Chapter 12

Twelve

The entire group ended up sleeping in until mid-afternoon the following day. Ruby and Jinx were the first to wake, followed shortly by myself and Alastair. Lazarus dragged himself from his room, yawning, not long after I entered the dainty southern kitchen. He must've snuck out of my room earlier this morning while everyone was still asleep to avoid being seen. Last night, laying in his arms, I slept better than I had in years, leaving me unsure as to how I was going to survive another night without him. He was beyond comforting, soothing every ounce of my unsettled soul.

The four of us sat around the small kitchen table, whispering to one another as we drank the bitter coffee Ruby had made from a container she found hidden in the cabinet. Thankfully, the electricity had returned earlier. Drinking the hot, black coffee, I wondered if Ruby and Jinx were aware of the electricity cutting off the night before.

Jinx drank her coffee, oblivious of the cloud of whipped cream lingering above her mouth as she greeted me. "Good morning," she signed.

I smiled at her sweetness, greeting her back with my hands, "Good morning."

Ruby chuckled to herself, wiping away the whipped cream with her thumb before licking it from her skin and kissing Jinx sweetly on her freckled nose.

"What was that for?" Jinx asked Ruby.

"Just because I love you."Jinx blushed as Ruby held her thumb, index finger and pinky finger raised, lingering on the last motion of her silent words.

"Well, I love you. Always and forever,"Jinx motioned back, leaving a gentle peck on her girlfriend's cheek. Ruby squeezed her hand, beaming with giddiness as the two exchanged such a sweet, heartfelt moment. They were perfect together, always full of love and bliss.

Cain groaned, interrupting the peaceful moment, slowly rising from the couch as an empty beer bottle rolled from his chest, clinking as the thick dark glass fell to the wooden floor. He stretched his arms, his black hair tousled in every direction, making all sorts of noises that made Alastair's ears twist. "Fuck, man," he yawned. "I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

Ruby raised her cup to her mouth, the steam dancing around her pierced nose, moving with her breath. "You look like it too," she mumbled.

"Stop it." Jinx quickly nudged her, trying to hide her laughter. Lazarus chuckled to himself, his eyes meeting mine as he winked at me. I quickly raised the hot mug to my lips, my cheeks burning at the tiny, flirtatious act.

Cain, oblivious to Ruby's snarky remark, wobbled over to the table as he flopped into an empty chair. He rubbed his face, his eyes hidden behind dark circles, his clothing wrinkled and disheveled. He looked as if he had wrestled some invisible enemy in his sleep, being tugged in all directions. "Are you guys ready to check out the cemetery today?" His reddened eyes raised to meet ours as we all stared at him, shocked by his eagerness despite barely being awake.

"Cain, you just woke up. At least let us finish our coffee first." Lazarus' face scrunched as he inhaled, sipping his coffee. "Wouldn't kill you to take a shower either, considering Alastair smells better than you." Lazarus poked, taking his time as he drank from his mug. Alastair perked at the sound of his name, Ruby choking on her coffee as she spat it back in her cup.

Cain smelled himself, unaware of the reeking scent of alcohol that soaked his skin and lingered heavily on his morning breath. He rolled his eyes, brushing his hair back with his fingers. "Whatever." He stood from the chair, stretching before kissing my head. "Morning, babygirl. Did you have a good night?" I held my breath, my grip tightening around the hot, ceramic mug.

"It was fine," I whispered, forcing a smile. Cain squeezed my shoulder before he left the kitchen and headed to the bathroom, unaware of the sinful acts that transpired between Lazarus and myself the night before.

"Last night was pretty eventful, huh?" Ruby asked over her coffee, her eyebrow raised. My head shot in her direction, my eyes wide as I swallowed hard.

"What do you mean?" I asked, Lazarus' eyes moving to me, faint worry falling over his face.

Ruby's eyebrows pressed down as she shook her head, puzzled by my response. "The storm?" She motioned around. I exhaled, immediately relieved she wasn't referring to Lazarus and me. Fuck, that was close. I could see Lazarus' shoulders relaxing, allayed that our secret was safe.

"Yeah, it was wild." My eyes fell to my coffee as my fingers traced the round ceramic top with meekness. I shifted in my seat when something touched my ankle and slowly began to run along my leg, stroking me with a delicate touch. My gaze shot forward to find Lazarus smiling, leaning back in his chair as he drank his coffee. His posture told me he was fully aware of what he was doing, enjoying the reaction I had given him.

"I mean, I don't know how you guys were able to get any sleep. Last night was eventful," Ruby groaned. I coughed on my bitter coffee while Lazarus hid his smile. "Seriously, Alaska, that storm was insane. The thunder last night was so intense, it startled Jinx. She could feel the vibrations in her chest. Thankfully, we were able to sleep through most of it after taking some sleeping pills, but damn. I don't know how you guys were able to get any sleep, especially with that thunder."

"Oh, we felt it all right." Lazarus raised a brow as he drank his coffee, his leg moving along mine. My thighs tightened, fighting back the small hints of excitement. Thankfully, neither Ruby nor Jinx noticed my fidgeting. "That storm was a real banger." Lazarus joked.

Ruby eyed him, shaking her head. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Can you stop being so fucking weird? Seriously." He shook his head, smiling like a child as she sighed. "Look, we've only been here one night, and I'm already done with this place. We need to find that damn cemetery, do our little investigation to make Cain happy, then head back home. I'm not sure what it is, but this whole town gives me the creeps. Something about this place is just… off."

Couldn't agree more.