometimes, like when he had to move furniture, he needed an extra set of hands. Since Nicholas was handy with anything and selfless like a good Samaritan, it only took one mention from Jack for Nicholas to offer to help whenever the need arose.

Like he did today.

Or so I thought.

I wish I could have seen my face when Jack—who was supposed to be working with my boyfriend—walked into the gas station alone .

It was just after eight, and if I hadn't been on my second cup of coffee, I would've thought I was hallucinating.

The bell rang, bringing my head up from the documents, and Jack manifested in front of me. No ‘ hello,' no ‘ how are you ,' and no explanation for why he was here. He just stood there, making a face like he was forced to suck on a lemon.

"Where is Nicholas?" I finally asked after watching the scene for a minute.

"I can't tell you," Jack replied. He peeked at me but went back to staring at his feet, like a dog who knew he shouldn't have eaten my donut when I wasn't looking. "He's alive and well, if that's what you're wondering. So,… nothing to worry about. Well,… nothing to worry about in terms of his health . At least, I think so. I'm not a doctor… for humans?—"

"Jack, why can't you tell me where he is?"

"Because I promised not to. I shouldn't even be here."

"Then why are you here?"

If Jack had been a dog, his tail would be tucked away so well by now that it would seem like he never had one. The only thing missing was for him to whimper and hide his nose under his paws.

"For the record, officially, I'm not here."

"Well, then, I must be seeing ghosts." I leaned against the counter behind me. "Do you want a coffee or something? Or did you just come here to tell me you can't talk to me about anything?"

He forced a smile, his eyes darting across the counter. "Coffee sounds great, and, uh, a donut. Please."

I turned to the coffee machine and pressed the buttons for a cappuccino. As the machine clicked and cracked, I walked to the display and slid open the glass cover. "Which donut do you want?" I pointed to the chocolate-glazed one. "We have the I-know-I-shouldn't-tell-you-anything-but-I-have-to-Donut and the…" I pointed to one with crumbled cookies on top, "… Nothing-is-going-on-I-am-just-weird-today-Donut ."

Jack stared at my hands, his eyes open so wide that I was afraid they would pop out. He pointed to one with white sugar icing. "I'll take the Your-boyfriend-has-me-involved-in-a-plan-that-is-way-too-crazy-so-I-have-to-warn-you-even-though-I-promised-to-keep-my-mouth-shut-Donut ."

I tilted my head. "Is this for here or to go?"

This news wouldn't have come as much of a surprise if Jack hadn't been standing in front of me like a ghost. Nicholas was always planning his next scare for me. That was one thing I loved about him. It was his way of showing me how much I meant to him. It wasn't even new that he involved Jack. He was there when Nicholas made that fake proposal a year ago, asking me to be his ghoulfriend. Jack was also there when Nick played a prank on me, where he showed me a video on his phone, put his arm around me (or what I thought was his arm), and then walked away while his arm still stayed on my shoulder (it was Jack's arm).

This, though? Whatever it was, it had to take on a whole new dimension for Jack to be so distressed.

The coffee machine beeped, announcing that it was done. I grabbed the donut with the silicone tongs and placed it in a paper bag. With a quick twist, I grabbed the steaming cappuccino and placed both items on the counter in front of Jack. He pulled his credit card out of a pocket in his jacket.

"It's on the house," I said.

His hand froze in mid-motion before he could throw his plastic money on the counter. "If I tell you about it?"

"No? Because you're my friend? You seem tense and in need of some sugar."

He squinted his eyes. "No, please let me pay if we don't exchange?—"

"Eat the donut, Jack," I barked at him. "You probably haven't even had breakfast."

He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. The muscles in his neck tightened for a second as his eyes swept over the counter. "You know me way too well." The paper bag rustled as he brought it to his mouth. He pushed the donut up far enough for the top to stick out and bit into the sweet treat.

"Happens," I replied, watching him take three bites in half a second, wolfing it down like he hadn't eaten in days.

