Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Sebastian Storm closed and locked the gate to Storm House. For the first time in six years, he was outside the wrought iron bars.

He barely glanced at the old Victorian house as he turned toward James's truck. He couldn't believe any of this was happening. The reality of his escape hadn't hit him, not fully, but he could feel it coming. Happiness was building inside him so quickly that it was almost sickening. And out of all the things he was escaping Storm House to do, he never thought it'd be to go on a date with James Gray.

"Let's go." James's excitement was palpable as he waved Sebastian to the passenger side of his truck. God, he was adorable. Sebastian never dreamed he'd be able to make a grumpy man like that smile so goofily.

Sebastian got in the truck. James started the engine with the push of a button and the magical battery sprang to life. There was no hint that the vehicle had been sitting neglected on the side of the road for weeks while James had been imprisoned at Storm House.

James pulled out onto the winding road, heading through the tall trees toward Moonlight Falls. As they left Storm House behind, Sebastian's stomach twisted. His chest tightened and, for a second, he couldn't breathe. For years, he'd wanted nothing except to escape the property and his family's curse. Now that the moment was here, happiness wasn't the only emotion threatening to overtake him.

A hand clasped his knee. Sebastian looked over to see James's brow furrowed, his face calm and concerned.

"You okay?"

"I—" For a split second, Sebastian worried he'd burst into tears. "It's hard to believe I'm actually leaving." His voice betrayed him, sounding small and unsteady.

James squeezed his knee before returning his hand to the steering wheel. "I know, and I was only stuck for a couple of weeks. I can't imagine what driving away feels like for you."

Sebastian cleared his throat and turned to stare blankly out the window. "Yeah."

James was so understanding, and sometimes, Sebastian found it frustrating. James was so good all the time. Sebastian didn't always deserve the benefit of the doubt, yet James never hesitated to give it to him.

"If you aren't in the mood for a date, we don't have to go out now," James continued.

Sebastian pulled at the cuffs of the leather jacket he'd stolen from James. The sleeves were too short because Sebastian was taller and had longer arms, but he liked the jacket. It smelled like James, and his broad-shouldered frame meant his jacket engulfed Sebastian's narrow body in a way he found endlessly comforting.

"No, let's go now." Sebastian pushed his funny mood down. "We should be celebrating getting out of the damn house. Right?"

"Definitely." James's lips twitched into a smile.

Sebastian's heart ached. There was no way he was turning down a date with James Gray. He'd only been dreaming about going on one for most of his life .

Sebastian's crush on James began when they were kids and never really died. The feelings started before he even realized what they meant. Hell, James had been key in Sebastian figuring out he was queer. He'd been the source of the most angsty bi panic it was possible for a young boy to have.

Not that James knew any of this. Sebastian certainly wasn't going to tell him. James had hardly noticed him growing up, and Sebastian didn't need to make things weird.

It wasn't like he'd ever tried to talk to James back then. Crushes had been terrifying when he was young. He hadn't had the courage to approach anyone he'd liked until his last year of high school, and by then, James had been gone. Sebastian's self-confidence hadn't found him until he was in college, far away from Moonlight Falls.

Sebastian concentrated on the redwoods zipping past his window as James drove toward town. The sight didn't help his sinking mood. Happiness was slowly eclipsed by discomfort. He shifted in his seat. Sebastian had never liked these woods, never liked living at Storm House, even before he was imprisoned or knew about the curse. He'd hated being banished out there every summer, but he'd recently learned something to make him hate these woods even more, and once James found out, things wouldn't be so great between them.

Sebastian should have come clean with what he knew, but he was selfish. He wasn't good like James. He wanted their date and another night together. Screw everything else. He wanted things to be nice before they got ruined again.

Because things always got ruined, and Sebastian wasn't silly enough to hope anything good could last.

As they rolled into town, James pointed excitedly at Gray Electrical. For someone who spent ninety percent of his time scowling and grumbling, he could be adorably sincere.

Sebastian had always found James's prickliness hot. As a teen, it had been mysterious. He'd wanted to be the one to make James smile. Now, he was the one making James happy. He'd gotten that wish and discovered he loved making the man frown in frustration just as much.

