Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Shane

The lights from Shane's truck broke through the nightfall to reveal the lonely cabin. Shuttered windows. An empty porch. There was no one to welcome Milo home. He and Milo had little in common, but in that way they were exactly the same.

Shane found himself feeling sorry twice.

Once for himself and again for the boy next to him.

It was a strange feeling and one he pushed down hard.

"This is you."

"Are you sure?" Milo frowned as he held Pumpkin close and gave her a scratch behind her ears. It was an odd thing. That dog never liked anyone, she hadn't even cared much for Shane when he'd first adopted her, but she seemed to have fallen in love with Milo. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I'm doubting you or anything. It's just…it's so dark out there."

That it was.

Their houses were on an off-road deep in the woods and on top of twinned hills. A dead end with no street lamps to guide the way. The only lights were the front beams of Shane's truck.

"You'll uh…you get used to it," Shane grunted as he turned down the little path that led closer to Milo's new home. The truck's tires squealed while fighting the steep incline.

He'd count this as more than his good deed of the day.

Might as well have been his good deed for the rest of the goddamn year.

"So, this is it?" Milo's question was genuine.

"Yep," Shane answered simply enough and swallowed as he kept his hands on the steering wheel. His knuckles turned white.

"It looks different from what I saw in the photos. And the virtual tour." Milo's voice took on an odd tone. "It looks kinda…haunted."

Milo gave Shane a hopeful look. Both of them did, the boy and the dog. Shane couldn't meet their gazes for long. He heard the implication loud and clear.

Milo wanted him to go first to check things out and goddamn it, Shane shouldn't kick him out of the truck and leave him to fend for himself.

He wouldn't. He couldn't.

How could he be so soft for a boy he'd only met less than an hour ago? Shane wasn't faring any better against Milo's endearing charm than his dog had.

"Fine," Shane relented with a grunt. "I'll scout ahead."

Not that he'd find anything. Or anyone. The only home invasions Hope Peak experienced were visits from unwanted wildlife.

"The realtor said the keys are under the mat!"

Shane took a glance over his shoulder. Through the windshield, he saw Pumpkin step into Milo's lap. Milo wrapped an arm around the dog and cuddled her close.

Despite its age, the property was in good condition.

It was land that had been well-tended and a house that had been well-loved. As far as Shane could tell, the only thing missing was a well-built fence to separate it from the rest of the world.

The keys were exactly where they were supposed to be. Shane put the cheery welcome mat back in place and slotted the keys into the front door. It opened without even a creak. He flicked on the porch light and turned back toward the truck.

"All clear," Shane hollered. "No ghosts."

He watched as Milo and Pumpkin gleefully bounded through the snowfall, thick flakes sticking to hair and fur. Shane stared, briefly mesmerized by a snowflake stuck on Milo's eyelash.

"Thanks," Milo said as he joined Shane up on the porch. Pumpkin barreled ahead and went to explore. Milo took a peek past Shane's shoulder into the dark of the house, and offered a shy smile. "It looks…lonely now."

Shane took a deep breath and let it go. "Fine," he relented, "I guess I can stick around for a bit. Just while you poke around some."

Milo might have feared loneliness, but he wouldn't be lonely for long. Word of his move onto the mountain would spread like wildfire and soon enough he'd damn near be fighting the women off with a stick.

Bachelors were a rare commodity on Hope Peak and one as comely as Milo would cause quite the ruckus.

"Come on in!" Milo chirped as he grabbed Shane's hand and pulled him inside.