"It's disconcerting, Jason," he said, his mouth half full.

"What is?"

"Nicholas' plans for your Halloween!" He took another mouthful, and as he chewed, his eyes darted around the gas station, still looking everywhere but at me. "And just for the record, it was all his idea."

Jack inhaled two more bites of the donut. "It's evil. What he has planned would scare the hell out of anyone."

"Jack, spit it out now."

"He's going to take you to a romantic dinner and then drive you up into the hills, you know, to the overlook where you can see the entire valley."

Taking me to the local make-out spot didn't sound so evil to me.

"But that's just the set-up." Jack crumpled up the empty paper bag and crossed his arms over his chest. "He's planning to re-enact a full-blown horror movie. With me dressed as a fake killer, chasing you two through the woods, and then fake killing him in front of you. With fake blood and fake everything ."

"Is that why you ‘called' him so many times to help you?"

"That was just a ruse so we could plan, yes."

I couldn't hide a grin anymore—adding even more worry to Jack's face.

"Why are you grinning like a maniac?"

I shook my head. I couldn't believe he would go to such lengths to scare me. "This guy freaking loves me."

Jack frowned so hard he looked ten years older. "By pretending to die in front of you?"

"It's… our thing."

"What is wrong with you?"

"It's hard to describe."

A shake of his head quickly joined his frown. " Great. And now that I've told you, you have to pretend not to know anything."

"No." I slammed my hands on the counter and stared at him. "This is perfect. I need your help."

Jack winced. "I don't like where this is going."

"Nicholas will like it, though." I pointed at the air in front of me as an idea formed in my head. "What if… we put a scare in there for him, too? Make it look like things are going wrong? Maybe… a real killer shows up."

"And kills you?"

"I was thinking more of you, Jack." I took a step closer to him as the plan became more precise in my mind. " Another fake killer will kill the fake killer, who will then come after us, but Nicholas will think it's a real one."

"Oh, please, no, Jason. Please," Jack whined. "You know I don't like this scary stuff, and now I have to pretend to die? It's bad enough that Nick calls me Jack the Ripper all the time. Now I'm supposed to become—what?—Jack, the ripped…?"

"How about free donuts for a month? Scratch that. Free donuts forever ."

"You already never let me pay for anything."

"Well, true, but from now on, you get to feel good about it."

He rolled his eyes, sighed, and walked over to the donut display as if accepting his fate. "Fine," he groaned, pointing at one with sprinkles. "I'll have the Why-are-my-gay-friends-so-weird-Donut ."

I rushed over and put the one he pointed to, as well as a chocolate-glazed and a blueberry muffin, into a bag.

"How are you going to make that happen anyway?" Jack asked. "More fake killers means more people, and everyone will be pretty busy with the bonfire."

"How about we get that young guy involved who did all the sound effects for last year's horror hike? The one who lives with Dany and Laura."

"Alex? You're too late for that. Guess where Nicholas is right now."

"Oh damn, of course, he would ask for his help. But that's good! That means he will already be there! What if he gets fake killed, too? And, yeah …" It all came together in my head. All the movies we had watched and how Nicholas always boasted that he wouldn't make all the mistakes the people in the movies made—it was the perfect training for this moment. "I have to make some phone calls. But it's going to be epic. He's going to be so scared ."

Jack smiled wearily. "I'm going to have nightmares about this for weeks." He bit into the sprinkled donut and ate half of it in one bite. "You can bet I'll be coming here every day for my free donuts."

"Have as many donuts as you want. I need you for this."

"Well, I'm here for you." He paused briefly as his smile turned heartfelt, "I want you to know that I'm happy for you guys. I probably don't understand why you're doing this, but it's nice to see you so… full of life . Never let this man leave Seastone." He took the coffee and turned toward the exit. "I have to get back to work. I'm free tonight to plan whatever crazy stuff you come up with. Just please, nothing too gory." The bell above the door rang as he pushed it open. "Oh, who am I kidding?"