They drove into the town center. The circular road lined with old buildings looked unchanged, giving Sebastian a disorienting jolt. It could have been six years ago, ten years ago, fourteen. He didn't like not being able to see the effect of time on Moonlight Falls. He'd hated so much about this place as a kid and had never intended to return.

"It feels good to be home." James's posture sagged with relief as he pulled into the back parking lot at Moonlight Diner.

Sebastian frowned at the other parked cars. "I don't understand how you love this place so much."

"What do you mean?" James turned off the truck and faced him. "The magic here just feels right. You're a Moonlighter. You know what I mean."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. Some of the citizens of Moonlight Falls believed this place called to them. They were townies whose families had lived here for generations, and they were all obsessed with the place. The Storms had been around just as long, but Sebastian had no idea what people were talking about. Moonlight Falls didn't call him home. It wasn't some comfort in the dark. The whole damn place was cursed, plaguing his very existence.

"Moonlight Falls is just a town." Sebastian unbuckled his seatbelt. Honestly, it was like most of the people here had been brainwashed into loving the dirt under their shoes, like being raised here indoctrinated you into a cult.

James looked mildly offended. "You don't like it here?"

"Why would I?" Sebastian got out of the truck. Seeing the diner and the little park beside it made him feel like a lonely kid again. What was there to like about that?

James frowned. It was his thoughtful frown, as opposed to his annoyed frown or his stressed-out frown. "Would you like to go somewhere else for dinner?"

Shit. Sebastian was ruining everything. He was supposed to be living out his teenage fantasy of a date with James—which had definitely included the diner as their date location—not bitching about how much he disliked Moonlight Falls. He knew James was practically in love with this town.

The town loved James back, so Sebastian couldn't really blame him. Mutual affection was a heady thing.

Sebastian walked around to James's side of the truck. "No, I don't want to go somewhere else. Being back in town is just freaking me out. It looks so much the same that it's like the last six years might never have happened. But not in a good way."

James pulled Sebastian into a hug, and for one long embrace, Sebastian forgot all his negative thoughts.

"Those years definitely happened. The curse is more than enough evidence of that, and dealing with it isn't over." James pulled back to look at Sebastian. "We can't leave the veins feeding off the fuel cell forever, so we've got to figure that out. And there's a lot of people mad at me. Maybe it's silly, but I want to do something nice with you. Something simple for us before we deal with the rest."

Sebastian nodded. His mind was caught on all the times James had said we . Moonlight Fall's golden boy didn't need to help him with the Storm House curse now that he was free. But the fact that he said he would, like it was the most natural thing, made Sebastian ache all over.

"You're right. We deserve this. Come on." He pulled James's hand, and they walked around the side of the diner to the entrance. "Just so you know, I expect a milkshake with two straws and a chocolate-flavored kiss on this date."

James chuckled. "That's very specific. Almost like you've been fantasizing about it."

Sebastian's cheeks burned, but he walked ahead so James wouldn't notice. James was just teasing him. There was no way he knew how often Sebastian had pictured that scene. "Yeah, well, I've been fantasizing about ice cream and dairy in general since living without electricity for years."

Sebastian entered the diner and froze. There were people, of course there were, but the sight shocked him. Before James turned up, Sebastian hadn't seen more than one person at a time in six years. Before James, he hadn't spent more than a few minutes with anyone, and now, suddenly, four people were staring at him.

He shrank into James's leather jacket, hunching his shoulders.

"Hi," Eli called out, wearing a dumbfounded expression. His mouth hung open.

James rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey." He did his best to avoid his younger brother's stare.

Eli marched over and put a hand on his hip. "Don't you hey me," he growled in a loud whisper. "You haven't been home in weeks, and you're just going to walk in here like it's a typical Thursday?"

