An hour later, Emily and I were eating lunch in her enormous backyard. To avoid the scorching sun, we sat under the umbrella of one of her patio tables.

I held up my sandwich. "This is delicious. Thanks for inviting me over."

Emily beamed at the compliment and popped a chip into her mouth. "It's one of the four things I can make. You'll have to come another day, and I'll fix spaghetti."

I took a bite and made a noncommittal humming sound. Damn, her tan legs looked good in those shorts. It'd be hard staying distant from Emily now that she was showing an interest in me.

Dragging my focus from her smooth skin, I examined the backyard. Mature banana trees circled a concrete area the size of my house where water flowed over stacked rocks into a swimming pool, and the constant trickling was a peaceful sound. It was the fanciest yard I'd ever seen, and a world away from my deck surrounded by a mix of sweetgum, and pine trees, and a couple picnic tables.

No wonder her parents wanted her to wait until college to date. They were probably hoping she'd find someone higher class than the typical family around here. I was lucky there wasn't a private school close enough for her to have attended or we never would've met.

She followed my line of sight and said, "I should've thought about it. I would've told you to bring your suit so we could swim."

"That's alright. I was just checking it out. It's nice."

"When I was younger, I'd stay in there until my mom insisted I get out for bedtime. The first year we had it, I even got her to let me have lunch while I floated around." Emily giggled, making me smile.

"Isn't there some rule about waiting after you eat to swim?"

She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "I'm a rebel. What can I say?"

"You live dangerously," I joked, but all I could think about was her cute laugh and the adorable way she wrinkled her nose when she was kidding.

We finished eating, and she stood to collect our plates. "Come on, let's go in; it's getting hot."

"I can wash these. You cooked, so I'll clean." I lifted the dishes, but she took them and waved me away.

"That's okay; I'm just going to rinse them and stick them in the dishwasher." Emily walked inside ahead of me, and I had to force myself to stop studying her curves and the way the tip of her ponytail swung just above her cute round butt.

"Earth to Bash?" She stared at me with her eyebrows raised. I must have zoned out while gawking.

"Sorry, I got distracted. What did you say?"

"I asked about your back. Were the scratches bad?"

"Oh, nah. I kind of forgot about them after everything else that happened."

"It was crazy! I won't be going there again. That was enough of Nolan's dumb ideas for me."

I nodded, glad she wasn't planning a return trip, and she walked behind me to yank my T-shirt up. "Let me see where that cat got you." She gasped. "Bash! There are some nasty scrapes here. I can't believe this doesn't hurt."

Emily dropped my tee, and I shrugged. "It's alright."

Shaking her head, she grasped my arm and towed me down the hall. "You're such a guy. Let's put medicine on those."

I chuckled as Emily led me to a bathroom big enough to park my truck in, then dug around the cabinet, getting out antibacterial gel and bandages. Standing, she waved her hand, instructing me to spin and face the counter.

I did, and when she met my eye in the mirror, I winked, making her cheeks pinken before she pulled my shirt up and her expression grew serious as she carefully applied the ointment to every injury. My back tingled under her feather-light touch as she added sparkling pink band-aids.

As she finished the last spot, I said, "I'm not used to having someone take care of my boo-boos."

She leaned in and softly kissed my shoulder. As our gazes locked in the mirror, my breath caught, and she whispered, "There, all better."

Emily took a step away. I turned to her, letting my palms slide down her sides to the curve of her hips. "Thanks." This wasn't staying distant; I should stop.

But Emily shifted closer, and all my worries drifted away. I held her against me and met her soft lips with mine. Her fingers went up into my hair, tugging me down to her, and distance seemed like a terrible idea.

After years of flirting, it was happening. I deepened the kiss, and she wrapped her arms behind my neck as my hands slid up her back, pressing her tight against my chest.

It might have been seconds or minutes, but it wasn't long enough when a quiet hum alerted us to the garage door opening.

With a frustrated growl, Emily pulled away. "Ugh, my parents. They love to ruin things; probably sensed I was happy and rushed home to squash it." She threw the first aid supplies under the cabinet. "I didn't tell them I was inviting you over."

Lifting her chin, I kissed her once more before straightening up. "We shouldn't be in the bathroom together then, huh?"

"No, we shouldn't." She grabbed my forearm and speed-walked back down the long hallway to the living room.