"I'll call you."

"I know the drill. No texts, not to risk him finding out."

He gave me one last glance before he walked outside. As the door fell back into its frame, I watched him walk over to his truck and shake his head.

I knew what this must look like to him, but this was just too perfect. My whole body tingled. I was excited. Nicholas would never see it coming.

"Sorry that I took so long," Nicholas said, two pizza boxes in his hand as he slipped through the swinging door into the former hotel dining room that was now our studio apartment. "Jack needed help with other things, and I didn't want to leave him alone."

My ears perked up at Nicholas' words, and I struggled to hide my smile.

He didn't know that Jack had come to me earlier and told me everything.

It was just shortly after seven in the evening, and I had used the time alone to try out a game I had bought two months ago but never got around to playing. I paused it in the middle of a fight scene because no matter what, he was more important.

"What did you two do?" I asked, biting my lip because I didn't want to reveal what I had learned.

"Nothing interesting. I helped him prepare some things for the bonfire, and we moved some materials for Dany around." He scowled. "I also kind of promised to help him two more times next week. Is that okay, boss ?"

I pushed my head forward and pursed my lips.

Technically , I was his boss. Did we act like this at work? Not at all. He had become my partner there, just as he was here. I wouldn't stand in his way if he said he thought his time was better spent elsewhere. Still, that didn't stop us from playing out that whole boss-employee thing sometimes when it was just us.

"You're going to miss work again?" I replied in the sternest voice I could muster. "How are you going to make up for it?"

Nicholas fell silent as he slipped out of his jacket and threw it over the chair. I searched for his eyes, but he kept them on the floor until he dropped onto the couch next to me.

"You know, I'm kidding?" I added.

"I do. But… I'm actually going to make it up to you." He searched for my gaze. "What do you think about letting me take you to a fancy dinner next Sunday? Gary even agreed to start at five this year so we can leave on time."

Ever since Jack had told me what they were planning, it had dawned on me that Nicholas had to make some kind of first move to at least get me on stage. I couldn't just play along, though. I didn't want him to get suspicious.

I narrowed my eyes. "On Halloween?"

"Yeah," he leaned back, stretching his arms over his head. "I know—it's the scariest and busiest day of the year, but…" He took a deep breath and laid his hand on my knee. "It's also kind of our anniversary?" His eyes met mine. "And I want to show you how much you mean to me."

"By having a fancy dinner?"

"By treating you to an unforgettable night."

Unforgettable, indeed. I put the controller on the coffee table and faced him. "How fancy are we talking?"

" Fancy -fancy."

"Black-tie-fancy?"

"No, not that much. More like nice-shirt-fancy. Taft-Burns-Family- fancy."

I pursed my lips. "I could go on a fancy date. With you. Anytime." That was as far as I could go. I had to change the subject now, or I would risk revealing that I knew there was more to this invitation than either of us was letting on.

He squeezed my leg and leaned in for a kiss. As our mouths met, Nicholas wrapped his hands around my head. Knowing what he was up to made me want him even more. I raised my right hand to his chest. Our tongues fought with each other as if dinner was going to be something other than pizza.

"I'm sorry. I have to get my Jason dose," he whispered. "Not being with you all day is terrible."

The urge to tease him for knowing what I knew was strong, but I held it in. "Same," I said instead, biting on my lower lip. "What exactly does your daily dose of Jason consist of?"

"A little of this," he said, kissing me again. "A bit of that." He brought his nose to my neck and inhaled deeply. "And a lot of…" His hand reached for my bulge, cupping my dick.

"Will you get sick if you don't get your medicine right away ?"

"My doctor told me not to even think about missing one dose."

I reached for his bulge and wrapped my hand around his already hard cock. "What are we going to do about it then?"

As I felt him up, my dick also grew. Even after all these months, after all the times I'd fucked him, I was still into him like it was the first day. I slipped my hand behind the waistband of his pants, into his underwear, and twirled my fingers around the head of his penis. Nicholas leaned back, his mouth open wide, not taking his eyes off me, as if he, too, couldn't believe that the fire between us only seemed to burn brighter every day.