Pain laced Eli's words, making guilt wash over Sebastian. It was his fault James had been trapped at Storm House. His tongue bound, like Sebastian's, prevented him from telling anyone about the curse imprisoning them. He hadn't meant to get James trapped—it had been an epic fuck up—but Sebastian had still dragged James into his mess and put James at risk because he didn't know all the ins and outs of the magic he was messing with. And now James had to deal with the fallout.

"Sorry, Eli." James clasped his brother's shoulder. He was taller than Eli, who was slimmer than James's broad-shouldered, muscular build, but the brothers had the same nose and well-defined jaw.

Eli huffed.

"We want to explain everything." Sebastian tried to ignore the other three customers who were not so subtly watching their conversation. "I know James disappearing didn't make sense, but—" His words trailed off. He was surprised he'd been able to say that much. The silencing spell keeping the curse's existence secret was usually much stricter, not even allowing him to hint at anything being wrong.

"You and Parker should meet us at home after you get off," James continued for him. "We'll explain everything then, I promise."

Eli crossed his arms, pulling from James's grip. "What the hell, you guys? That's all you're going to say? We'll talk later? That is not enough to make me drop this. How do I know you'll even be home when I get there?"

"We'll be there," Sebastian promised. "This is all my fault. I'm sorry, Eli. I can't explain it all now, not here." He couldn't help glancing at the people at the back of the diner.

"Fine." Eli closed his eyes momentarily, then opened them with a forced smile. "Would you guys like some menus?"

James accepted the dark-blue laminated menus and led Sebastian to a booth by the window. He didn't choose the one beneath the photo of himself, showing him off as the local swimming champion. Sebastian would have teased James about the old picture and his obvious effort not to look at the display, but he found everything in the diner too distracting.

Being here was surreal. The smells, the sounds, everything from the pie cases on the counter to the photos on the walls were so familiar, but it felt like he hadn't been here in a million years. Like the last time he'd been to a restaurant of any kind was in another lifetime.

Sebastian slid into the blue vinyl booth across from James.

He gave Sebastian a sheepish grin. "Ideally, a date wouldn't begin with my brother giving us hell."

"Nothing about this situation is normal, James."

"You're right." He glanced down at the menu. "But I'm still so happy we're here. And once we figure out how to tell Eli and Parker the truth about what happened, next time we come, it'll be perfect." His tanned cheeks turned slightly pink like he was hopeful and excited about the prospect of more nights at the diner together.

Sebastian squirmed, his stomach dropping. How was James so sure he wanted to take Sebastian out again? "I feel like the secret-binding is loosening," he said instead of acknowledging James's focus on dating. "That conversation was easier than any of our previous ones with Eli."

"That's true." James's eyes widened like he hadn't noticed the difference until now. He wasn't as used to magic dictating his words as Sebastian, who'd been painfully well-acquainted with its limits. "I wonder if getting free has anything to do with it?"

"It must," Sebastian agreed, even though he had no idea how.

His Uncle Stephen had said his mom was bound to secrecy, even though she was never physically trapped by the curse, so he didn't see how leaving the curse and the Storm property affected the tongue binding. Unless his mom's tongue had never been bound that tightly, and she'd chosen not to try and warn him about the curse, regardless of how much she was prevented from revealing it.

A group of teens entered the diner, the bell above the door ringing as their laughter filled the space. Sebastian flinched reflexively, his heart fluttering rapidly at the shock of the sudden noise.

"Are you all right?" James's brows drew together in concern, his lips turning downward.

"Fine." Sebastian smiled and forced an exasperated laugh. "Just startled me." He eyed the teens as they grabbed menus and went to sit at the other end of the diner. His heart continued pounding too fast. What the hell was wrong with him?

James ordered their chocolate milkshake and then dithered over what to eat. He was taking his dinner selection so seriously that you'd think it was the most importing thing he'd done that week. It was almost enough to make Sebastian smile and relax.

Sebastian ordered tater tots, jalape?o poppers, and waffles with whipped cream. He was going to make himself sick, but after years where his meal options were dictated by having no refrigeration, electricity, or ability to go to the store for perishables, he wanted to indulge in everything he'd been deprived of.

James laughed as Sebastian ordered, making Sebastian's heart sing. This was exactly the date he'd imagined for them when he was young. One where they ate ridiculous food and made each other smile.