We sat on the soft leather of the couch with a respectable distance between us just as her parents strolled in. Sweat beaded along my spine as I considered the amount of crystal and gold I could see from my seat. I'd known Emily was well off, but I'd never felt more out of place.

Her mom wore pearls, and a gold Rolex shone on her dad's wrist. They reeked of money and looked like they'd had lunch at a country club I couldn't afford to drive past. On top of that, Emily had always given the impression her folks weren't very nice, and being in their house without their knowledge wasn't how I'd have chosen to meet them.

After spending a little while talking to them, it surprised me how genuine and friendly they were. They asked about my plans for the future, but didn't seem to judge my answers. When I excused myself, saying I had to get home, Emily's mom said I was welcome anytime, and her dad shook my hand and wished me luck with my new job.

Emily walked me to the door. "Sorry about that. They're the worst."

"No, they're great, but I told my dad I'd do some yard work before he got home." Guilt ate at me with the lie, but Emily's parents had cleared my mind and reminded me to keep some space.

She gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Call me tomorrow?"

"Sure. I have some stuff to do early, but I'll try to call tomorrow night, okay?" That would be fine, right? Besides, I wanted to talk to her, and I wasn't giving everything up. I'd make this work.

As soon as I got home, I took out the lawnmower and cut the grass. That way, I didn't lie, or at least I felt better about it. With that finished, I cleaned my truck, putting extra effort into polishing the wheels and the rest of the chrome, making it shine.

I did these things to keep myself busy, but it made no difference; what Owen wanted continued to circle in my mind. There were so many negatives—I wouldn't be able to see Emily, or my friends, and I'd have to lie to Dad. Plus, what the hell did I know about fighting monsters?

Owen said he'd handle it, but that was the worst part. It was my body. Owen would use it, but I could die. I didn't have any big plans for my life, but I'd rather not kick the bucket while I was still a virgin.

None of that mattered if I could find out what happened to Mom or protect other people. The bottom line was, no matter what it cost, I'd help. I couldn't live with myself otherwise.

A engine rumbled to a stop beside me; Dad was home. Rolling the window down, he pointed at the cleaning supplies and said, "Hey! Are you finished?"

I scoffed and waved at my truck. "Yeah. Can't you tell? It's beautiful."

Dad laughed. "It's great, but I haven't seen a speck of dirt on it since you got it. Have you eaten?"

"No, I guess I lost track of time. I cut the grass before I started on this."

"Well, thanks for that. Want to go grab burgers and shakes?"

"Sounds good." I hopped in his truck, and we headed to dinner at our favorite diner.

Later that night, I lay in bed with questions swirling in my mind. How would Owen get inside my head? And how would we get him out?

I should ask Owen a few more things.

***

Before Dad woke, I was out the door, ready to get things started with Owen. Dad usually slept in on Sundays anyway, so he wouldn't notice I left before daylight.

Driving slowly, I reminded myself I was doing the right thing. It was normal to be queasy with nerves when you were planning to let another dude inhabit your body, so you could hunt monsters you'd never even heard of until yesterday, right? I pushed my hair back with a sigh. Yep, totally typical, nothing to stress over.

I glanced at the glove box holding the articles Owen had given me and took a slow breath. Normal or not, this was happening, and I needed a distraction. I tuned the radio to a country station and tapped the wheel to the newest Kane Brown song as I turned off the main road.

A few minutes later, I crept down the dirt path that led to the cabin. The sun peeked over the horizon, but the canopy of branches kept the ground in shadow. The headlights bounced off the trees and tall grass that lined the driveway, and I cringed as thin limbs scratched down the sides of the truck until I entered the opening that was Owen's yard.

Parked in front of the house, I sat there holding my keys and staring as shafts of sunlight peeked through the leaves brightening the woods. Three days ago, I'd never even seen this place. Now I was here to alter my life in a way that could get me killed.

"Quit screwing around," I muttered to myself. I wasn't changing my mind; I might as well get started. Hopping out of the truck, I slammed the door behind me.

As I stepped on the porch, I wondered if Owen was in there waiting and what he did all day? There was a lot I didn't know, considering we were about to share a body.

In the living room, the sun shone on the peeling paint of the faded blue walls, making it bright enough to see the empty space. As I entered the kitchen, Owen yelled, "I'm down here!"

I opened the basement door, jumping out of the cat's way as it hurtled toward the exit. After watching him dart through the tall grass of the yard, I stepped carefully down the creaky stairs.