I pulled my hand out again and brought it to my nose, smelling my finger. His masculine, musky scent made my cock twitch. "Great, now I'm hungry," I said, dropping onto my knees in front of the couch. He spread his legs wide as I nestled between them and fumbled with his zipper. His dick popped out of his pants, right in my face. I let it slide into my mouth until his cock was completely inside me. As much as I liked to top him, I knew he was a man, too. Every guy wanted a blowjob at least once in a while. Nicholas was no exception.

I tugged at his pants to get rid of them. I needed more access to give him the relaxation he deserved today. He lifted his legs, careful not to ram his knees into my nose. When his jeans were finally off, I wrapped my lips around his glans. Nicholas' cock was drop-dead gorgeous. It had perfect proportions and the perfect size, big enough to fill out my mouth but not so big that it would hurt when I went deep.

I grabbed his balls and squeezed them lightly in my hands.

His moans finally filled the room, letting me know I had chosen the right treatment today. Whenever he enjoyed what I was doing, he didn't hold back the sounds of his pleasure.

My lips and hands traded places. I sucked his balls into my mouth while my fingers ran up and down his shaft.

He held his breath for a moment before even louder moans escaped his body. I knew by now that he liked to be rimmed, blown, and fucked, but nothing made him moan like when I sucked on his balls.

His hands clenched into fists and slammed into the couch. "Oh, damn, Jason…"

I swirled my tongue around his balls before sliding it down to his crack. He leaned back and lifted his legs to give me more access. My hands raced up and down his cock, just as my tongue worked up and down, constantly alternating between licking his ass and sucking on his balls.

His breathing increased. His eyes wandered between me and the ceiling as if trying to hide that he was about to come soon, knowing I might stop otherwise. The lust in his eyes as his brows curled when I stopped right before his orgasm, the begging to go on, the cries of excitement when he finally got his release, and how he cuddled up to me afterward because the delayed orgasm was three times as intense as a regular one—that was usually what would make me stop right now.

Not today.

I wrapped my lips around his dick and bobbed my head up and down. My right hand took over playing with his balls, my left hand massaging his perineum. He panted. His mouth grew wider and wider, his eyes fixed on me.

"Jason, I'm… about to… what? "

I kept going. His head slumped against the back of the couch as his entire body shook. He held his breath for a moment, the room falling silent before the heaviest moan flooded the hotel—and his cum filled my mouth.

Four spurts—each one making his dick throb and his legs shake more than the one before—right down my throat.

" Jason …" He panted, his hands rushing to my head as if he wanted to pull me off because I had made a mistake. " What? "

It wasn't one. I'd waited long enough for when he was so used to being edged that he wouldn't expect to get off on the first try. Today was all about him relaxing. This was about his horniness, his dick, his pleasure.

When he calmed down, I let his dick slide out of my mouth, being careful not to spill his cum. I looked at him, and just as his arched eyebrows announced he was wondering if I was going to spit it out, I swallowed his entire load.

His dick twitched and flopped up, squeezing out another drop of cum. "You're killing me." His right hand rushed to his cock, gripping it tight. "How did I deserve that?"

I pushed myself up. Now, towering over him as he lay naked, but for his shirt, on the couch in front of me, I hovered my face close above him.

"You deserve everything," I whispered.

He sat up and pressed his mouth to my lips. "Your turn," he said, but I pulled away with a grin.

"No need," I replied. "Today was all about you."

"But you're hard, too." He reached for my bulge.

The feeling of his hand on my dick was a good one.

"How about this? Let's eat first. But you'll stay naked." I nodded at his exposed dick. "And whenever I feel ready, I'll take the lead."

"But you won't tell me when that's going to happen?" His dick twitched again, growing back in size.

"You love that, don't you?"

He nodded. "I love you ."

"I love you, too."