Eli pressed his lips together like he was struggling to hold back anger as he noted Sebastian's selections and James's final decision to have a burger.

As soon as he walked away, James grabbed Sebastian's hand. "I still can't believe we're here or that my idea with the fuel cell actually worked."

He sounded almost giddy. Sebastian had felt that way too when he'd first stepped beyond the Storm House boundary. Was all of James's excitement for this date just post-escape euphoria that would die down? It would make sense.

Sebastian was less and less sure of things the longer he was free of his biggest problem. "I can't believe it either." Except he wasn't brimming with excitement. Fear that this could all get taken away snuck up on Sebastian unexpectedly. What if he got trapped again? What if this was all temporary?

What if James got tired of him when the giddiness wore off?

More people entered the diner, a family of four closely followed by an older couple. There were just so many people. So much noise. Sebastian found it unsettling not knowing if anyone was going to look at him or try to talk to him. And the idea that more people might come to the diner, filling all the available seats, made his chest tighten for reasons he couldn't explain.

He'd never been anxious like this. All he'd wanted for the past six years was to be around people, to be lost in a crowd, to go to a club and have his ears blasted with loud music as he danced with strangers. Why was he acting like this tiny group of low-key patrons at the diner scared him?

He tried to focus on the milkshake and how good the ice cream tasted. He tried not to look around and ignored everything but James's kind brown eyes. He looked good in the hoodie Sebastian had bought him. Well, the hoodie the personal shopper his lawyer had hired bought him, but whatever.

Even after all these years, James was still Sebastian's dream. His square jaw was more pronounced now than when they were young, his features bolder. He was hard and unrelenting and perfect. Not to mention, he wore the hell out of a leather jacket. The only downside to stealing it was that Sebastian couldn't appreciate James in it anymore.

Eli delivered the tater tots and jalape?o poppers with a cheery, "Here we are."

Sebastian flinched. He hadn't seen Eli coming. He didn't look up. Instead, he focused on the food, trying to get his twisting stomach to settle.

Eli's cheeriness had been overdone, no doubt to remind them he was pissed, but he was at work and forced to be polite. Given that, Sebastian wasn't expecting Eli's next words to come out so delicately. "It's really good to see you out, Sebastian."

He forced himself to look up, intending to roll his eyes or say something snarky, but the kindness in Eli's eyes did something weird to Sebastian's insides.

"Hope we'll be seeing you in town more." Eli offered a small smile before turning to the next table.

Fuck. Sebastian fought back tears like sap. Everyone in town thought he was a recluse who couldn't deal with people, but that wasn't true. It was just the curse trapping him at Storm House and the secret-binding making him lie that had created the illusion that he couldn't handle coming into town. So why did Eli's words touch him like he was taking some big step coming to the diner?

The bell above the door rang and more people came inside. Damn this small town for having nowhere else to go for dinner.

Sebastian's stomach was twisted in too many knots for him to eat. He ran a hand through his overlong hair, pushing it from his eyes. His skin itched and his pulse didn't want to settle. He put his head in his hands, elbows braced on the table. If his chest could stop seizing, maybe he could pull it together.

He didn't get what was happening to him. Why couldn't he deal with being in public? He wasn't a recluse with social anxiety. That was nothing but a lie.

An arm came to rest across his shoulders. "Sebastian." James's gentle whisper tickled his ear.

"Fuck," he swore, refusing to open his eyes or release his head from his hands. He didn't want James to see him like this.

"Why don't we take our food to go?"

Sebastian lifted his head. The lights were too bright. Honestly, who needed things to be this blinding, and why hadn't he noticed how awful the glare was before? Several people were staring at him. Did they realize who he was? Could they tell he was fending off panic?

"Can we get some boxes?" James asked Eli when he returned with the burger and waffles.

Dread washed over Sebastian. He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to be freaking out right now, unable to eat in a damn restaurant. But at the same time, getting away from the noise and unforgiving light seemed vital. He was glad he at least had a choice.