Like last time, hurricane lamps lit the area, but now, the top of the desk was clear, except for a small wooden box. Owen sat on the couch, waiting. The soft lighting smudged his outline, but other than that, he looked like anyone else. One ankle rested on the other knee, his arms were crossed, and there was no flickering so far.

"How did you know it was me upstairs?" I asked.

"I didn't."

"Then why did you yell at me?"

"I figured it was you, but anybody else wouldn't have heard me, anyway." Owen smirked.

I snickered at the reminder, slipping into the chair across from him. An uncomfortable silence followed.

Finally, Owen said, "I'm surprised you're here."

"You didn't think I'd go through with it?"

"It's a lot to ask."

"What would you have done if I didn't come?"

Owen shrugged. "There's nothing I could've done. I would've been here waiting, hoping someone else would show up. Considering I waited this long for you, the chances were slim."

"So you are stuck here. When was the last time you left?"

After a deep breath, Owen said, "November 14, 1969. It was a Friday."

"Fifty years ago. So, that means..."

"I didn't make it through that feeding time."

"So you died in this house?"

"No. My mom and I were the last two hunters alive. We argued over who'd stay if we didn't finish things; I won. Lilla gave us what we needed to tie my spirit to the cabin, so if I died before the mimics, I'd end up here."

My jaw dropped. "That was winning?"

Owen nodded. His stern face told me it wasn't something we'd be discussing.

"Okay. Lilla was the witch?"

"She was, and she gave us this, too." He faded from his seat and reappeared behind the desk, but it seemed intentional, not like the uncontrolled popping in and out of sight from before.

He was still as a statue, waiting for me to join him. A nervous tingle covered my neck, but I told myself to chill.

"What's the holdup?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's just before you did that." I pointed from the couch to where he stood now. "You were more solid today, and it kinda threw me for a second."

"Oh. Well, it never mattered before, but I could tell it made you uneasy, so I practiced."

My eyebrows rose. "Thanks, I guess. You didn't have to do that."

He shook his head. "No reason for this to be stranger than it has to be. Come on." Owen opened the wooden box and took out a glass bottle and a piece of paper. I walked over and reached for the tiny vial, but his hand shot out to stop me. "Be very careful with that. There's no way to get more."

"What is it?"

"It's the potion you're going to drink after we read this out loud together."

"So, we read, I drink this, and then what?"

"We'll have all day to work on sharing before we're around people."

"That's gonna be weird."

Owen grimaced. "Yup."

I took a deep breath and picked up the glass, squinting at it closer to the light. "This stuff is black, and... grainy. What the hell is in here?"

"I don't know, but with Lilla, it's probably better that way."

I curled my lip in disgust. "Fantastic."

"Look at the big picture. That'll take a second to gulp, then I'll be in your mind, teaching you how to hunt monsters."

"I'm not sure those are the selling points you think they are."

Owen smiled and rubbed his palms together. "Let's get this show on the road." Standing, he held the faded, beige paper between the two of us. "Read this out loud, then drink that."

"Now?" I yelled.

A huff escaped Owen. "Yeah, now. Am I supposed to take you to dinner first?"

I puffed out my cheeks with a slow exhale. I wasn't sure I was prepared, but I might never be. "No, you're right. Okay, let's do this."

Heart thundering, I moved closer to see the spell, and Owen lifted his chin in question. It was my last chance to back out. I took a steadying breath, held the other side of the creased paper, and together we read,

"With two willing minds and one beating heart,

we will hunt humanity's foe.

Two strong spirits,

one willing body,

one common goal.

We give ourselves freely to defend and protect.

Hold us together until we are done.

We volunteer our lives. We give everything,

until the monsters are none."

Without a second glance at the sickening mixture, I pulled the cork and downed the liquid. My nerves didn't allow me to taste or feel anything, but Owen started glowing.

The blue light drew me closer to him. I reached for the edge of the shining magic. Warmth enveloped my fingertips, and a sharp pain exploded inside me.

Owen watched in horror as I gasped for air and fell to my knees, clutching my chest. My lungs burned like flames.

Owen moved toward me as though he wanted to help, but then his fists pressed into his temples, and his eyes squeezed shut as his mouth opened in a silent scream.

It was the last thing I saw before I collapsed, and everything went black.

📚💜📚
From lunch with his crush to passing out in a ghost's basement. That's a long day.