He'd never wanted to be alone, trapped far out of town with no one to talk to. Had he really gotten so accustomed to the forced isolation that the rumors about him had come true? He wanted to say no, but he didn't know how to explain what he was feeling, other than some sort of social anxiety .

James packed up their food and paid. Sebastian followed him outside. Relief hit almost instantly, and he hated it as much as he'd hated every lonely day trapped in that old house.

"We can head to my place." James paused outside the diner. "Or sit in the park."

It was dusk, late enough that the newly installed lights had come on in the town center. Sebastian couldn't remember how many shades were usually around town, but it wasn't like people avoided going out at night because of them. Storm House had always been plagued with scores more than anywhere else.

Not wanting to retreat completely, Sebastian said, "Let's eat out here. It's not that cold."

James carried their dinner to a picnic table by the swing set, directly under a large, bright light.

"Doesn't seem like this date was such a great idea." James fiddled with the lid of his burger container. "I'm sorry. I was too excited to think. You haven't been out in so long. I should have realized it would be overwhelming."

Sebastian's heart constricted painfully. "I wasn't expecting to react like this." He popped a tot in his mouth, taking a moment to enjoy the crunchy, salted potato.

Now that they were away from everyone, he was much calmer. Even the light above them wasn't as oppressive in the open space, and the subtle night sounds were familiar. He breathed more easily as the twinge in his chest disappeared, but he couldn't fully appreciate the calm feeling.

Sebastian had detested the silence of Storm House. The quiet had driven him to desperation countless times. It was messed up that something he'd hated now soothed him.

"It makes sense that your reactions have changed." James gave him a look full of unfaltering understanding. "Maybe ease into social settings gradually, see where your new comfort zone is. A date night at home would have been just as good. We can go watch a movie after dinner. "

The prospect should have perked Sebastian up. How often had he wished he could watch movies or television over the last years?

"You really want to date me, don't you?" Sebastian couldn't help asking. James was a very serious guy, determined and single-minded when he was set on a goal. Sebastian had never thought that focus would be directed at him, especially not now that James was free to escape Sebastian and all his problems.

James frowned like he was surprised by the question. He set down the milkshake he'd been about to sip. "Yeah, I want to date you. I mean, only if you want to. I thought, now that we're free, things could be—but if you don't want to, I mean, I'm hardly your only option now."

Sebastian had no idea where the idea he wouldn't choose James had come from. He wanted James badly, to an almost desperate degree, especially after James had watched him silently unravel in the diner and treated the incident like it was totally normal.

"I want to date you too, James. There's no doubt about that."

James smiled at him. "Perfect." He picked up his burger and took a bite like all was right with the world.

This turn of events was a lot for Sebastian to get his head around. James didn't just want to fuck, which they had been doing rather spectacularly. For some reason, he wanted more with Sebastian. He wanted to see where they went like he was hoping for an actual future together, and not one centered solely around mutual orgasms. Sebastian was floored by the idea. He'd never hoped for a future with James.

He'd never let himself consider a future beyond Storm House. He'd been happy to take any small shred of joy he could find. Hooking up with James had been better than his wildest fantasies, but he'd never hoped for more. Yes, he'd said he'd take care of James, had been vulnerable with him, had made big promises to face fears with him, but that had all been born out of their fucked-up situation. Being imprisoned against their will had made taking risks seem less daunting.

Suddenly, something real together was a possibility, a relationship not built on circumstance, forced proximity, and shared trauma. Sebastian could have more than he'd ever dreamed of. All he'd ever wanted was his freedom. That would have been enough. But no, in addition, he'd been given things he hadn't even dared to ask for.

It was terrifying.

A future with James wasn't an idea he could get attached to. It wouldn't ever happen. They wouldn't last. He knew he'd lose James just like he'd lost everyone and everything else in his life, no matter what James said he wanted right now.

Sebastian and James together forever was an impossibility.

Things would change between them once James discovered what Sebastian was hiding. Sebastian wouldn't blame James for letting go of the idea of the two of them. Anything else was too much to hope for and way more than Sebastian deserved.